Patents by Inventor Kazumasa Nakamura

Kazumasa Nakamura 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: 4830132
    Abstract: In a four wheel drive vehicle having a central power distribution device for transmitting engine power to a combination of left and right front wheels and a combination of left and right rear wheels with an action of differentiating rotation between the combination of the left and right front wheels and the combination of the left and right rear wheels, a skidding control device locks up the rotation differentiating action of the central power distribution device when at least either a difference between the rotation of the left front wheel and the rotation of the right front wheel or a difference between the mean rotation of the left front wheel and the right front wheel and the rotation of the combination of the left and right rear wheels exceeds a limit value predetermined therefor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1989
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takafumi Inagaki, Kazumasa Nakamura
  • Patent number: 4765691
    Abstract: A wheel slip control system for independently executing an anti-skid control and a traction control. The system includes a microcomputer, a first capacity control valve for anti-skid control, a selector valve, and a second capacity control valve for traction control. These values are connected in series between a master cylinder and a break cylinder. Such valves prevent brake fluid from over-charging a reservoir even in the course of switching from anti-skid control to traction control or vice versa, so that the brake pressure is properly reduced without consideration of capacity of the reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1988
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Inoue, Akira Shirai, Yoshihisa Nomura, Kazumasa Nakamura, Takafumi Inagaki, Harumasa Minegishi, Kiyotaka Ise
  • Patent number: 4739856
    Abstract: Wheel slip control system of the present invention controls an output of an internal combustion engine during acceleration of a vehicle and controls a hydraulic braking device of a driven wheel during acceleration of the vehicle, determines a value representative of a cumulative time control of the hydraulic braking device is effected and compares the value with a predetermined value, and changes selectively the output control of the internal combustion engine and the control of the hydraulic device in accordance with the comparison to thereby control driven wheel speed within a predetermined range such that a maximum torque is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1988
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takafumi Inagaki, Kazumasa Nakamura, Isao Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 4733760
    Abstract: An automotive vehicle driven wheel slippage control device is arranged such that the rotational speed of a driven vehicle wheel is determined. The presence of a condition of acceleration slippage is determined by utilizing as a parameter the rotational speed of the driven wheel. The value of a parameter representing the condition of the road surface on which the vehicle is being operated is determined. A braking device provided to the driven wheel is operated and controlled to set braking conditions for the driven wheel when acceleration slippage is determined, the braking conditions being varied according to the current value of the parameter representing road surface condition. The intensity of braking for the driven wheel may be varied, or, alternatively, the time period of braking therefor may be varied. Optionally, the parameter representing road surface condition may be determined from a value representing torque on the driven wheel and a value representing rotational acceleration thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1988
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takafumi Inagaki, Kazumasa Nakamura, Hiroharu Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 4722411
    Abstract: A wheel slip control system has a vehicle speed detector for detecting a running speed of a vehicle; a driving wheel rotating condition detector for detecting an actual driving wheel rotating speed of the vehicle and the acceleration thereof; an advance driving wheel speed computer for calculating an advance driving wheel speed using as parameters the above actual driving wheel rotating speed and acceleration thereof; a second throttle valve provided in an intake passage in a position upstream or downstream of the position where a first throttle valve interlocked with a vehicle accelerator pedal is located; a driver for opening and closing the second throttle valve; and an opening/closing controller for determining a target throttle position on the basis of the detected vehicle running speed and the advance driving wheel speed and controlling the driver so that an actual throttle position of the second throttle valve approaches the above target throttle position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1988
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kaoru Ohashi, Takahiro Nogami, Kazumasa Nakamura
  • Patent number: 4685547
    Abstract: A wheel slip controlling system is provided to immediately control the rotation of the drive wheels by controlling the output power of an internal combustion engine as well as by controlling the brake mechanism of the drive wheels when a slippage is detected during the process of braking or acceleration. The brake mechanism is an anti-skid control system which uses a pressure change-over valve to accurately control the braking force. The wheel slip controlling system also includes a second throttle valve responsive to a traction control mechanism for controlling the amount of intake air of the internal combustion engine such that the speed of the driven wheels can be slowed when slipping occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1987
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kaoru Ohashi, Ikuya Kobayashi, Takahiro Nogami, Akira Shirai, Kazumasa Nakamura, Yoshihisa Nomura
  • Patent number: 4681373
    Abstract: A wheel slip control system used for a vehicle includes a pressure source selector which selects one of the first pressure source providing a first pressure and a second pressure source providing a second pressure depending on the difference of the two pressures, a slip controller which adjusts the first pressure in response to a first adjustment signal or adjusts the second pressures in response to a second adjustment signal and thereafter operates to suppress slipping of the wheels including the driven wheels, a brake slip detector which produces a brake slip signal upon detection of a slip during braking operation, an acceleration slip detector which produces an acceleration slip signal upon detection of a slip during accelerating operation, and an electronic controller which provides the first adjustment signal to the slip controller based on the brake slip signal for the purpose of vehicle anti-skid control and provides the second adjustment signal to the slip controller based on the acceleration slip si
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1987
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Nomura, Masakazu Ishikawa, Akira Shirai, Takahiro Nogami, Kazumasa Nakamura, Kaoru Ohashi
  • Patent number: 4681374
    Abstract: A wheel slip control system used for a vehicle comprising: a pressure source selector being informed of a first pressure of a first pressure source and a second pressure of a second pressure source and adapted to select one of the first and second pressure source, a slip controller receiving a first adjustment signal for anti-skid control to adjust the first pressure provided by the pressure source selector or receiving a second adjustment signal for traction control to adjust the second pressure provided by the pressure source, selector a brake slip detector detecting the state of slipping of wheels during a braking operation of the vehicle and producing a brake slip signal, an acceleration slip detector detecting the state of slipping of wheels during an accelerating operation of the vehicle, a second throttle valve being placed at an intake air path provided with a first throttle valve interlocked to an acceleration increase member; and an electronic controller receiving the brake slip signal and providing
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1987
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazumasa Nakamura, Ikuya Kobayashi, Takahiro Nogami, Akira Shirai, Kaoru Ohashi, Yoshihisa Nomura
  • Patent number: 4648663
    Abstract: A wheel slip controlling system according to the present invention comprises braking actuator operable by a driver of a car for braking rotation of wheels at least including driving wheels, slip detector for detecting a slipping condition of the wheels to output a slip signal indicative of the slipping condition, anti skid controller for receiving the slip signal and for controlling, in response to the slip signal received, the pressure to be imparted from the braking actuator with a self-contained pressure source to control braking slips of said wheels at least including the driving wheels and traction controller responsive to the slip signal during acceleration of the car for controlling the driving wheels with the self-contained pressure source for control acceleration slips at least of the driving wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1987
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Nomura, Masakazu Ishikawa, Akira Shirai, Takahiro Nogami, Kazumasa Nakamura, Kaoru Ohashi
  • Patent number: 4637487
    Abstract: A traction control device in an engine which has an intake passage. A throttle valve and a flow control valve are arranged in series in the intake passage. Where acceleration of the motor vehicle is carried out, when the speed of rotation of the driven wheel or acceleration of the speed of rotation of the driven wheel exceeds a predetermined level, the flow control valve is closed. When the speed of rotation of the driven wheel becomes lower than a predetermined level or deceleration of the speed of rotation of the driven wheel becomes larger than a predetermined level, the flow control valve is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1987
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazumasa Nakamura, Ikuya Kobayashi, Takahiro Nogami, Akira Shirai, Yoshihisa Nomura, Kaoru Ohashi
  • Patent number: 4633214
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for detecting the center of a steering angle in a vehicle.This device comprises a steering angle sensor provided on a vehicle steering mechanism for electrically detecting a steering angle, a temporary storing portion for temporarily storing a center value calculated in response to an output from the sensor through a first switch, a comparison circuit for comparing the center value stored in the temporary storage portion with an output from the steering angle sensor to ON-OFF operate the first switch, a center storage portion for taking out the center value in the temporary storage portion through a second switch to store the same, and a distance measuring portion controlled by the comparison circuit, for ON-OFF operating the second switch after a lapse of a predetermined running distance upon ON-operation of the first switch, the aforesaid center storage portion including an integration circuit having a resistor and a capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1986
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Miyata, Kazumasa Nakamura
  • Patent number: 4621832
    Abstract: A shock absorber control system controls vehicle shock absorbers by bringing them selectively into a softer dampening mode or a harder dampening mode in response to operation of a steering wheel of a vehicle. The shock absorbers are changed from the softer to the harder dampening mode only when the vehicle speed is higher than a reference vehicle speed and the steering wheel is turned at an angular velocity greater than a predetermined reference angular velocity. The angular velocity of rotation of the steering wheel is used as a parameter to select one of the softer and harder dampening modes only when the vehicle wheel has been angularly moved beyond a certain reference angle dependent on the vehicle speed. Therefore, no unwanted switching between the softer and harder dampening modes takes place when the steering wheel is angularly moved back and forth through relatively small angles. The harder dampening mode continues for a preset interval of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1986
    Assignees: Nippondenso Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Nakashima, Yoshinori Ishiguro, Kohji Kamiya, Hiroshi Miyata, Kazumasa Nakamura, Naoyasu Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 4537272
    Abstract: A device for controlling the speed of an automotive vehicle based on a preselected vehicle speed, including a vehicle speed detector, an actual speed setting switch, a vehicle speed selection unit, a selected speed presetting switch, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit receives the signals from the vehicle speed detector, the actual speed setting switch, the vehicle speed selection unit, and the selected speed presetting switch and generates a signal for control of the output of the vehicle engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1985
    Assignees: Fujitsu Ten Limited, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kou Tanigawa, Jiro Masuda, Kazumasa Nakamura, Kazuhiko Hayashi
  • Patent number: 4535865
    Abstract: A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle, which automatically controls the throttle valve opening to maintain the vehicle speed constant without a driver's operation of the accelerator pedal once the vehicle speed is set to a desired value, is designed so that acceleration at the time of operating an increase set switch or resume switch is increased to ensure a comfortable drive while ascending a long slope. To this end, the cruise control system is provided with an overdrive controller which releases the overdrive at the time of operating the increase set switch and which resumes the overdrive at the time of releasing the operation of the increase set switch, or an overdrive controller which releases the overdrive at the time of operating the resume switch when the vehicle speed at that time is sufficiently lower than the set speed and which resumes the overdrive when the vehicle speed has been restored substantially to the set speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1985
    Assignees: Fujitsu Ten Limited, Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kou Tanigawa, Jiro Masuda, Kazumasa Nakamura, Kazuhiko Hayashi
  • Patent number: 4535864
    Abstract: A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle which automatically controls the throttle valve opening to maintain the vehicle speed constant without a driver's operation of the accelerator pedal once the vehicle speed is set to a desired value, is designed so that acceleration at the time of operating an increase set switch or resume switch is increased to ensure a comfortable drive while ascending a long slope. To this end, the cruise control system is provided with an overdrive controller which releases overdrive at the time of operating the increase set switch and resumes the overdrive at the time of releasing the operation of the increase set switch, or an overdrive controller which releases overdrive at the time of operating the resume switch when the vehicle speed at that time is sufficiently lower than the set speed and resumes the overdrive when the vehicle speed has been restored substantially to the set speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1985
    Assignees: Fujitsu Ten Limited, Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kou Tanigawa, Jiro Masuda, Kazumasa Nakamura, Kazuhiko Hayashi
  • Patent number: 4523281
    Abstract: An electronic automatic transmission control system for an automobile comprises speed sensor means for detecting the speed of the automobile, load sensor means for detecting engine load, solenoids for controlling the automatic transmission including a lock-up clutch of a torque converter and a computer for receiving signals from the sensor means and for controlling the solenoids, the computer having a memory RAM and ROM for storing shift pattern data representing a plurality of lock-up patterns comprising three sorts of modes, i.e., power mode, economy mode and normal mode, in addition to a plurality of shift patterns comprising three sorts of modes, i.e., power mode, economy mode and normal mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1982
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1985
    Assignees: Nippondenso Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Munetaka Noda, Yukio Tobe, Yutaka Taga, Shinya Nakamura, Kazumasa Nakamura, Takafumi Inagaki, Hiroshi Ito
  • Patent number: 4516652
    Abstract: Apparatus for controlling the speed of an automobile in which the speed is maintained at a preset speed when a resume switch is manipulated. A memory stores data corresponding to the preset speed. The difference between the preset speed and the actual speed of the automobile is detected and this difference is employed to switch the reduction ratio of transmission gears of the automobile. The reduction ratio is increased when the actual speed becomes a predetermined speed less than the preset speed and when a predetermined condition is established. The predetermined condition is, for example, a condition in which the actual speed is less than the predetermined speed, the actual degree of acceleration is less than the predetermined degree of acceleration, or a predetermined time period elapses after the resume switch is manipulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1985
    Assignees: Fujitsu Ten Limited, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kou Tanigawa, Jiro Masuda, Kazumasa Nakamura, Kazuhiko Hayashi
  • Patent number: 4463822
    Abstract: A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle, which automatically controls the throttle valve opening to maintain the vehicle speed constant without a driver's operation of the accelerator pedal once the vehicle speed is set to a desired value, is designed so that acceleration at the time of operating an increase set switch or resume switch is increased to ensure a comfortable drive while ascending a long slope. To this end, the cruise control system is provided with an overdrive controller which releases the overdrive at the time of operating the increase set switch and which resumes the overdrive at the time of releasing the operation of the increase set switch, or an overdrive controller which releases the overdrive at the time of operating the resume switch when the vehicle speed at that time is sufficiently lower than the set speed and which resumes the overdrive when the vehicle speed has been restored substantially to the set speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1982
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1984
    Assignees: Fujitsu Ten Limited, Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kou Tanigawa, Jiro Masuda, Kazumasa Nakamura, Kazuhiko Hayashi
  • Patent number: 4417468
    Abstract: A switching device for detecting the rotational positions of a rotary shaft including a lever rotating with the rotary shaft as a unit, and an electrically conductive plate spring having a central portion and two side portions which is bent and mounted on the lever. The two side portions of the plate spring are each formed with a movable electrical contact, and electrical contacts each juxtaposed against one of the movable electrical contacts on the plate spring are formed in fixed members respectively. Rotation of the lever brings one set of movable and fixed contacts into and out of engagement with each other to detect one rotational position, and further rotation thereof brings the other set of movable and fixed contacts into and out of engagement with each other to detect another rotational position. The plate spring is held in position in flexed condition on the lever by retaining means which has the effect of positively keeping the two contacts with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1983
    Assignees: Nippondenso Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keiichi Yasuda, Takaaki Ori, Kazumasa Nakamura