Patents by Inventor Kenichi Okaya

Kenichi Okaya 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: 9199645
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle control apparatus which can prevent drivability from being deteriorated. The ECU is operative to determine whether the previously depressed brake is in the “ON” or “OFF” state when the vehicle is determined as being not travelling on a bad road, the accelerator being in the “ON” state, and the brake being in the “ON” state. When the ECU is operative to determine that the previously depressed brake is in the “OFF” state, and the vehicle is in the reduced speed state, the ECU is operative to perform the reduction process of the engine output under the condition that the simultaneous depressions of the accelerator and brake pedals are held for less than 10 seconds, and the vehicle speed is 7 km/hr or more. When, on the other hand, the ECU determines that the vehicle is travelling on the bad road, the ECU is operative not to perform the reduction process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiya Oishi, Masato Kaigawa, Masashi Takagi, Michihito Shimada, Yuki Minase, Kenichi Okaya, Tsutomu Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 9145115
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle control apparatus which can prevent the deterioration of drivability. The ECU can set a control accelerator opening degree to be converted when a control permission condition is established. The control accelerator opening degree is equal to or larger than an accelerator lower limit which is larger than an idle determination value for determining an automatic stopping of an engine by an eco-run. The control accelerator opening degree thus set can prevent the drivability from being deteriorated without the automatic stopping of the engine being caused even if the accelerator opening degree is converted to reduce the torque of the engine with the establishment of the control permission condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiya Oishi, Masashi Takagi, Michihito Shimada, Yuki Minase, Kenichi Okaya, Tsutomu Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 9050965
    Abstract: When an ECU determines that an accelerator is “ON” and a brake is “ON”, the ECU determines whether or not the brake previously depressed is “OFF”. When the ECU determines that the brake previously depressed is “OFF” and that the vehicle is in the reduced speed state, the vehicle control apparatus is configured to execute an engine output reduction control process under the condition that the simultaneous depressions of the accelerator and brake pedals continues for less than 10 seconds and the vehicle speed is not less than 7 km/hr. When the simultaneous depressions of the accelerator and brake pedals continues for no less than 10 seconds, the ECU is configured to make an output reduction prohibition flag “ON” and not to execute the engine output reduction control process until a predetermined time elapses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiya Oishi, Toshio Takaoka, Masashi Takagi, Michihito Shimada, Yuki Minase, Kenichi Okaya, Tsutomu Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 9046044
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle control apparatus that can prevent the deterioration of drivability. An ECU executes a reduction control when speed reduction of a vehicle is determined as a control permit condition is established, and does not execute the reduction control when the speed reduction is not determined as the condition is not established. Additionally, when determined that a vehicle behavior stabilization control that stabilizes behavior of the vehicle is being executed, the ECU determines the speed reduction of the vehicle by changing a speed reduction threshold value for determining the speed reduction. This makes it possible to adequately determine the speed reduction of the vehicle even when a drive state of the vehicle is changed by the execution of the vehicle behavior stabilization control, thereby allowing the execution and non-execution of the reduction control to be switched reflecting a driver's intention and thus preventing the drivability from being deteriorated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Michihito Shimada, Yuki Minase, Toshiya Oishi, Tsutomu Miyazaki, Masashi Takagi, Kenichi Okaya
  • Patent number: 9008928
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle control apparatus which can prevent the deterioration of drivability. The ECU can set a control accelerator opening degree to be converted when a control permission condition is established. The control accelerator opening degree is equal to or larger than an accelerator lower limit which is larger than an idle determination value for determining an automatic stopping of an engine by an eco-run. The control accelerator opening degree thus set can prevent the drivability from being deteriorated without the automatic stopping of the engine being caused even if the accelerator opening degree is converted to reduce the torque of the engine with the establishment of the control permission condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiya Oishi, Masashi Takagi, Michihito Shimada, Yuki Minase, Kenichi Okaya, Tsutomu Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 8442741
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle control apparatus which can prevent drivability from being deteriorated. An ECU is operative to set a reduction speed threshold value to determine a driver's braking intention on the basis of the correlation in the depression amount of an accelerator pedal, the depression amount of a brake pedal, and a travel state of a vehicle caused by the depression amounts of the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal. The ECU is further operative to change the reduction speed threshold value on the basis of the detected drive state to compare the travel state calculated on the basis of the detected drive state with the changed reduction speed threshold value to determine the driver's braking intention, thereby making it possible to determine the driver's braking intention without detecting the operation amount of a driver and to accurately estimate the driver's braking intention. This makes it possible to change the reduction control between executed and not executed, and to improve the drivability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuki Minase, Haruhiko Katsumata, Michihito Shimada, Masashi Takagi, Tsutomu Miyazaki, Toshiya Oishi, Kenichi Okaya
  • Patent number: 8428845
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle control apparatus which can prevent drivability from being deteriorated. The vehicle control apparatus comprises an ECU adapted to determine whether or not a brake is “off” or the state of the hysteresis width of an accelerator opening degree exceeding a predetermined hysteresis width is continued for a predetermined period of time during the execution of an engine torque reduction control process. When the ECU determines that the brake is “off” or that the state of the hysteresis width of an accelerator opening degree exceeding a predetermined hysteresis width is continued for a predetermined period of time, the ECU performs an engine torque restoration process of the engine. Therefore, the vehicle control apparatus can allow the continued execution and non-execution of the reduction control to be switched therebetween in accordance with the driver's travel intention, thereby making it possible to prevent the drivability from being deteriorated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsutomu Miyazaki, Toshiya Oishi, Masashi Takagi, Michihito Shimada, Yuki Minase, Kenichi Okaya, Hiroyuki Hanamura
  • Publication number: 20130030675
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle control apparatus that can prevent the drivability from being deteriorated. The vehicle control apparatus has an ECU which determines, when the control permission condition is not established, not to execute the reduction control in the case that the accelerator opening degree is smaller than or equal to the accelerator threshold value or the vehicle speed is smaller than or equal to the vehicle speed threshold value, even if a depression of an accelerator pedal is detected and a depression of a foot brake pedal is detected. Therefore, the vehicle control apparatus can stop the torque reduction control to prevent the reduction of the engine output contrary to the intention of the driver in the case that an impact to the vehicle is small such that a load more than necessary is not applied to the vehicle even if the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal are both depressed by the driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki Minase, Michihito Shimada, Masashi Takagi, Tsutomu Miyazaki, Toshiya Oishi, Kenichi Okaya
  • Publication number: 20130030674
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle control apparatus that can prevent the drivability from being deteriorated. The vehicle control apparatus has an ECU that determines an acceleration/deceleration is caused by the disturbances and determines the control permission condition is not established, when an acceleration calculated by the variation of the wheel rotation speed detected by the wheel rotation speed sensor is more than or equal to a third deceleration threshold value, or less than or equal to a second deceleration threshold value. Therefore, the vehicle control apparatus can prohibit the reduction control of the driving force and can eliminate an influence of the variation of the wheel rotation speed caused by the disturbances when an unreasonable variation of the wheel rotation speed is detected as the acceleration, even under the condition that the vehicle travels on an extremely uneven road surface or a slippery road surface, thereby appropriately determining the deceleration of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki Minase, Michihito Shimada, Masashi Takagi, Tsutomu Miyazaki, Toshiya Oishi, Kenichi Okaya
  • Publication number: 20130024090
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle control apparatus which can prevent drivability from being deteriorated. An ECU is operative to set a reduction speed threshold value to determine a driver's braking intention on the basis of the correlation in the depression amount of an accelerator pedal, the depression amount of a brake pedal, and a travel state of a vehicle caused by the depression amounts of the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal. The ECU is further operative to change the reduction speed threshold value on the basis of the detected drive state to compare the travel state calculated on the basis of the detected drive state with the changed reduction speed threshold value to determine the driver's braking intention, thereby making it possible to determine the driver's braking intention without detecting the operation amount of a driver and to accurately estimate the driver's braking intention. This makes it possible to change the reduction control between executed and not executed, and to improve the drivability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki Minase, Haruhiko Katsumata, Michihito Shimada, Masashi Takagi, Tsutomu Miyazaki, Toshiya Oishi, Kenichi Okaya
  • Publication number: 20120290188
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle control apparatus which can prevent a drivability of a vehicle from being deteriorated. When an ECU determines that an accelerator is “ON” and a brake is “ON”, the ECU determines whether or not the brake previously depressed is “OFF”. When the ECU determines that the brake previously depressed is “OFF” and that the vehicle is in the reduced speed state, the vehicle control apparatus is operative to execute an engine output reduction control process under the condition that the simultaneous depressions of the accelerator and brake pedals continues for less than 10 seconds and the vehicle speed is not less than 7 km/hr. When the simultaneous depressions of the accelerator and brake pedals continues for no less than 10 seconds, the ECU is operative to make an output reduction prohibition flag “ON” and not to execute the engine output reduction control process until a predetermined time elapses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiya Oishi, Toshio Takaoka, Masashi Takagi, Michihito Shimada, Yuki Minase, Kenichi Okaya, Tsutomu Miyazaki
  • Publication number: 20120290179
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle control apparatus which can prevent the deterioration of drivability. The ECU can set a control accelerator opening degree to be converted when a control permission condition is established. The control accelerator opening degree is equal to or larger than an accelerator lower limit which is larger than an idle determination value for determining an automatic stopping of an engine by an eco-run. The control accelerator opening degree thus set can prevent the drivability from being deteriorated without the automatic stopping of the engine being caused even if the accelerator opening degree is converted to reduce the torque of the engine with the establishment of the control permission condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiya Oishi, Masashi Takagi, Michihito Shimada, Yuki Minase, Kenichi Okaya, Tsutomu Miyazaki
  • Publication number: 20120271526
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle control apparatus which can prevent drivability from being deteriorated. The ECU is operative to determine whether the previously depressed brake is in the “ON” or “OFF” state when the vehicle is determined as being not travelling on a bad road, the accelerator being in the “ON” state, and the brake being in the “ON” state. When the ECU is operative to determine that the previously depressed brake is in the “OFF” state, and the vehicle is in the reduced speed state, the ECU is operative to perform the reduction process of the engine output under the condition that the simultaneous depressions of the accelerator and brake pedals are held for less than 10 seconds, and the vehicle speed is 7 km/hr or more. When, on the other hand, the ECU determines that the vehicle is travelling on the bad road, the ECU is operative not to perform the reduction process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiya Oishi, Masato Kaigawa, Masashi Takagi, Michihito Shimada, Yuki Minase, Kenichi Okaya, Tsutomu Miyazaki
  • Publication number: 20120259524
    Abstract: For providing a vehicle control apparatus which can prevent the deterioration of the drivability, the ECU (100) of the vehicle control apparatus according to the present invention can determine the speed reduction of the vehicle (10) at the time of the accelerator pedal (212) and the foot brake pedal (213) being depressed together, and can abort the execution of the reduction control due to the control permission condition not being established when the speed reduction is not determined (NO in Step S15), so that the execution or non-execution of the reduction control can be carried out avoiding an unintentional braking of the vehicle, thereby making it possible to prevent the drivability from deteriorating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tsutomu Miyazaki, Toshiya Oishi, Masashi Takagi, Michihito Shimada, Yuki Minase, Kenichi Okaya, Hiroyuki Hanamura
  • Publication number: 20120116650
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle control apparatus which can prevent drivability from being deteriorated. The vehicle control apparatus comprises an ECU adapted to determine whether or not a brake is “off” or the state of the hysteresis width of an accelerator opening degree exceeding a predetermined hysteresis width is continued for a predetermined period of time during the execution of an engine torque reduction control process. When the ECU determines that the brake is “off” or that the state of the hysteresis width of an accelerator opening degree exceeding a predetermined hysteresis width is continued for a predetermined period of time, the ECU performs an engine torque restoration process of the engine. Therefore, the vehicle control apparatus can allow the continued execution and non-execution of the reduction control to be switched therebetween in accordance with the driver's travel intention, thereby making it possible to prevent the drivability from being deteriorated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsutomu Miyazaki, Toshiya Oishi, Masashi Takagi, Michihito Shimada, Yuki Minase, Kenichi Okaya, Hiroyuki Hanamura
  • Publication number: 20110295480
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle control apparatus that can prevent the deterioration of drivability. An ECU executes a reduction control when speed reduction of a vehicle is determined as a control permit condition is established, and does not execute the reduction control when the speed reduction is not determined as the condition is not established. Additionally, when determined that a vehicle behavior stabilization control that stabilizes behavior of the vehicle is being executed, the ECU determines the speed reduction of the vehicle by changing a speed reduction threshold value for determining the speed reduction. This makes it possible to adequately determine the speed reduction of the vehicle even when a drive state of the vehicle is changed by the execution of the vehicle behavior stabilization control, thereby allowing the execution and non-execution of the reduction control to be switched reflecting a driver's intention and thus preventing the drivability from being deteriorated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Michihito Shimada, Yuki Minase, Toshiya Oishi, Tsutomu Miyazaki, Masashi Takagi, Kenichi Okaya