Patents by Inventor Koichi Tomida

Koichi Tomida 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: 8433490
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle brake system includes first judgment value derivation and storage means for deriving and storing as first judgment value a boosting limit judgment pressure which, if predetermined conditions are satisfied during the driving of hydraulic pumps by boost control means, a boosting limit judgment pressure calculation means calculates at the time when the predetermined conditions are satisfied, and returning start judgment means for judging whether the returning of the brake manipulation member has been started or not. The boost control means executes the boost control using as the boosting limit judgment pressure the first judgment value stored in the first judgment value derivation and storage means when the returning start judgment means judges during the driving of the pumps that the returning of the brake manipulation member has been started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kato, Masanobu Yamaguchi, Koichi Tomida
  • Patent number: 8414090
    Abstract: An assistance-limit recognizing device for recognizing a limit of assistance made by a vacuum booster that is configured to assist an operating force applied to a brake operating member. A communication between a variable pressure chamber and a negative pressure chamber of the vacuum booster is established, when the operating force is not applied to the brake operating member. A communication between the variable pressure chamber and the atmosphere is established while the communication between the variable pressure chamber and the negative pressure chamber is cut off, when the operating force is applied to the brake operating member, whereby the operating force applied to the brake operating member is assisted based on a pressure difference between a pressure in the negative pressure chamber and a pressure in the variable pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Tomida, Tomohiro Kato
  • Patent number: 8157332
    Abstract: The control device adapted to a vehicle brake apparatus includes a vacuum obtaining portion, a master cylinder pressure obtaining portion and a boosting control portion for executing a boosting control which controls supplying of a boosting pressure established by driving the hydraulic pressure pump and controlling the pressure differential control valve so that the boosting pressure agrees to a target boosting pressure obtained with a target boosting gain smaller than a basic boosting gain which indicates a servo-ratio of the vacuum booster up to the time, when the master cylinder pressure becomes equal to or more than a boosting limit pressure which is a master cylinder pressure corresponding to a boosting limit of the vacuum booster at the vacuum obtained by the vacuum pressure obtaining portion, in addition to the master cylinder pressure established in response to the operation of the brake operation member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kato, Masanobu Yamaguchi, Koichi Tomida
  • Publication number: 20120049615
    Abstract: An assistance-limit recognizing device for recognizing a limit of assistance made by a vacuum booster that is configured to assist an operating force applied to a brake operating member. A communication between a variable pressure chamber and a negative pressure chamber of the vacuum booster is established, when the operating force is not applied to the brake operating member. A communication between the variable pressure chamber and the atmosphere is established while the communication between the variable pressure chamber and the negative pressure chamber is cut off, when the operating force is applied to the brake operating member, whereby the operating force applied to the brake operating member is assisted based on a pressure difference between a pressure in the negative pressure chamber and a pressure in the variable pressure chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicants: ADVICS CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Tomida, Tomohiro Kato
  • Patent number: 7813853
    Abstract: A damping force control apparatus for a vehicle includes adjustable-damping-force shock absorbers. When the vehicle turns, an electronic controller calculates an actual roll angle of the vehicle body in accordance with sprung accelerations detected by sprung acceleration sensors. The electronic controller also calculates a target roll angle of the vehicle body in accordance with a lateral acceleration detected by a lateral acceleration sensor. The target roll angle is set such that it increases with the lateral acceleration acting on the vehicle during turning and is uniquely determined by the lateral acceleration. The electronic controller sets target damping forces of the shock absorbers such that the actual roll angle coincides with the target roll angle, and controls the damping forces of the shock absorbers in accordance with the set target damping forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Tomida
  • Patent number: 7747368
    Abstract: A damping force control apparatus with adjustable shock absorbers is disclosed. An electronic control unit calculates estimated roll angle and estimated pitch angle of a vehicle body based on detected sprung accelerations, calculates a target pitch angle from the estimated roll angle, and determines target damping force required for front-wheel-side shock absorbers such that the stimulated pitch angle coincides with the target pitch angle; calculates rear-wheel-side jack-up force exerted on the rear-wheel-side vehicle body based on detected vehicle speed detected yaw rate and detected lateral acceleration, and determines the force in the direction for overcoming the calculated jack-up force as target damping force of rear-wheel-side shock absorbers; and controls the operation of each actuator based on the rear-wheel-side and front-wheel-side target damping forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Tomida, Yusuke Mizuguchi
  • Publication number: 20100161191
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle brake system includes first judgment value derivation and storage means for deriving and storing as first judgment value a boosting limit judgment pressure which, if predetermined conditions are satisfied during the driving of hydraulic pumps by boost control means, a boosting limit judgment pressure calculation means calculates at the time when the predetermined conditions are satisfied, and returning start judgment means for judging whether the returning of the brake manipulation member has been started or not. The boost control means executes the boost control using as the boosting limit judgment pressure the first judgment value stored in the first judgment value derivation and storage means when the returning start judgment means judges during the driving of the pumps that the returning of the brake manipulation member has been started.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro KATO, Masanobu Yamaguchi, Koichi Tomida
  • Publication number: 20100117445
    Abstract: The control device adapted to a vehicle brake apparatus includes a vacuum obtaining portion, a master cylinder pressure obtaining portion and a boosting control portion for executing a boosting control which controls supplying of a boosting pressure established by driving the hydraulic pressure pump and controlling the pressure differential control valve so that the boosting pressure agrees to a target boosting pressure obtained with a target boosting gain smaller than a basic boosting gain which indicates a servo-ratio of the vacuum booster up to the time, when the master cylinder pressure becomes equal to or more than a boosting limit pressure which is a master cylinder pressure corresponding to a boosting limit of the vacuum booster at the vacuum obtained by the vacuum pressure obtaining portion, in addition to the master cylinder pressure established in response to the operation of the brake operation member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro KATO, Masanobu Yamaguchi, Koichi Tomida
  • Publication number: 20090234537
    Abstract: A damping force control apparatus has shock absorbers 10 each being capable of changing damping force. An electronic control unit 40 calculates estimated roll angle and estimated pitch angle of a vehicle body BD in accordance with sprung accelerations detected by sprung acceleration sensors 41 fl to 41rr, calculates a target pitch angle from the estimated roll angle, and determines target damping force required for front-wheel-side shock absorbers 10 such that the estimated pitch angle coincides with the target pitch angle. The electronic control unit 40 calculates rear-wheel-side jack-up force exerted on the rear-wheel-side vehicle body in accordance with vehicle speed detected by a vehicle speed sensor 43, yaw rate detected by a yaw rate sensor 44 and lateral acceleration detected by a lateral acceleration sensor 45, and determines the force in the direction for overcoming the calculated jack-up force as target damping force of rear-wheel-side shock absorbers 10.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2006
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Tomida, Yusuke Mizuguchi
  • Publication number: 20070156314
    Abstract: A damping force control apparatus for a vehicle includes adjustable-damping-force shock absorbers. When the vehicle turns, an electronic controller calculates an actual roll angle of the vehicle body in accordance with sprung accelerations detected by sprung acceleration sensors. The electronic controller also calculates a target roll angle of the vehicle body in accordance with a lateral acceleration detected by a lateral acceleration sensor. The target roll angle is set such that it increases with the lateral acceleration acting on the vehicle during turning and is uniquely determined by the lateral acceleration. The electronic controller sets target damping forces of the shock absorbers such that the actual roll angle coincides with the target roll angle, and controls the damping forces of the shock absorbers in accordance with the set target damping forces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2006
    Publication date: July 5, 2007
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koichi TOMIDA
  • Patent number: 6298294
    Abstract: A device for controlling damping coefficients of shock absorbers (22FL, 22FR, 22RL, 22RR) of a four wheeled vehicle constructs a phantom damping system composed of a phantom side shock absorber (122, 122F, 122R) disposed vertically at a lateral inside of a turn running of the vehicle to have a lower end movable along a ground surface together with the vehicle and an upper end vertically movable relative to the lower end with a first phantom damping coefficient (Cg, Cgf, Cgr) therebetween, and a phantom angular shock absorber (124, 124F, 124R) arranged to act between the upper end of the phantom side shock absorber and the vehicle body with a second phantom damping coefficient (Ca, Caf, Car) therebetween, whereby, when the damping coefficients of the shock absorbers are controlled to substantially equalize the phantom damping system with the actual damping system of the actual shock absorbers with respect to damping vertical and rolling movements of the vehicle body, the mass center of the vehicle body is lowe
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiro Murata, Satoshi Suzuki, Koichi Tomida, Toshio Onuma