Patents by Inventor Koji Hokoi

Koji Hokoi 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: 11685260
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a display device that displays information indicating an operation state of an internal combustion engine. A display control device which is a control device that controls the display device includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire the operation state of the internal combustion engine. The display control device includes a display control unit that switches information which is displayed on the display device between a warm-up indicator for notifying that warm-up of the internal combustion engine is being performed and a warm-up completion indicator for notifying that warm-up of the internal combustion engine has been completed. The display control unit is configured to prohibit switching from the warm-up completion indicator to the warm-up indicator when the warm-up completion indicator is being displayed on the display device while the internal combustion engine is operating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuma Aoki, Koji Hokoi, Yusuke Furuhashi
  • Publication number: 20230032074
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a drive source that supplies a driving force to a drive wheel, a switch, and a controller that puts a first limitation on the driving force or puts a second limitation on the driving force when the switch is operated, the second limitation being smaller than the first limitation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2022
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji HOKOI, Yusuke YAMANISHI
  • Patent number: 11535121
    Abstract: An ECU switches a control mode to an HV mode when an SOC decreases to a lower limit during an EV mode. The ECU calculates an evaluation value ?D of high-rate deterioration indicating a deterioration component of a secondary battery due to non-uniformity in salt concentration in a battery. The ECU executes high-rate deterioration inhibiting control when the HV mode is currently selected and when the battery is evaluated as deteriorating based on the evaluation value ?D, the high-rate deterioration inhibiting control being control for increasing the SOC by making a control target of the SOC higher than the lower limit of the SOC. On the other hand, the ECU does not execute the high-rate deterioration inhibiting control when the EV mode is currently selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Hokoi, Yu Nakao, Yoshimitsu Takahashi, Yoshihiro Uchida, Kazuki Furuta, Kazuto Roppongi
  • Publication number: 20210221226
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a display device that displays information indicating an operation state of an internal combustion engine. A display control device which is a control device that controls the display device includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire the operation state of the internal combustion engine. The display control device includes a display control unit that switches information which is displayed on the display device between a warm-up indicator for notifying that warm-up of the internal combustion engine is being performed and a warm-up completion indicator for notifying that warm-up of the internal combustion engine has been completed. The display control unit is configured to prohibit switching from the warm-up completion indicator to the warm-up indicator when the warm-up completion indicator is being displayed on the display device while the internal combustion engine is operating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuma AOKI, Koji HOKOI, Yusuke FURUHASHI
  • Patent number: 11015542
    Abstract: A plug-in hybrid vehicle of the present disclosure includes an internal combustion engine, a particulate filter configured to collect particulate matter in exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine, an electric motor that outputs a driving force and a regenerative braking force to a wheel, a power storage device that exchanges electric power with the electric motor and is chargeable with electric power from an external power supply, and a controller programmed to decrease a target SOC for charging the power storage device with the electric power from the external power supply when a deposition amount of the particulate matter in the particulate filter is more than a predetermined value, compared to when the deposition amount of the particulate matter in the particulate filter is equal to or less than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuma Aoki, Koji Hokoi, Yu Nakao, Kohichiroh Yonemura, Yusuke Furuhashi
  • Patent number: 11007897
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a motor generator, a battery, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The ECU is configured to calculate an evaluation value indicating a degree of progress of deterioration of the battery, the deterioration being caused by an imbalance in a salt concentration in the battery, and is configured to execute a high-rate deterioration suppressing control that raises a target SOC (State of Charge) of the battery when the battery is evaluated to be deteriorated in accordance with the evaluation value. The ECU is configured to also raise the target SOC when an actual SOC is increased due to an electric power generation by the motor generator during the execution of the high-rate deterioration suppressing control. The raised target SOC is lower than the increased actual SOC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, DENSO Ten Limited
    Inventors: Yu Nakao, Koji Hokoi, Yoshimitsu Takahashi, Yoshihiro Uchida, Kazuki Furuta, Kazuto Roppongi
  • Patent number: 11001251
    Abstract: During a hybrid drive, a hybrid vehicle sets an engine required power based on a driving required power and controls an engine to output the engine required power, while controlling a motor to drive the hybrid vehicle with the driving required power. When a catalyst temperature of an exhaust emission control device is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature that requires warming up, in the state that an output upper limit power which a power storage device is allowed to output is equal to or larger than a predetermined power, the hybrid vehicle sets a power calculated by subtracting the output upper limit power from the driving required power, to the engine required power. In the state that the output upper limit power is smaller than the predetermined power, the hybrid vehicle sets the driving required power to the engine required power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Kamatani, Kazuma Aoki, Koji Hokoi
  • Publication number: 20200158039
    Abstract: A plug-in hybrid vehicle of the present disclosure includes an internal combustion engine, a particulate filter configured to collect particulate matter in exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine, an electric motor that outputs a driving force and a regenerative braking force to a wheel, a power storage device that exchanges electric power with the electric motor and is chargeable with electric power from an external power supply, and a controller programmed to decrease a target SOC for charging the power storage device with the electric power from the external power supply when a deposition amount of the particulate matter in the particulate filter is more than a predetermined value, compared to when the deposition amount of the particulate matter in the particulate filter is equal to or less than the predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuma AOKI, Koji Hokoi, Yu Nakao, Kohichiroh Yonemura, Yusuke Furuhashi
  • Patent number: 10518768
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes: a power generation device including an engine and an electric motor; an electrical storage device configured to exchange electric power with the electric motor; a shift device configured to allow a driver to perform a shift operation for deceleration; and an electronic control unit configured to control the power generation device such that an integral value of braking torque that is output from the power generation device during a period from when depression of an accelerator pedal is released and the shift operation is performed to when a predetermined time elapses in the case where a drive mode is a charge depleting mode is larger than the integral value in the case where the drive mode is a charge sustaining mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Hokoi, Koji Yoshihara
  • Patent number: 10486688
    Abstract: When a temperature of a catalyst in an exhaust emission control device mounted in an exhaust system of an engine is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature at a time of a request for stopping the engine, a hybrid vehicle including the engine and a motor continues fuel injection of the engine until satisfaction of a predetermined condition and stops fuel injection of the engine on satisfaction of the predetermined condition. When the temperature of the catalyst is lower than the predetermined temperature at the time of the request for stopping the engine, on the other hand, the hybrid vehicle immediately stops fuel injection of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideki Kamatani, Koji Hokoi
  • Patent number: 10442424
    Abstract: When an accelerator operating speed is greater than a quick depression threshold value, a start threshold value is set to a value that is smaller than a selection threshold value between a single-drive mode and a double-drive mode in an EV drive mode. Then, when a required torque becomes greater than the start threshold value, an engine is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Hokoi, Koji Yoshihara, Koji Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20190283624
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, a motor generator, a battery, and an ECU. The ECU is configured to calculate an evaluation value indicating a degree of progress of deterioration of the battery, the deterioration being caused by an imbalance in a salt concentration in the battery, and is configured to execute high-rate deterioration suppressing control that raises a target SOC of the battery when the battery is evaluated to be deteriorated in accordance with the evaluation value. The ECU is configured to also raise the target SOC when an actual SOC is increased due to the electric power generation by the motor generator during the execution of the high-rate deterioration suppressing control. The raised target SOC is lower than the increased actual SOC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: Yu Nakao, Koji Hokoi, Yoshimitsu Takahashi, Yoshihiro Uchida, Kazuki Furuta, Kazuto Roppongi
  • Publication number: 20190232815
    Abstract: An ECU switches a control mode to an HV mode when an SOC decreases to a lower limit during an EV mode. The ECU calculates an evaluation value ?D of high-rate deterioration indicating a deterioration component of a secondary battery due to non-uniformity in salt concentration in a battery. The ECU executes high-rate deterioration inhibiting control when the HV mode is currently selected and when the battery is evaluated as deteriorating based on the evaluation value ?D, the high-rate deterioration inhibiting control being control for increasing the SOC by making a control target of the SOC higher than the lower limit of the SOC. On the other hand, the ECU does not execute the high-rate deterioration inhibiting control when the EV mode is currently selected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: Koji Hokoi, Yu Nakao, Yoshimitsu Takahashi, Yoshihiro Uchida, Kazuki Furuta, Kazuto Roppongi
  • Patent number: 10322714
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided with an engine, a battery, a second motor generator generating a driving force by using electric power of the battery, and an electronic control unit (ECU) controlling the engine and the second motor generator. The ECU is configured to be capable of executing rotation speed increase control for controlling the rotation speed of the engine so that the sound pressure of the engine is increased in response to an increase in the vehicle speed of the vehicle. In a charge depleting (CD) mode in which the state of charge (SOC) of the battery is consumed, the ECU limits the execution of the rotation speed increase control compared to a charge sustaining (CS) mode in which the SOC is maintained in a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroki Endo, Koji Hokoi
  • Publication number: 20190161070
    Abstract: During a hybrid drive, a hybrid vehicle sets an engine required power based on a driving required power and controls an engine to output the engine required power, while controlling a motor to drive the hybrid vehicle with the driving required power. When a catalyst temperature of an exhaust emission control device is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature that requires warming up, in the state that an output upper limit power which a power storage device is allowed to output is equal to or larger than a predetermined power, the hybrid vehicle sets a power calculated by subtracting the output upper limit power from the driving required power, to the engine required power. In the state that the output upper limit power is smaller than the predetermined power, the hybrid vehicle sets the driving required power to the engine required power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: Hideki Kamatani, Kazuma Aoki, Koji Hokoi
  • Patent number: 10246079
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle comprises an engine configured to output power for driving and equipped with an exhaust emission control device in an exhaust system thereof. The hybrid vehicle further comprises a control device. In response to a predetermined rotation request for rotating the engine with no need to output power from the engine, the control device performs a control to rotate the engine with fuel injection when a catalyst temperature in the exhaust emission control device is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, while performing a control to rotate the engine without the fuel injection when the catalyst temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Kamatani, Koji Hokoi
  • Patent number: 10220829
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes: an engine configured to output power for traveling; a motor configured to output power for traveling; a switch configured to set a fuel economy priority mode, in which priority is given to fuel economy, and to cancel the fuel economy priority mode; and a controller configured (a) to operate the engine and the motor based on the switch setting; (b) to determine the presence/absence of degradation of fuel supplied to the engine; and (c) to prohibit setting of the fuel economy priority mode by the switch subsequently when determination is made that the fuel has degraded when the hybrid vehicle travels using power of the motor in a state in which the drive of the engine is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Oonishi, Koji Hokoi, Daisuke Itoyama, Hiroki Endo, Kazuma Aoki, Hideaki Yaguchi, Mikihisa Arai
  • Patent number: 10086821
    Abstract: When there is a history that a required torque has reached a high torque range and the required torque falls within a low torque range, a start threshold is changed from a value larger than a maximum double-drive torque to a value smaller than a selection threshold for selecting a single-drive mode or a double-drive mode. When the required torque becomes larger than the start threshold, an engine is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Hokoi, Koji Yamamoto, Koji Yoshihara
  • Patent number: 10081267
    Abstract: Transition is made from a motor single-drive mode to a motor dual-drive mode while there is a margin in torque output from a motor MG2 with respect to rated torque. With this, the torque of the motor MG1 is changed slowly in the motor dual-drive mode, whereby it is possible to suppress the generation of vibration (shock) due to torsion of a damper and to compensate for a shortage of the torque of the motor MG1 due to slow change processing with an increase in torque from the motor MG2. As a result, it is possible to achieve both of reduction of a shock due to the torque of the motor MG1 and output of required torque to a drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takanori Aoki, Koji Hokoi, Koji Yoshihara
  • Publication number: 20180265075
    Abstract: When a temperature of a catalyst in an exhaust emission control device mounted in an exhaust system of an engine is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature at a time of a request for stopping the engine, a hybrid vehicle including the engine and a motor continues fuel injection of the engine until satisfaction of a predetermined condition and stops fuel injection of the engine on satisfaction of the predetermined condition. When the temperature of the catalyst is lower than the predetermined temperature at the time of the request for stopping the engine, on the other hand, the hybrid vehicle immediately stops fuel injection of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideki KAMATANI, Koji HOKOI