Patents by Inventor Kenichi Gotou

Kenichi Gotou 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).

  • Publication number: 20230347866
    Abstract: A control method for a hybrid vehicle is provided. The hybrid vehicle includes: a power generator that charges a battery using power of an engine; an electric motor that drives a driving wheel by electric power of the battery; a particulate filter that collects particulate matters contained in exhaust gas from the engine. In the control method, electric power is supplied from the battery to the power generator to perform a motoring operation of rotating the engine by the power generator to supply air to the particulate filter when particulate matters of a first predetermined amount or more are accumulated in the particulate filter. And motoring operation is prohibited even if the particulate filter is accumulated with particulate matters of the first predetermined amount or more when a predetermined first condition that a driver does not intend a motoring operation is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi HOSHI, Kenichi GOTOU, Azusa KOBAYASHI
  • Patent number: 11738998
    Abstract: A method of producing lithium difluorophosphate, the method including: a step of obtaining a first raw material mixture by mixing lithium hexafluorophosphate, at least one selected from the group consisting of an oxide of phosphorus (A) and a lithium salt of a phosphoric acid (B), and a hydrocarbon solvent having from 6 to 12 carbon atoms; a step of obtaining a second raw material mixture by removing at least a part of the hydrocarbon solvent contained in the obtained first raw material mixture; and a step of producing a crude product containing lithium difluorophosphate by reacting the second raw material mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUI CHEMICALS, INC.
    Inventors: Kenichi Gotou, Makoto Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20230150366
    Abstract: A power supply control device includes a high-power battery, a low-power battery, a relay that electrically connects the high-power battery and the low-power battery, a power supply switch, and a controller that controls an on/off state of the relay. When a power supply state is a state in which power is supplied from the high-power battery to the low-power battery with the relay therebetween, if the controller receives a first signal, the controller switches the relay from an on state to an off state, and then inhibits the relay from switching from the off state to the on state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Inventors: Shinji Nakajima, Toshiyuki Koide, Kenichi Gotou, Hirotaka Koyama
  • Publication number: 20220289170
    Abstract: A control method for a hybrid vehicle is provided. The hybrid vehicle includes: a generator configured to charge a battery by using power of an engine; an electric motor configured to drive a driving wheel by electric power of the battery; and a particulate filter configured to collect particulate matter contained in exhaust gas from the engine. In the control method, the engine is driven to raise a temperature of the particulate filter when a first temperature rise condition is satisfied in which a first predetermined amount or more of the particulate matter is accumulated in the particulate filter and the temperature of the particulate filter is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature. Drive of the engine is prohibited, when a predetermined first condition that a driver does not intend to drive the engine is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi HOSHI, Kenichi GOTOU, Azusa KOBAYASHI
  • Patent number: 11420628
    Abstract: A vehicle control device controls a vehicle including a drive motor connected to a rotation shaft of wheels, a battery that supplies electricity to the drive motor, and an internal combustion engine connected to the drive motor. The vehicle is equipped with, as traveling modes, a normal mode, and an eco-mode having a larger regenerative braking force than the normal mode obtained such that rotational energy of the wheels is converted into electrical energy. A controller stops the internal combustion engine and switches from the normal mode to the eco-mode when detecting at least an abnormality in the internal combustion engine during traveling of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Hoshi, Naoki Nakada, Kenichi Gotou, Takayuki Shimizu, Yohei Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11312362
    Abstract: In an electric device control method and an electric device of the present invention, during a period in which a rotational speed of an internal combustion engine shifting from a non-combustion mode to a combustion mode is decreased to a rotational speed within a predetermined rotational-speed range by a first electric motor connected to the internal combustion engine, a torque generated by the internal combustion engine is set lower than a required torque within the predetermined rotational-speed range for the internal combustion engine in the combustion mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Azusa Kobayashi, Kenichi Gotou, Kiyoshi Hoshi
  • Publication number: 20220041164
    Abstract: A vehicle control device controls a vehicle including a drive motor connected to a rotation shaft of wheels, a battery that supplies electricity to the drive motor, and an internal combustion engine connected to the drive motor. The vehicle is equipped with, as traveling modes, a normal mode, and an eco-mode having a larger regenerative braking force than the normal mode obtained such that rotational energy of the wheels is converted into electrical energy. A controller stops the internal combustion engine and switches from the normal mode to the eco-mode when detecting at least an abnormality in the internal combustion engine during traveling of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi HOSHI, Naoki NAKADA, Kenichi GOTOU, Takayuki SHIMIZU, Yohei NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20210162981
    Abstract: In an electric device control method and an electric device of the present invention, during a period in which a rotational speed of an internal combustion engine shifting from a non-combustion mode to a combustion mode is decreased to a rotational speed within a predetermined rotational-speed range by a first electric motor connected to the internal combustion engine, a torque generated by the internal combustion engine is set lower than a required torque within the predetermined rotational-speed range for the internal combustion engine in the combustion mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Azusa Kobayashi, Kenichi Gotou, Kiyoshi Hoshi
  • Patent number: 10654375
    Abstract: A drivable distance calculation device calculates a drivable distance that the vehicle equipped with the device can travel. The drivable distance calculation device includes a remaining battery capacity sensor which calculates a remaining capacity of a battery installed in the vehicle; and a arithmetic unit which calculates multiple power consumption ratios for different units of driving in accordance with variations in the remaining battery capacity calculated by the remaining battery capacity sensor and calculates the drivable distance based on the remaining battery capacity calculated by the remaining battery capacity sensor and a power consumption ratio selected from among the calculated multiple power consumption ratios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satomi Ota, Naoki Yamamoto, Kenichi Gotou
  • Publication number: 20190389726
    Abstract: A method of producing lithium difluorophosphate, the method including: a step of obtaining a first raw material mixture by mixing lithium hexafluorophosphate, at least one selected from the group consisting of an oxide of phosphorus (A) and a lithium salt of a phosphoric acid (B), and a hydrocarbon solvent having from 6 to 12 carbon atoms; a step of obtaining a second raw material mixture by removing at least a part of the hydrocarbon solvent contained in the obtained first raw material mixture; and a step of producing a crude product containing lithium difluorophosphate by reacting the second raw material mixture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Applicant: Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenichi GOTOU, Makoto SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20190375650
    Abstract: A method of producing lithium difluorophosphate includes: providing a crude product containing lithium difluorophosphate; obtaining a solution by dissolving the crude product in a mixed solvent in which at least one solvent (X) selected from the group consisting of ethyl acetate, acetone, dimethoxyethane, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether and triethylene glycol dimethyl ether, and at least one solvent (Y) selected from the group consisting of toluene, xylene, hexane, acetonitrile, dimethyl carbonate, ethyl methyl carbonate and diethyl carbonate, are mixed at a mass ratio (the solvent (X)/the solvent (Y)) in a range from 70/30 to 95/5; and extracting lithium difluorophosphate from the solution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Applicant: Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenichi GOTOU, Makoto SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20190001835
    Abstract: A drivable distance calculation device calculates a drivable distance that the vehicle equipped with the device can travel. The drivable distance calculation device includes a remaining battery capacity sensor which calculates a remaining capacity of a battery installed in the vehicle; and a arithmetic unit which calculates multiple power consumption ratios for different units of driving in accordance with variations in the remaining battery capacity calculated by the remaining battery capacity sensor and calculates the drivable distance based on the remaining battery capacity calculated by the remaining battery capacity sensor and a power consumption ratio selected from among the calculated multiple power consumption ratios.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Satomi Ota, Naoki Yamamoto, Kenichi Gotou
  • Patent number: 10076968
    Abstract: A drivable distance calculation device calculates a drivable distance that the vehicle equipped with the device can travel. The drivable distance calculation device includes a remaining battery capacity sensor which calculates a remaining capacity of a battery installed in the vehicle; and a arithmetic unit which calculates multiple power consumption ratios for different units of driving in accordance with variations in the remaining battery capacity calculated by the remaining battery capacity sensor and calculates the drivable distance based on the remaining battery capacity calculated by the remaining battery capacity sensor and a power consumption ratio selected from among the calculated multiple power consumption ratios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satomi Ota, Naoki Yamamoto, Kenichi Gotou
  • Publication number: 20150251557
    Abstract: A drivable distance calculation device calculates a drivable distance that the vehicle equipped with the device can travel. The drivable distance calculation device includes a remaining battery capacity sensor which calculates a remaining capacity of a battery installed in the vehicle; and a arithmetic unit which calculates multiple power consumption ratios for different units of driving in accordance with variations in the remaining battery capacity calculated by the remaining battery capacity sensor and calculates the drivable distance based on the remaining battery capacity calculated by the remaining battery capacity sensor and a power consumption ratio selected from among the calculated multiple power consumption ratios.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Inventors: Satomi Ota, Naoki Yamamoto, Kenichi Gotou
  • Patent number: 7192383
    Abstract: In control apparatus and method for an automotive vehicle, the vehicle having a continuously variable transmission associated with a vehicular engine and including a belt that transmits a revolution of a primary pulley to a secondary pulley that is enabled to make a gear shift by modifying a pulley ratio between the primary and secondary pulleys with a hydraulic, a determination is made as to whether a belt slip between at least one of the primary and the secondary pulleys occurs and an output section outputs a signal to command an engine control unit to increase an engine speed by a predetermined engine speed when the belt slip is determined to occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignees: Jatco Ltd, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Shimada, Masahiro Iriyama, Kenichi Gotou, Masahiro Yamamoto, Yoshihisa Kodama, Shigeki Shimanaka, Hiroyasu Tanaka, Takuichiro Inoue, Tatsuo Wakahara, Hisao Nobu
  • Publication number: 20040063537
    Abstract: In control apparatus and method for an automotive vehicle, the vehicle having a continuously variable transmission associated with a vehicular engine and including a belt that transmits a revolution of a primary pulley to a secondary pulley that is enabled to make a gear shift by modifying a pulley ratio between the primary and secondary pulleys with a hydraulic, a determination is made as to whether a belt slip between at least one of the primary and the secondary pulleys occurs and an output section outputs a signal to command an engine control unit to increase an engine speed by a predetermined engine speed when the belt slip is determined to occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2003
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Applicant: JATCO Ltd and NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Shimada, Masahiro Iriyama, Kenichi Gotou, Masahiro Yamamoto, Yoshihisa Kodama, Shigeki Shimanaka, Hiroyasu Tanaka, Takuichiro Inoue, Tatsuo Wakahara, Hisao Nobu
  • Patent number: 6684970
    Abstract: A hybrid system or a control method for a vehicle having a first set of road wheels and a second set of road wheels is disclosed. The system comprises an engine controller for receiving a torque request for an engine driving torque and combining an idle speed torque and the engine driving torque to generate an engine torque command signal. An engine, drivingly coupled with the first set of road wheels, applies a first driving torque to the first set of road wheels in response to the engine torque command signal. A hybrid controller is in communication with the engine controller. The hybrid controller generates the torque request and a motor torque command signal taking into account a creep torque portion of the first driving torque and a desired driving torque during starting the vehicle from standstill. A motor is drivingly coupled with the second set of road wheels. The motor applies a second driving torque to the second set of road wheels in response to the motor torque command signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichi Gotou
  • Publication number: 20030034188
    Abstract: A hybrid system or a control method for a vehicle having a first set of road wheels and a second set of road wheels is disclosed. The system comprises an engine controller for receiving a torque request for an engine driving torque and combining an idle speed torque and the engine driving torque to generate an engine torque command signal. An engine, drivingly coupled with the first set of road wheels, applies a first driving torque to the first set of road wheels in response to the engine torque command signal. A hybrid controller is in communication with the engine controller. The hybrid controller generates the torque request and a motor torque command signal taking into account a creep torque portion of the first driving torque and a desired driving torque during starting the vehicle from standstill. A motor is drivingly coupled with the second set of road wheels. The motor applies a second driving torque to the second set of road wheels in response to the motor torque command signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2002
    Publication date: February 20, 2003
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenichi Gotou