Patents by Inventor Koichi Okuda

Koichi Okuda 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: 11618311
    Abstract: A vehicle drive device includes: a brake that is provided with a plurality of friction plates, a first piston and a second piston, and a first piston hydraulic chamber and a second piston hydraulic chamber, and selectively fixes the third rotating element to a fixing member; a hydraulic control circuit that controls supply of the hydraulic pressure to the first piston hydraulic chamber and the second piston hydraulic chamber; and a control device. The control device controls the hydraulic control circuit such that the hydraulic pressure is supplied to the first piston hydraulic chamber and the second piston hydraulic chamber when the first traveling mode is set, and controls the hydraulic control circuit such that the hydraulic pressure is supplied only to one of the first piston hydraulic chamber and the second piston hydraulic chamber when the second traveling mode is set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Koji Takaira, Yuki Makino, Akinori Homan, Yosuke Akiyama, Akira Ijichi, Kunihiko Usui
  • Patent number: 11614131
    Abstract: An apparatus to be applied to a vehicle including a transmission configured to execute a gear shifting operation for changing a gear ratio by engaging or disengaging friction engagement elements having friction members pushed by a piston that moves through hydraulic pressure supply to an oil chamber, the apparatus including: a memory storing mapping data for defining mapping, the mapping including a pressure variable and a period variable as input variables, the mapping including a stroke amount as an output variable, the pressure variable indicating a waiting pressure, the period variable indicating a waiting period; and a processor configured to: acquire values of the input variables, and calculate a value of the output variable by inputting, to the mapping, the acquired values of the input variables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Kota Fujii, Ken Imamura
  • Publication number: 20230082123
    Abstract: A software update system includes: a vehicle data acquiring unit configured to acquire data on a state of a vehicle including data of a predetermined performance of the vehicle; an effect predicting unit configured to predict an effect on the predetermined performance which is obtained when update data of software used in the vehicle for improvement of the predetermined performance is applied to the vehicle based on the data acquired by the vehicle data acquiring unit; and a delivery unit configured to deliver the update data to the vehicle when the effect predicted by the effect predicting unit satisfies a predetermined reference and to withhold delivery of the update data to the vehicle when the effect predicted by the effect predicting unit does not satisfy the predetermined reference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masafumi YAMAMOTO, Atsushi TABATA, Koichi OKUDA, Yuki MAKINO, Yoshito SEKIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 11597398
    Abstract: When a required download time is equal to or shorter than a communication-enabled time on a running route, an update program is received from an external device via wireless communication, so a vehicular program is appropriately updated. Besides, when the required download time is longer than the communication-enabled time on the running route, a driving method ensuring the communication-enabled time that is equal to or longer than the required download time is suggested to a driver, so the update program is easy to receive via wireless communication. In consequence, the opportunities to update the vehicular program can be ensured. That is, the vehicular program can be restrained or prevented from being updated with a delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Okuda, Atsushi Tabata, Masafumi Yamamoto, Yoshito Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 11586985
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus for controlling a vehicle through a control program using at least one parameter. The at least one parameter is corrected by respective at least one correction value that is obtained after start of execution of a learning operation. The vehicle control apparatus includes: a learning-data storage portion configured to store, as learning data, the at least one correction value obtained after the start of the execution of the learning operation; and a learning-data rewrite portion configured, when the control program is updated, to execute a rewriting operation for rewriting the at least one correction value as the learning data from a pre-update correction value to a post-update correction value, such that the post-update correction value has the same sign as the pre-update correction value, and an absolute value of the post-update correction value is smaller than an absolute value of the pre-update correction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Tooru Matsubara, Hiromasa Tatsushiro, Kota Fujii, Yuuki Makino
  • Patent number: 11572057
    Abstract: It is determined whether chargeable and dischargeable electric power of a battery which is a power storage device are limited. When it is determined that the chargeable and dischargeable electric power of the battery is limited, an electric power balance target value of the battery during gear shifting control in a stepped gear shifting unit which is a mechanical gear shifting mechanism is calculated. A smaller value is calculated as a change rate limit value when the chargeable and dischargeable electric power is small than when the chargeable and dischargeable electric power is great, and the calculated change rate limit value is used to perform gear shifting control in the stepped gear shifting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Tooru Matsubara, Yasutaka Tsuchida
  • Patent number: 11566966
    Abstract: There is provided a method of specifying a location of occurrence of an abnormal sound, the method including: storing mapping data in a storage device, the mapping data prescribing mapping that receives, as inputs, a sound variable that matches a sound detected in a vehicle and a state variable of a drive-system device of the vehicle synchronized with the sound, and that outputs a location as a main cause of the sound; executing a sound signal acquisition process of acquiring a sound signal output from a microphone that detects a sound; a state variable acquisition process of acquiring the state variable of the drive-system device; and a specifying process of specifying the location of occurrence of the sound corresponding to the sound signal using the sound variable and the state variable as inputs to the mapping. There are also provided a non-transitory storage medium and an in-vehicle device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Kota Fujii, Ken Imamura
  • Publication number: 20230012315
    Abstract: A software update system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is configured to update software used in a vehicle based on update data of the software, the update data being transmitted to the vehicle from an external device that is communicably connected to the vehicle. The software update system includes: a software update unit configured to update the software based on the update data; a vehicle data acquisition unit configured to acquire respective pieces of second vehicle data about states of the vehicle before and after the software update by the update unit; and an effect evaluation unit configured to evaluate an effect of the software update based on the respective pieces of second vehicle data before and after the software update.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masafumi YAMAMOTO, Atsushi TABATA, Koichi OKUDA, Yuki MAKINO
  • Patent number: 11548384
    Abstract: When evacuation travel is performed using only a drive power from one drive power source of an engine and a rotary machine, a drive power distribution device is prohibited from switching to a four-wheel-drive state and thus evacuation travel is performed in a two-wheel-drive state in which a loss in a power transmission device is relatively small. Accordingly, in a four-wheel-drive vehicle, it is possible to increase an evacuation-travelable distance when evacuation travel is performed using only the drive power from one drive power source of the engine and the rotary machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Masato Nakano, Yuki Makino
  • Patent number: 11548371
    Abstract: A drive system including first and second power sources, first and second output shafts, a differential mechanism, and an electronic control unit, and a control method therefor are provided. The differential mechanism is configured such that the second power source is connected to a first rotating element, one output shaft of a vehicle is connected to a second rotating element, and the other output shaft of the vehicle is connected to a third rotating element so as to be able to be connected to or disconnected from the third rotating element by a connect-disconnect mechanism, and includes at least one of an engagement element that selectively engages any two of the three rotating elements and an engagement element that selectively engages the third rotating element to a fixing member. The electronic control unit is configured to, during turning, prohibit switching between a first drive mode and a second drive mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Koji Takaira, Akinori Homan, Yosuke Akiyama, Akira Ijichi, Kunihiko Usui
  • Publication number: 20230004373
    Abstract: A software update system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a software update system configured to update software used in a vehicle based on update data of the software, the update data being transmitted to the vehicle from a distribution server that is communicably connected to the vehicle. The software update system includes: a notification unit configured to notify, when the update data is present, the presence of the update data to a user of the vehicle, along with information about an effect provided by the software update based on the update data; and an update unit configured to update the software based on the update data, when a predetermined input is accepted from the user after the notification by the notification unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2022
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masafumi YAMAMOTO, Atsushi TABATA, Koichi OKUDA, Yuki MAKINO
  • Patent number: 11541869
    Abstract: There are provided a controller and a control method for a hybrid vehicle including an engine with a supercharger serving as a drive power source for travel, a rotary machine serving as a drive power source for travel, and a power storage device configured to transmit and receive electric power to and from the rotary machine. The controller determines whether an operation of the supercharger is limited, compensates for a torque shortage of the engine due to limitation of the operation of the supercharger by a torque of the rotary machine when it is determined that the operation of the supercharger is limited, and curbs a decrease in an amount of electric power stored in the power storage device more when it is determined that the operation of the supercharger is limited than when it is determined that the operation of the supercharger is not limited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tooru Matsubara, Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Yasutaka Tsuchida, Kenta Kumazaki, Tatsuya Imamura
  • Publication number: 20220410868
    Abstract: It is determined whether fuel efficiency of a vehicle is improved by operating a first rotating machine to generate electricity to such an extent that an electrical path amount becomes a desired electrical path amount for controlling an operating point of an engine to a desired operating point and driving and operating a second rotating machine as a second power source, the electrical path amount being a magnitude of electric power in an electrical path through which the electric power is transferred between the first rotating machine and the second rotating machine. When the electronic control device determines that the fuel efficiency of the vehicle is improved, the first rotating machine is operated to generate electricity to such an extent that the electrical path amount becomes the desired electrical path amount and the second rotating machine is driven and operated as the second power source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi TABATA, Koichi OKUDA, Koji TAKAIRA, Tatsuya IMAMURA, Yohei HABATA
  • Patent number: 11536885
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device includes a display panel configured to emit display light of linearly polarized light, a first semi-transparent element transmitting first circularly polarized light and reflecting second circularly polarized light, a first retardation film, a second semi-transparent element reflecting the first circularly polarized light and transmitting the second circularly polarized light, a second retardation film having a refractive anisotropy in which refractive indexes of directions orthogonal to each other in a plane are substantially equivalent to each other and a refractive index in a normal is different from a refractive index in a plane, and a first element having a lens action of condensing the second circularly polarized light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Shinichi Komura, Junji Kobashi, Koichi Okuda, Ken Onoda, Hiroaki Kijima
  • Publication number: 20220402348
    Abstract: A vehicle driving apparatus includes: an engine; a fluid transmission device; first and second rotary electric machines; an output shaft for receiving a power transmitted through a first power transmission path and outputting the power to one of a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels; and a control device for controlling an engine operation point by adjusting an electrical path amount between the first and second rotary electric machines. The second rotary electric machine outputs the power to the other of the pair of front wheels and the pair of rear wheels, through a second power transmission path. The control device obtains a target electrical path amount enabling the engine operation point to become a target operation point, and causes a speed change device provided in the second power transmission path to establish a gear ratio enabling the target electrical path amount to be attainable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Takaira, Yohei Habata, Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Masato Nakano
  • Publication number: 20220402358
    Abstract: A driving apparatus includes: a first power source; a fluid transmission device; a first output shaft for receiving a power transmitted from the fluid transmission device through a first power transmission path and outputting the power to drive wheels of a vehicle; a rotary electric machine connected to the first output shaft and/or the drive wheels, through a second power transmission path; and a control device. When the vehicle is stopped or running at an extremely low speed, with a rotary-electric-machine driving mode being established, the control device is configured, upon determination that a drive request amount is larger than a threshold amount value, to place a direct clutch of the fluid transmission device into an engaged state and to place the first power transmission path into a power transmittable state so as to cause the power of the first power source to be outputted to the first output shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi TABATA, Koichi OKUDA, Koji TAKAIRA, Tatsuya IMAMURA, Yohei HABATA
  • Publication number: 20220388493
    Abstract: A vehicle driving apparatus includes: an engine; a first rotary electric machine; first and second output shafts; a power distribution device for distributing a power between the first and second output shafts; and a control device for controlling an electric-power generation torque of a second rotary electric machine such that a power distribution ratio between the first and second output shafts becomes a target distribution ratio, and controlling a total torque of the engine and the first rotary electric machine such that a requested drive torque is obtained. The control device executes an electric-power consuming control to supply at least a part of a generated electric power generated by the second rotary electric machine, to the first rotary electric machine without via a power storage device, and to drive the first rotary electric machine, such that an operation state of the engine is brought close to a fuel-economy optimum state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi TABATA, Koichi OKUDA, Koji TAKAIRA, Yuuki MAKINO, Akinori HOMAN, Yosuke AKIYAMA, Akira IJICHI, Kunihiko USUI
  • Patent number: 11519495
    Abstract: A heat load estimation device for a friction engaging element that estimates a heat load when at least one of a temperature, a heat generation amount, and presence or absence of seizure in the friction engaging element at a time of shifting of the transmission is regarded as the heat load, includes a storage device and an execution device. The storage device stores mapping data defining mapping. The mapping includes, as an input variable, a speed variable that is a variable indicating a relative rotation speed of members of the friction engaging element and a hydraulic pressure variable that is a variable indicating hydraulic pressure during the shifting of the transmission, and includes, as an output variable, the heat load. The execution device executes a calculation process for calculating a value of the output variable and a change process for changing an execution mode of the calculation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kota Fujii, Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Ken Imamura, Hideaki Bunazawa, Keita Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20220379714
    Abstract: A vehicle driving apparatus includes: an engine; first and second rotary electric machines; a fluid transmission device including an input-side rotary element to which the engine and the first rotary electric machine are connected; and a control device configured to control an operation point of the engine by adjusting an electrical path amount in an electrical path between the first and second rotary electric machines. When a certain running mode is established, the control device is configured to correct the electrical path amount to an increased electrical path amount while maintaining an power of the engine requested by an operation of a vehicle driver, and to drive the second rotary electric machine, while controlling an output torque of the first rotary electric machine such that the electrical path amount transferred from the first rotary electric machine to the second rotary electric machine becomes the increased electrical path amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi TABATA, Koichi OKUDA, Tatsuya IMAMURA, Yohei HABATA, Koji TAKAIRA
  • Publication number: 20220382111
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a liquid crystal display device includes a display panel including a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel and a blue sub-pixel and an illumination device including a red light-emitting element, a green light-emitting element and a blue light emitting element and irradiating a mixture of light emitted by the light emitting elements onto the display panel. Further, of the red sub-pixel, the green sub-pixel and the blue sub-pixel, an aperture area of a sub-pixel having a lowest wall plug efficiency of the light emitting element of a respective color is greater than aperture areas of the sub-pixels of other colors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Shinichi KOMURA, Koichi OKUDA, Ken ONODA, Hiroaki KIJIMA