Patents by Inventor Kenji Senda

Kenji Senda 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: 11346316
    Abstract: An ignition timing control device includes a storage device that stores a normal signal generation model configured to output, upon receiving an output value of a knocking sensor, a noise-removed output value therefrom which an unlearned noise component value has been removed, and a first learned neural network pre-learned to output, upon receiving one of the output value of the knocking sensor and the noise-removed output value, an estimated value of a knocking intensity representative value, and a processor that acquires the estimated value by inputting the output value of the knocking sensor to the normal signal generation model and inputting the noise-removed output value to the first learned neural network, and executes retarding control of an ignition timing based on the acquired estimated value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Mori, Akinori Kitazume, Kenji Senda, Daisuke Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11313340
    Abstract: An ignition timing control device includes a storage device that stores a normal signal generation model configured to output, upon receiving an output value of a knocking sensor, a noise-removed output value therefrom which an unlearned noise component value has been removed, and a first learned neural network pre-learned to output, upon receiving one of the output value of the knocking sensor and the noise-removed output value, an estimated value of a knocking intensity representative value, and a processor that acquires the estimated value by inputting the output value of the knocking sensor to the normal signal generation model and inputting the noise-removed output value to the first learned neural network, and executes retarding control of an ignition timing based on the acquired estimated value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Mori, Akinori Kitazume, Kenji Senda, Daisuke Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11307111
    Abstract: A knocking sensor detecting vibration of an engine body and a pressure sensor detecting a pressure of a combustion chamber are provided. A value representing the knocking strength is acquired from output values of the pressure sensor. Weights of a neural network are learned using a value representing the vibration of the engine body detected by the knocking sensor as an input value of the neural network and using the acquired value representing the knocking strength as training data. The value representing the knocking strength is estimated from the output values of the knocking sensor by using the learned neural network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Mohri, Akinori Kitazume, Daisuke Kobayashi, Kenji Senda
  • Patent number: 11149705
    Abstract: An engine controller includes an ignition timing control unit and a rich imbalance determining unit. The rich imbalance determining unit designates one of multiple cylinders as a subject cylinder for determination and executes lean active control that commands a smaller amount of fuel injection for the subject cylinder than for the other cylinders. The rich imbalance determining unit determines whether an air-fuel ratio of the subject cylinder deviates to be richer based on a rotational fluctuation amount of a crankshaft during the execution of the lean active control. The ignition timing control unit executes an advancement limiting process that limits advancement of the ignition timing by the knock control during the execution of the lean active control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Norihito Hanai, Takayuki Hosogi, Kenji Senda, Rihito Kaneko, Masaaki Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11092130
    Abstract: An ignition timing control device for an internal combustion engine includes a storage device and a processor. The storage device stores a first learned neural network and a second learned neural network. The processor is configured to perform, in a next cycle where ignition timing is delayed, control to delay the ignition timing in a cycle after the next cycle based on a difference between a predictive value of an estimate of a value representing knocking intensity calculated with use of the second learned neural network and the estimate of the value representing the knocking intensity calculated with use of the first learned neural network. When the difference is larger than a predetermined set value, the processor is configured not to perform the control to delay the ignition timing in the cycle after the next cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Senda, Masahiro Mori
  • Patent number: 11008996
    Abstract: An ignition timing control device includes bandpass filters each configured to pass and output only a specific frequency band for the output value of a knocking sensor, a storage device storing first learned neural networks configured to receive the output values of the bandpass filters in respective frequency band, and a processor. Each of the first learned neural networks is pre-learned to output an estimated value for a value representing knocking intensity when receiving the filtered output value of the bandpass filter. The processor calculates an optimal estimated value using a part of acquired estimated values for the value excluding a unique estimated value, and executes retarding control of an ignition timing based on the calculated optimal estimated value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Mori, Akinori Kitazume, Kenji Senda, Daisuke Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20210088021
    Abstract: An ignition timing control device includes a storage device that stores a normal signal generation model configured to output, upon receiving an output value of a knocking sensor, a noise-removed output value therefrom which an unlearned noise component value has been removed, and a first learned neural network pre-learned to output, upon receiving one of the output value of the knocking sensor and the noise-removed output value, an estimated value of a knocking intensity representative value, and a processor that acquires the estimated value by inputting the output value of the knocking sensor to the normal signal generation model and inputting the noise-removed output value to the first learned neural network, and executes retarding control of an ignition timing based on the acquired estimated value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro MORI, Akinori Kitazume, Kenji Senda, Daisuke Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20210088020
    Abstract: An ignition timing control device includes bandpass filters each configured to pass and output only a specific frequency band for the output value of a knocking sensor, a storage device storing first learned neural networks configured to receive the output values of the bandpass filters in respective frequency band, and a processor. Each of the first learned neural networks is pre-learned to output an estimated value for a value representing knocking intensity when receiving the filtered output value of the bandpass filter. The processor calculates an optimal estimated value using a part of acquired estimated values for the value excluding a unique estimated value, and executes retarding control of an ignition timing based on the calculated optimal estimated value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro MORI, Akinori KITAZUME, Kenji SENDA, Daisuke KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20210088019
    Abstract: An ignition timing control device for an internal combustion engine includes a storage device and a processor. The storage device stores a first learned neural network and a second learned neural network. The processor is configured to perform, in a next cycle where ignition timing is delayed, control to delay the ignition timing in a cycle after the next cycle based on a difference between a predictive value of an estimate of a value representing knocking intensity calculated with use of the second learned neural network and the estimate of the value representing the knocking intensity calculated with use of the first learned neural network. When the difference is larger than a predetermined set value, the processor is configured not to perform the control to delay the ignition timing in the cycle after the next cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji SENDA, Masahiro MORI
  • Publication number: 20210033059
    Abstract: An engine controller includes an ignition timing control unit and a rich imbalance determining unit. The rich imbalance determining unit designates one of multiple cylinders as a subject cylinder for determination and executes lean active control that commands a smaller amount of fuel injection for the subject cylinder than for the other cylinders. The rich imbalance determining unit determines whether an air-fuel ratio of the subject cylinder deviates to be richer based on a rotational fluctuation amount of a crankshaft during the execution of the lean active control. The ignition timing control unit executes an advancement limiting process that limits advancement of the ignition timing by the knock control during the execution of the lean active control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Norihito HANAI, Takayuki HOSOGI, Kenji SENDA, Rihito KANEKO, Masaaki YAMAGUCHI
  • Patent number: 10851757
    Abstract: A CPU advances ignition timing within a range in which knocking can be suppressed by feedback control based on an output signal of a knocking sensor. The CPU sets the igniting timing based on a feedback adjustment amount and a learning value. The CPU limits timing advancing update of the learning value when an exhaust pressure is higher than or equal to a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki Hosogi, Rihito Kaneko, Kenji Senda, Norihito Hanai, Hisayuki Ito, Masaaki Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20200256753
    Abstract: A knocking sensor (18) detecting vibration of an engine body (1) and a pressure sensor (19) detecting a pressure of a combustion chamber (5) are provided. A value representing the knocking strength is acquired from output values of the pressure sensor (19). Weights of a neural network are learned using a value representing the vibration of the engine body (1) detected by the knocking sensor (18) as an input value of the neural network and using the acquired value representing the knocking strength as training data. The value representing the knocking strength is estimated from the output values of the knocking sensor (18) by using the learned neural network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro MOHRI, Akinori KITAZUME, Daisuke KOBAYASHI, Kenji SENDA
  • Publication number: 20200032762
    Abstract: A CPU advances ignition timing within a range in which knocking can be suppressed by feedback control based on an output signal of a knocking sensor. The CPU sets the igniting timing based on a feedback adjustment amount and a learning value. The CPU limits timing advancing update of the learning value when an exhaust pressure is higher than or equal to a threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki HOSOGI, Rihito KANEKO, Kenji SENDA, Norihito HANAI, Hisayuki ITO, Masaaki YAMAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20190017451
    Abstract: An ignition timing control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes an electronic control unit configured to i) perform determination as to whether knocking has occurred in the engine; ii) update a first learning value and a second learning value such that the ignition timing is retarded when determining that knocking has occurred; and iii) derive, as a required ignition timing, a timing obtained by retarding a base ignition timing based on the first and second learning values. The electronic control unit is configured to update the second learning value within a range in which an update amount of the second learning value within a prescribed period set in advance does not exceed a prescribed amount, when updating the second learning value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji SENDA, Rihito KANEKO, Masaya SUNAGO, Takayuki HOSOGI, Norihito HANAI, Hisayuki ITO, Masaaki YAMAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20170037787
    Abstract: An engine includes a variable valve mechanism capable of holding a valve timing of an intake valve in an intermediate phase when the engine is started. An ECU calculates a degree of deposit adhesion in a combustion chamber, and calculates a deposit correction amount that is a retard correction amount for an ignition timing set in accordance with the calculated degree of the deposit adhesion. The ECU calculates a first correction amount that is a first adaptive value for the retard correction amount for the ignition timing in a reference phase of the valve timing and a second correction amount that is a second adaptive value for the retard correction amount for the ignition timing in an adaptation phase of the valve timing. The deposit correction amount is set based on the first correction amount and the second correction amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi WATANABE, Isao TAKAGI, Masaya SUNAGO, Shoichi AKIYAMA, Kenji SENDA, Norihito HANAI, Hisayuki ITO
  • Patent number: 8447493
    Abstract: The apparatus of the present invention corrects a control target value of ignition timing using a multipoint learned value AGdp(n) for compensating for a change amount of the ignition timing caused by time-dependent change of the engine and a basic learned value AG(i) for compensating for a change amount of the ignition timing caused by a factor other than the aforementioned time-dependent change of the engine. In a multipoint learning range n in which the time-dependent change of the engine influences the ignition timing to a great extent, the control target is corrected using the multipoint learned value AGdp(n) and the basic learned value AG(i). In ranges other than the multipoint learning range n, the control target is corrected using only the basic learned value AG(i).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akito Onishi, Takashi Yoshida, Jun Aoki, Tomohiro Kisaku, Hiroto Tanaka, Rihito Kaneko, Kenji Senda
  • Patent number: 8368502
    Abstract: A surface mount current fuse of the present invention includes a first base which has a recess and is smaller in width at the other end than at one end in the longitudinal direction, and a second base which has the same shape as the first base. The first base and the second base are combined to form a box-shaped body by joining the lower surface of the second base to the upper surface of the upper surface of the first base in such a manner that one end of the first base and the other end of the second base are in contact with each other. The recess of the first base and the recess of the second base form a space portion in which to dispose an element portion. The borderline between the first base and the second base passes through the center point on a side surface of the body. As a result, the surface mount current fuse has high production efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Washizaki, Toshiyuki Iwao, Kenji Senda, Takashi Watanabe, Kazutoshi Matsumura, Seiji Tsuda
  • Patent number: 8302462
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes operations including: extracting vibration intensities of a plurality of frequency bands from vibration detected by a knock sensor, multiplying the extracted vibration intensity of each frequency band by a weight coefficient and adding the results in correspondence with crank angles to calculate integrated values of every five degrees; calculating a coefficient of correlation based on a result of comparison between a vibration waveform of a frequency band and a knock waveform model prepared in advance; calculating a knock intensity; determining occurrence of knocking in accordance with the calculated coefficient of correlation and the knock intensity; and determining no occurrence of knocking in accordance with the calculated coefficient of correlation and the knock intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Rihito Kaneko, Kenji Kasashima, Masatomo Yoshihara, Kenji Senda, Norihito Hanai, Yasuhiro Yamasako, Yuichi Takemura
  • Patent number: 8301360
    Abstract: An output signal of a knock sensor is filtered with a plurality of band-pass filters to extract vibration waveform components of a plurality of frequency bands (f1-f4). Weighting coefficients (G1-G4) which multiply the vibration waveform component of each frequency band are established in such a manner as to be a small value as a noise intensity of each frequency band becomes larger. Thereby, the vibration waveform component of a plurality of frequency bands is synthesized by weighting according to an influence of a noise intensity of each frequency band. Even when the noise is superimposed on the vibration waveform component of any of the frequency bands, it becomes possible to reduce the influence of the noise and to synthesize the vibration waveform component of each frequency band, and an accurate knock determination can be performed based on the composite vibration waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Masuda, Rihito Kaneko, Satoshi Watanabe, Hiroto Tanaka, Kenji Senda, Norihito Hanai, Yasuhiro Yamasako
  • Patent number: 8205489
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including: detecting a magnitude of vibration of an engine; detecting a vibration waveform of the engine based on the magnitude; calculating a correlation coefficient, in the case where the engine speed is smaller than a threshold value, using the sum of values each determined by subtracting a positive reference value from a magnitude of a knock waveform model, as an area of the knock waveform model and, calculating the correlation coefficient, in the case where the engine speed is not smaller than the threshold value, using the area of the whole knock waveform model; and determining whether or not knocking has occurred using the correlation coefficient. The correlation coefficient is calculated by dividing by the area the sum of differences that are each the difference between the magnitude on the vibration waveform and the magnitude on the knock waveform model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Rihito Kaneko, Kenji Kasashima, Masatomo Yoshihara, Kenji Senda, Norihito Hanai, Yasuhiro Yamasako, Yuichi Takemura