Patents by Inventor Ken HIRASHITA

Ken HIRASHITA 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: 10808840
    Abstract: A transmission control device controls a CVT installed in a vehicle. The device has, as modes for the CVT, a CVT mode M1 for changing a transmission gear ratio steplessly based on the operating state of the vehicle, and a stepped transmission mode M2 for changing the transmission gear ratio stepwise based on the operating state of the vehicle. The device includes a transmission mode switching control unit (controller) 12 for controlling switching between the CVT mode M1 and the stepped transmission mode M2 based on an actual accelerator opening. The transmission mode switching control unit (controller) 12 performs switching from the CVT mode M1 to the stepped transmission mode M2, if the actual accelerator opening reaches or exceeds a first threshold value T1 set in a plurality of stages so as to increase stepwise in accordance with an increase in a vehicle speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignees: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, JATCO LTD
    Inventors: Noritaka Aoyama, Azusa Shimoda, Masataka Ohtsuka, Ken Hirashita, Nobuhiko Morifuji, Mitsuki Ishizuka, Hiromasa Masuda, Yukinobu Sakakibara
  • Publication number: 20200300357
    Abstract: A transmission control device controls a CVT installed in a vehicle. The device has, as modes for the CVT, a CVT mode M1 for changing a transmission gear ratio steplessly based on the operating state of the vehicle, and a stepped transmission mode M2 for changing the transmission gear ratio stepwise based on the operating state of the vehicle. The device includes a transmission mode switching control unit (controller) 12 for controlling switching between the CVT mode M1 and the stepped transmission mode M2 based on an actual accelerator opening. The transmission mode switching control unit (controller) 12 performs switching from the CVT mode M1 to the stepped transmission mode M2, if the actual accelerator opening reaches or exceeds a first threshold value T1 set in a plurality of stages so as to increase stepwise in accordance with an increase in a vehicle speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Applicants: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, JATCO Ltd
    Inventors: Noritaka AOYAMA, Azusa SHIMODA, Masataka OHTSUKA, Ken HIRASHITA, Nobuhiko MORIFUJI, Mitsuki ISHIZUKA, Hiromasa MASUDA, Yukinobu SAKAKIBARA
  • Patent number: 10518641
    Abstract: The control apparatus for a vehicle includes a determination unit that determines whether or not a start condition is established, the start condition including when a torque converter is in a lockup state, and when the vehicle is in an accelerating state; and a display control unit that causes an acting number of rotations to be displayed on a tachometer instead of an actual number of rotations when it is determined by the determination unit that the start condition is established. The display control unit calculates the acting number of rotations based on a target value of an input number of rotations of a continuously variable transmission, and varies the acting number of rotations with a rate of change having an absolute value that is greater than an absolute value of a rate of change of the actual number of rotations upon an abrupt change in the target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Teppei Tanizoe, Noritaka Aoyama, Kenji Ohmura, Masataka Ohtsuka, Nagamitsu Hiraoka, Ken Hirashita, Takahisa Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 10131230
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle includes a determination unit that determines whether or not a start condition is established, the start condition including a torque converter is in a non-lock-up state and the vehicle is starting; and a display control unit that causes a virtual number of rotations to be displayed on a tachometer instead of an actual number of rotations when it is determined by the determination unit that the start condition is established. The display control unit calculates an acting number of rotations by referring to the actual number of rotations and a number of rotations on a driving wheel side relative to the torque converter in an automatic transmission, and causes the acting number of rotations to be displayed on the tachometer as the virtual number of rotations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Teppei Tanizoe, Noritaka Aoyama, Kenji Ohmura, Masataka Ohtsuka, Nagamitsu Hiraoka, Ken Hirashita, Takahisa Fujiwara
  • Publication number: 20180194226
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle includes a determination unit that determines whether or not a start condition is established, the start condition including a torque converter is in a non-lock-up state and the vehicle is starting; and a display control unit that causes a virtual number of rotations to be displayed on a tachometer instead of an actual number of rotations when it is determined by the determination unit that the start condition is established. The display control unit calculates an acting number of rotations by referring to the actual number of rotations and a number of rotations on a driving wheel side relative to the torque converter in an automatic transmission, and causes the acting number of rotations to be displayed on the tachometer as the virtual number of rotations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Teppei TANIZOE, Noritaka AOYAMA, Kenji OHMURA, Masataka OHTSUKA, Nagamitsu HIRAOKA, Ken HIRASHITA, Takahisa FUJIWARA
  • Publication number: 20180194225
    Abstract: The control apparatus for a vehicle includes a determination unit that determines whether or not a start condition is established, the start condition including when a torque converter is in a lockup state, and when the vehicle is in an accelerating state; and a display control unit that causes an acting number of rotations to be displayed on a tachometer instead of an actual number of rotations when it is determined by the determination unit that the start condition is established. The display control unit calculates the acting number of rotations based on a target value of an input number of rotations of a continuously variable transmission, and varies the acting number of rotations with a rate of change having an absolute value that is greater than an absolute value of a rate of change of the actual number of rotations upon an abrupt change in the target value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Teppei TANIZOE, Noritaka AOYAMA, Kenji OHMURA, Masataka OHTSUKA, Nagamitsu HIRAOKA, Ken HIRASHITA, Takahisa FUJIWARA