Patents by Inventor Kazuma Sasahara

Kazuma Sasahara 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: 11215280
    Abstract: Provided is a gear change control device of automatic transmission for vehicles. The gear change control device of automatic transmission includes a gear change control part which performs upshift gear change control and downshift gear change control of an automatic transmission according to a shift map. When an operation of a brake operation element is detected and full closure of an accelerator is detected, the gear change control part calculates, based on a change amount of a vehicle speed and a pressure of a brake master cylinder, a determination counter value for determining whether or not to execute the downshift of the automatic transmission, and when the determination counter value is equal to or greater than a threshold value (first threshold value), the gear change control part performs the downshift of the automatic transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Noguchi, Kazuma Sasahara, Hiroki Murasawa, Naoyuki Kubo, Hiroki Kato
  • Patent number: 11209080
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a control device of an automatic transmission for vehicle, which can improve the responsiveness to switching to a reverse stage. The automatic transmission includes: planetary gear mechanisms which transmit the driving force input to an input shaft to an output member; and first to third clutches and first to fourth brakes as engagement mechanisms capable of establishing shift stages by switching a transmission path of the driving force in the planetary gear mechanisms. The control device executes a reverse preparation process for starting engagements of the first and third clutches and the third brake and stopping rotation of the input shaft when the reverse stage is selected when the fourth brake (mechanical engagement mechanism) is in a unidirectional rotation allowed state (first state) and the vehicle is traveling at a vehicle speed greater than a highest vehicle speed at which the reverse stage is establishable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuya Tachibanada, Kazuma Sasahara, Makoto Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20210301920
    Abstract: Provided is a gear change control device of automatic transmission for vehicles. The gear change control device of automatic transmission includes a gear change control part which performs upshift gear change control and downshift gear change control of an automatic transmission according to a shift map. When an operation of a brake operation element is detected and full closure of an accelerator is detected, the gear change control part calculates, based on a change amount of a vehicle speed and a pressure of a brake master cylinder, a determination counter value for determining whether or not to execute the downshift of the automatic transmission, and when the determination counter value is equal to or greater than a threshold value (first threshold value), the gear change control part performs the downshift of the automatic transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki NOGUCHI, Kazuma SASAHARA, Hiroki MURASAWA, Naoyuki KUBO, Hiroki KATO
  • Publication number: 20210215247
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a control device of an automatic transmission for vehicle, which can improve the responsiveness to switching to a reverse stage. The automatic transmission includes: planetary gear mechanisms which transmit the driving force input to an input shaft to an output member; and first to third clutches and first to fourth brakes as engagement mechanisms capable of establishing shift stages by switching a transmission path of the driving force in the planetary gear mechanisms. The control device executes a reverse preparation process for starting engagements of the first and third clutches and the third brake and stopping rotation of the input shaft when the reverse stage is selected when the fourth brake (mechanical engagement mechanism) is in a unidirectional rotation allowed state (first state) and the vehicle is traveling at a vehicle speed greater than a highest vehicle speed at which the reverse stage is establishable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuya TACHIBANADA, Kazuma SASAHARA, Makoto KOBAYASHI
  • Patent number: 10821985
    Abstract: A gear change control device and method thereof are provided. The gear change control device is a target torque control device that sets a target torque of a motor outputting a torque to a multilevel transmission having a torque converter and a lockup clutch. In a case when the lockup clutch is in a fastened state and during upshifting gear change, target torque reduction control is executed for reducing the target torque of the motor such that the output of the motor becomes a torque at which a heat generation temperature of the lockup clutch does not exceed an allowable temperature. If the lockup clutch is fastened, threshold value changing control is executed for changing threshold value of a rotation speed of the motor or the input shaft when the gear range is shifted to the side of higher range during upshifting gear change to a higher rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumio Egashira, Kazuma Sasahara
  • Publication number: 20200149631
    Abstract: When hydraulic information is not available for use, a lock mechanism control unit of a transmission's rotating shaft operated by hydraulic pressure sets the shift range to a non-running range and sets a parking lock to an unlocked state if a vehicle is in a running state and rotation speed of a drive unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, but sets the shift range to a parking range and sets the parking lock to a locked state if the vehicle is in a non-running state or the rotation speed is lower than the predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Yuya Tachibanada, Kazuma Sasahara, Tetsuya Mochizuki, Koichi Fushimi, Hirotake Omoto, Shunsuke Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10451179
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle automatic transmission includes a downshift determining unit that determines whether downshift of a gear shift stage is to be performed based on at least one of a history of lateral accelerations and a history of variations of a vehicle speed. A lateral acceleration history acquiring unit or a vehicle speed variation history acquiring unit returns at least one of the history of the lateral accelerations and the history of the variations of the vehicle speed to an initial value when a shift control mode determined by a shift control mode determining unit is switched. At least one of the initial value of the history of the lateral accelerations and the initial value of the history of the variations of the vehicle speed is a value that is set for each shift control mode determined by the shift control mode determining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuma Sasahara, Yutaka Ishikawa
  • Publication number: 20190283759
    Abstract: A gear change control device and method thereof are provided. The gear change control device is a target torque control device that sets a target torque of a motor outputting a torque to a multilevel transmission having a torque converter and a lockup clutch. In a case when the lockup clutch is in a fastened state and during upshifting gear change, target torque reduction control is executed for reducing the target torque of the motor such that the output of the motor becomes a torque at which a heat generation temperature of the lockup clutch does not exceed an allowable temperature. If the lockup clutch is fastened, threshold value changing control is executed for changing threshold value of a rotation speed of the motor or the input shaft when the gear range is shifted to the side of higher range during upshifting gear change to a higher rotation speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co.,Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumio EGASHIRA, Kazuma SASAHARA
  • Patent number: 10364884
    Abstract: A gear shift mechanism controlled by a gear shift control device includes a plurality of engagement mechanisms and engages three engagement mechanisms to establish any one of a plurality of shift stages. The gear shift control device is adapted to change speed to a desired shift stage set by a manual operation. If a gear shift to the desired shift stage involves the skipping of one or more shift stages and the switching of two or more engagement mechanisms among the plurality of engagement mechanisms that are currently engaged, then the gear shift control device performs the gear shift to the desired shift stage such that the engagement mechanisms to be switched via a shift stage or stages to be skipped are switched one by one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuma Sasahara, Shintaro Kameda, Christopher Hopp
  • Publication number: 20180274669
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle automatic transmission includes a downshift determining unit that determines whether downshift of a gear shift stage is to be performed based on at least one of a history of lateral accelerations and a history of variations of a vehicle speed. A lateral acceleration history acquiring unit or a vehicle speed variation history acquiring unit returns at least one of the history of the lateral accelerations and the history of the variations of the vehicle speed to an initial value when a shift control mode determined by a shift control mode determining unit is switched. At least one of the initial value of the history of the lateral accelerations and the initial value of the history of the variations of the vehicle speed is a value that is set for each shift control mode determined by the shift control mode determining unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuma Sasahara, Yutaka Ishikawa
  • Publication number: 20180252312
    Abstract: A gear shift mechanism controlled by a gear shift control device includes a plurality of engagement mechanisms and engages three engagement mechanisms to establish any one of a plurality of shift stages. The gear shift control device is adapted to change speed to a desired shift stage set by a manual operation. If a gear shift to the desired shift stage involves the skipping of one or more shift stages and the switching of two or more engagement mechanisms among the plurality of engagement mechanisms that are currently engaged, then the gear shift control device performs the gear shift to the desired shift stage such that the engagement mechanisms to be switched via a shift stage or stages to be skipped are switched one by one.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuma Sasahara, Shintaro Kameda, Christopher Hopp
  • Patent number: 9598065
    Abstract: An engine controller for controlling an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders is provided. The engine controller is in signal communication with the internal combustion engine, an automatic transmission, and a displacement adjusting mechanism. The engine controller is configured to determine an operating condition of the internal combustion engine and to communicate with the automatic transmission to shift to one of a plurality of gear configurations, and the displacement adjusting mechanism to one of activate and deactivate at least one cylinder. The engine controller determines that a shift from a first gear configuration to a second gear configuration requires a positive torque when the at least one cylinder is deactivated. The engine controller communicates with the displacement adjusting mechanism to activate the at least one deactivated cylinder such that the plurality of cylinders are activated before the shift between gear configurations and the positive torque are completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignees: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Ryuichi Mori, Christopher Hopp, Kazuma Sasahara, Brian Flora, Christian Villing
  • Publication number: 20160101768
    Abstract: An engine controller for controlling an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders is provided. The engine controller is in signal communication with the internal combustion engine, an automatic transmission, and a displacement adjusting mechanism. The engine controller is configured to determine an operating condition of the internal combustion engine and to communicate with the automatic transmission to shift to one of a plurality of gear configurations, and the displacement adjusting mechanism to one of activate and deactivate at least one cylinder. The engine controller determines that a shift from a first gear configuration to a second gear configuration requires a positive torque when the at least one cylinder is deactivated. The engine controller communicates with the displacement adjusting mechanism to activate the at least one deactivated cylinder such that the plurality of cylinders are activated before the shift between gear configurations and the positive torque are completed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: Ryuichi Mori, Christopher Hopp, Kazuma Sasahara, Brian Flora
  • Patent number: 8515631
    Abstract: A driving force margin of a vehicle is calculated on the basis of an engine load, vehicle speed, travel resistance and estimated uphill gradient. A gear is determined on the basis of predetermined gear shifting characteristics at least from the vehicle speed and the engine load in an automatic shift mode. Automatic down shift is generated in the case where the vehicle speed becomes lower than vehicle speed on an automatic down shift vehicle speed table set up in accordance with the gear when the operation is switched from the automatic shift mode to a manual shift mode. The automatic down shift vehicle speed table is corrected so as to shift an automatic down shift line to a high vehicle speed side or low vehicle speed side in accordance with the magnitude of the calculated driving force margin of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuji Murata, Hiroyuki Takeo, Kazuma Sasahara
  • Patent number: 8504262
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an automatic transmission includes a torque calculator configured to calculate a torque required during a speed change for a hydraulic clutch at a target speed stage based on an output torque of an engine. A supply fluid pressure calculator is configured to obtain, from the calculated torque, a supply fluid pressure to be supplied to the hydraulic clutch by using a clutch friction coefficient. A fluid supplier is configured to supply the obtained supply fluid pressure to the hydraulic clutch to perform the speed change for an output of the engine through a gear corresponding to the target speed stage. A clutch plate temperature estimating device is configured to estimate a plate temperature of the hydraulic clutch. A fluid pressure correcting device is configured to correct the supply fluid pressure based on the estimated plate temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuma Sasahara, Takashi Maehara, Makoto Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8374756
    Abstract: A control device for an automatic transmission includes a speed change controller configured to generate a speed change instruction. A temperature calculator is configured to calculate a temperature of at least one frictional engagement element among frictional engagement elements. A rotation difference calculator is configured to calculate a rotation difference between an input and an output of the at least one frictional engagement element. A determining unit is configured to determine whether the frictional engagement element is engageable or non-engageable based on the temperature and the rotation difference of the frictional engagement element and a pattern of the speed change instruction. The delay unit is configured to delay engagement until the determining unit determines that the frictional engagement element is engageable, if the determining unit determines that the frictional engagement element is non-engageable when the speed change controller generates the speed change instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuma Sasahara, Takashi Satoyoshi, Ryuta Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20110035125
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an automatic transmission includes a torque calculator configured to calculate a torque required during a speed change for a hydraulic clutch at a target speed stage based on an output torque of an engine. A supply fluid pressure calculator is configured to obtain, from the calculated torque, a supply fluid pressure to be supplied to the hydraulic clutch by using a clutch friction coefficient. A fluid supplier is configured to supply the obtained supply fluid pressure to the hydraulic clutch to perform the speed change for an output of the engine through a gear corresponding to the target speed stage. A clutch plate temperature estimating device is configured to estimate a plate temperature of the hydraulic clutch. A fluid pressure correcting device is configured to correct the supply fluid pressure based on the estimated plate temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuma SASAHARA, Takashi Maehara, Makoto Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20110029207
    Abstract: A control device for an automatic transmission includes a speed change controller configured to generate a speed change instruction. A temperature calculator is configured to calculate a temperature of at least one frictional engagement element among frictional engagement elements. A rotation difference calculator is configured to calculate a rotation difference between an input and an output of the at least one frictional engagement element. A determining unit is configured to determine whether the frictional engagement element is engageable or non-engageable based on the temperature and the rotation difference of the frictional engagement element and a pattern of the speed change instruction. The delay unit is configured to delay engagement until the determining unit determines that the frictional engagement element is engageable, if the determining unit determines that the frictional engagement element is non-engageable when the speed change controller generates the speed change instruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD
    Inventors: Kazuma Sasahara, Takashi Satoyoshi, Ryuta Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20100318267
    Abstract: A driving force margin of a vehicle is calculated on the basis of an engine load, vehicle speed, travel resistance and estimated uphill gradient. A gear is determined on the basis of predetermined gear shifting characteristics at least from the vehicle speed and the engine load in an automatic shift mode. Automatic down shift is generated in the case where the vehicle speed becomes lower than vehicle speed on an automatic down shift vehicle speed table set up in accordance with the gear when the operation is switched from the automatic shift mode to a manual shift mode. The automatic down shift vehicle speed table is corrected so as to shift an automatic down shift line to a high vehicle speed side or low vehicle speed side in accordance with the magnitude of the calculated driving force margin of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryuji Murata, Hiroyuki Takeo, Kazuma Sasahara