Patents by Inventor Kengo Kumano
Kengo Kumano 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).
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Patent number: 11834050Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method and a control unit for controlling pre-warming process of an engine of a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV). The method comprises determining start-up time of the engine. The method also comprises determining engine heating time for the engine. The pre-warming process of the engine is initiated prior to start up time of the engine. The process of pre-warming is discontinued when the determined start-up time of the engine is greater than the engine heating time and the process is restarted when the determined start-up time of the engine is less than the engine heating time and when the pre-warming process of the engine is discontinued. The above-mentioned process is reiterated at plurality of time intervals for controlling the pre-warming process of the engine which results in energy efficiency and sufficient heat for warm-up of the engine.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2020Date of Patent: December 5, 2023Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.Inventors: Ragesh R, Shin Yamauchi, Kengo Kumano, Kazuhiro Oryoji
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Patent number: 11603819Abstract: In an engine including an auxiliary chamber having an ignition plug therein, an amount of heat generated in the auxiliary chamber tends to be large, and thus it is necessary to suppress abnormal combustion. However, when a sensor is added to the ignition plug, a manufacturing cost of the ignition plug tends to increase. An ECU 2 includes an auxiliary chamber temperature estimation unit 21 that estimates a temperature of the auxiliary chamber 42, and an ignition control unit 22 that delays an ignition timing at a first decrease degree defined in accordance with a change amount of the ignition timing with respect to the temperature of the auxiliary combustion chamber as the temperature of the auxiliary chamber 42 increases in a case where the estimated temperature of the auxiliary chamber 42 is included in a middle temperature region equal to or lower than a first set temperature.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2020Date of Patent: March 14, 2023Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.Inventors: Kengo Kumano, Kazuhiro Oryoji, Masayuki Saruwatari
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Publication number: 20220325687Abstract: In an engine including an auxiliary chamber having an ignition plug therein, an amount of heat generated in the auxiliary chamber tends to be large, and thus it is necessary to suppress abnormal combustion. However, when a sensor is added to the ignition plug, a manufacturing cost of the ignition plug tends to increase. An ECU 2 includes an auxiliary chamber temperature estimation unit 21 that estimates a temperature of the auxiliary chamber 42, and an ignition control unit 22 that delays an ignition timing at a first decrease degree defined in accordance with a change amount of the ignition timing with respect to the temperature of the auxiliary combustion chamber as the temperature of the auxiliary chamber 42 increases in a case where the estimated temperature of the auxiliary chamber 42 is included in a middle temperature region equal to or lower than a first set temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2020Publication date: October 13, 2022Inventors: Kengo KUMANO, Kazuhiro ORYOJI, Masayuki SARUWATARI
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Patent number: 11364909Abstract: The movement of the vehicle is controlled so that the travel time does not become long while reducing the fuel consumption of the vehicle. A vehicle control device 1 that automatically controls a speed of a vehicle is configured to include an acceleration/deceleration pattern setting unit 22 that sets a plurality of acceleration/deceleration patterns including acceleration and deceleration in a traveling scheduled zone and sets the speed to be the same in a region between an acceleration region and a deceleration region in each acceleration/deceleration pattern based on traveling history in a traveling scheduled zone.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2019Date of Patent: June 21, 2022Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.Inventors: Yoichi Iihoshi, Takashi Okada, Kengo Kumano, Yuuki Okuda
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Patent number: 11333060Abstract: When a coolant controlled to have a constant target temperature is used regardless of a traveling condition of a vehicle, a fuel efficiency of the vehicle may be reduced.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2020Date of Patent: May 17, 2022Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.Inventors: Kengo Kumano, Masayuki Saruwatari
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Publication number: 20220106902Abstract: When a coolant controlled to have a constant target temperature is used regardless of a traveling condition of a vehicle, a fuel efficiency of the vehicle may be reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 7, 2020Publication date: April 7, 2022Inventors: Kengo KUMANO, Masayuki SARUWATARI
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Publication number: 20220097712Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method and a control unit for controlling pre-warming process of an engine of a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV). The method comprises determining start-up time of the engine. The method also comprises determining engine heating time for the engine. The pre-warming process of the engine is initiated prior to start up time of the engine. The process of pre-warming is discontinued when the determined start-up time of the engine is greater than the engine heating time and the process is restarted when the determined start-up time of the engine is less than the engine heating time and when the pre-warming process of the engine is discontinued. The above-mentioned process is reiterated at plurality of time intervals for controlling the pre-warming process of the engine which results in energy efficiency and sufficient heat for warm-up of the engine.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2020Publication date: March 31, 2022Inventors: Ragesh R, Shin YAMAUCHI, Kengo KUMANO, Kazuhiro ORYOJI
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Publication number: 20210188264Abstract: Provided is a vehicle control device capable of realizing fuel-efficient traveling of an own vehicle. Therefore, a vehicle control device 100 includes a limiting factor determination unit 101 that determines whether there are a limiting factor on an own lane that limits traveling of an own vehicle in the own lane and a limiting factor on an adjacent lane that limits the traveling of the own vehicle in a lane adjacent to the own lane, a lane selection unit 102 that selects a lane in which the own vehicle travels based on a determination result of the limiting factor determination unit 101, and a driving force control unit 103 that controls a driving force of the own vehicle based on the lane selected by the lane selection unit 102.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2019Publication date: June 24, 2021Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Yuuki OKUDA, Takashi OKADA, Kengo KUMANO
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Publication number: 20210046933Abstract: The movement of the vehicle is controlled so that the travel time does not become long while reducing the fuel consumption of the vehicle. A vehicle control device 1 that automatically controls a speed of a vehicle is configured to include an acceleration/deceleration pattern setting unit 22 that sets a plurality of acceleration/deceleration patterns including acceleration and deceleration in a traveling scheduled zone and sets the speed to be the same in a region between an acceleration region and a deceleration region in each acceleration/deceleration pattern based on traveling history in a traveling scheduled zone.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 10, 2019Publication date: February 18, 2021Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Yoichi IIHOSHI, Takashi OKADA, Kengo KUMANO, Yuuki OKUDA
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Patent number: 9702779Abstract: In order to solve a problem that in an internal combustion engine in which abnormal combustion (knocking or an accidental fire) of an engine is detected from an ion signal, the setting of an abnormal combustion determination threshold value under a transient condition in which an engine operating state abruptly changes is difficult to thereby cause erroneous determination, the present invention is an engine control device provided with an ion signal detection means for detecting ions generated during combustion, and provided with an abnormal combustion determination means for determining knocking or an accidental fire according to an ion signal detected by the detection means, the engine control device being characterized by being provided with an in-cylinder temperature estimation means for estimating the in-cylinder temperature in a normal combustion cycle under a current operating condition of the engine, and by setting the knocking determination threshold value or accidental fire determination threshold vType: GrantFiled: March 13, 2013Date of Patent: July 11, 2017Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Kengo Kumano, Yoshihiko Akagi, Takuya Shiraishi, Kenichiroh Ogata
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Publication number: 20160215749Abstract: A control device of an internal combustion engine in a simple configuration capable of finely detecting the combustion state of the internal combustion engine, for example, an occurrence of knocking from an ionic current signal is provided. A control device 20 of an internal combustion engine 100 having an ionic current value detection unit 42 that detects an ionic current value during combustion including an ionic current signal processing unit 20l that performs signal processing of the ionic current value and a detection unit 20m that detects a combustion state of the internal combustion engine 100 based on a processing result by the ionic current signal processing unit 20l, wherein the ionic current signal processing unit 20l includes a differentiating unit 20la that calculates a differential value of the ionic current value is provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2014Publication date: July 28, 2016Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Shinya MATOHARA, Kengo KUMANO, Yoshihiko AKAGI
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Publication number: 20150128683Abstract: In order to solve a problem that in an internal combustion engine in which abnormal combustion (knocking or an accidental fire) of an engine is detected from an ion signal, the setting of an abnormal combustion determination threshold value under a transient condition in which an engine operating state abruptly changes is difficult to thereby cause erroneous determination, the present invention is an engine control device provided with an ion signal detection means for detecting ions generated during combustion, and provided with an abnormal combustion determination means for determining knocking or an accidental tire according to an ion signal detected by the detection means, the engine control device being characterized by being provided with an in-cylinder temperature estimation means for estimating the in-cylinder temperature in a normal combustion cycle under a current operating condition of the engine, and by setting the knocking determination threshold value or accidental fire determination threshold vType: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2013Publication date: May 14, 2015Inventors: Kengo Kumano, Yoshihiko Akagi, Takuya Shiraishi, Kenichiroh Ogata
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Patent number: 9010302Abstract: In a direct injection gasoline engine, at acceleration operation, an amount of internal EGR is increased by advancing exhaust valve closing timing, and also fuel injection pressure is increased. In this case, range of increase in fuel injection pressure is determined on the basis of the exhaust valve closing timing at present.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2011Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Kengo Kumano, Yoshihiro Sukegawa, Yusuke Kihara, Takashi Okamoto
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Publication number: 20150039207Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for estimating an alcohol concentration in an alcohol fuel mixture supplied to an internal combustion engine, wherein the operation of the internal combustion engine supplied with the alcohol fuel mixture is operated in a stoichiometric condition, a first parameter is determined on the basis of a signal from a pressure sensor sensing the pressure inside a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine being controlled in the stoichiometric condition, and the alcohol concentration of the alcohol fuel mixture is determined on the basis of the determined first parameter and a relation between the first parameter and the alcohol concentration of the alcohol fuel mixture.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2014Publication date: February 5, 2015Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Kazuhiro ORYOJI, Kengo KUMANO
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Publication number: 20150019112Abstract: Knocking and misfire are judged by detecting combustion ions generated in a combustion chamber with an ion sensor, obtaining an integral signal by integrating the ion signal, and comparing the integral signal with a misfire judgment value and a knocking judgment value based on a signal obtained by averaging integral signals of prescribed past cycles. It is possible to: reduce a computation load by detecting misfire and knocking with an identical ion sensor and carrying out a judgment treatment with identical judgment function logic; and detect trace knocking by setting a knocking judgment threshold value and hence increase the accuracy of ignition timing control.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2013Publication date: January 15, 2015Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Takuya Shiraishi, Kengo Kumano, Kenichiroh Ogata, Yoshihiko Akagi, Shinya Matohara
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Patent number: 8464687Abstract: An object is to provide a control device and control method for a compressed self-ignition type internal combustion engine, which can reduce torque variation due to misfire when the air-fuel ratio varies during compressed self-ignition type combustion, and thereby effectively use the potential for reducing fuel consumption. As the combustion mode, a spark-ignition type combustion mode by use of an ignition plug and a compressed self-ignition type combustion mode which utilizes a pressure increase in a combustion chamber in association with upward movement of piston are selectively set depending on an operational state of the engine, and when the air-fuel ratio in the compressed self-ignition type combustion mode is rich, a regional upper limit of the compressed self-ignition type combustion region is changed toward the lower engine torque side, and when the air-fuel ratio is lean, the regional upper limit is changed toward the higher engine torque side.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2010Date of Patent: June 18, 2013Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Hiromu Kakuya, Kengo Kumano, Shiro Yamaoka
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Patent number: 8387587Abstract: When a direct injection type internal combustion engine is in an operating state, a fuel is split and jetted into a cylinder of the internal combustion engine and split injections are performed in a manner to make a ratio of a piston travel and an injection pulse width of split injection constant in a cycle whereby a rich mixture is not locally generated and a mixture in a cylinder of the internal combustion engine is put in a condition near stoichiometry. Also, when the internal combustion engine is in cold condition, a fuel is split and jetted and split injections are performed so that the ratio of the piston travel and the injection pulse width of split injections monotonously increases in a cycle.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2011Date of Patent: March 5, 2013Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Kenichiroh Ogata, Yoshihiro Sukegawa, Kengo Kumano
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Patent number: 8224555Abstract: In an in-cylinder injection type spark ignition internal combustion engine in which the intake air amount is controlled by use of an intake valve or an exhaust valve, which is provided with mainly a variable valve mechanism, instable combustion during a low-load operation is avoided without an increase in pumping loss (without a decrease in the thermal efficiency). In the in-cylinder injection type spark ignition internal combustion engine, during low-load operation, on the basis of the cooling water temperature of the engine the opening and closing timing of the intake valve is controlled in a retard angle manner and the opening and closing timing of the exhaust valve is controlled in an advance angle manner. Furthermore, the fuel injection timing is controlled in a retard angle manner on the basis of the retard angle amount of the intake valve opening and closing timing.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2009Date of Patent: July 17, 2012Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Kengo Kumano, Yoshihiro Sukegawa, Shiro Yamaoka
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Publication number: 20120097128Abstract: In a cylinder injection engine and a control device for the engine, for achieving both of the decrease of a particulate matter by suppression of fuel adhesion on the piston during fast idling of cold start and ignition retard fuel by stratification of a mixed gas around an ignition plug, a closing timing of a suction valve is set to a middle stage of a compression stroke in which a piston moving speed becomes maximum, while the furl adhesion to the piston is decreased by injecting the fuel for stratification onto the ignition plug in the vicinity of a piston bottom dead center, and when the piston is raised in the compression stroke, the mixed gas flows from a combustion chamber to a suction pipe to generate a rising flow, and by this rising flow, the mixed gas is stratified around the ignition plug.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2011Publication date: April 26, 2012Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Yusuke Kihara, Yoshihiro Sukegawa, Kengo Kumano, Takashi Okamoto
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Publication number: 20120097126Abstract: In a direct injection gasoline engine, at acceleration operation, an amount of internal EGR is increased by advancing exhaust valve closing timing, and also fuel injection pressure is increased. In this case, range of increase in fuel injection pressure is determined on the basis of the exhaust valve closing timing at present.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 15, 2011Publication date: April 26, 2012Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Kengo KUMANO, Yoshihiro Sukegawa, Yusuke Kihara, Takashi Okamoto