Patents by Inventor Kouichi Shimizu
Kouichi Shimizu 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: 6935101Abstract: An electronic control unit of an internal combustion engine performs preheat energization control before activation energization control. In the activation energization control, a gas sensor is energized with electric power capable of heating the gas sensor to activation temperature. In the preheat energization control, the gas sensor is energized with low electric power, which is not enough to heat the gas sensor to the activation temperature. Thus, while there is a possibility that water adheres to a sensor main body of the gas sensor, the sensor main body is prevented from being heated to high temperature. Meanwhile, even if water droplets exist in the sensor main body of the gas sensor, the water is vaporized gradually, while preventing the bumping of the water.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2003Date of Patent: August 30, 2005Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Syujiro Morinaga, Kouichi Shimizu
-
Publication number: 20050180552Abstract: A call agent(CA) connects a IP telephone and a public switching telephone on the basis of a called-destination telephone number which corresponds to received reverse-charging service number from the IP telephone; a reverse-charging service control apparatus causes an exchange to stop charging; the CA and the reverse-charging service control apparatus calculate a charging information items, respectively; and generate a fee information by setting a charged party information so that a sum of fees in an IP network and a public switching telephone network may be charged to the called-destination telephone number, and transmit the fee information to an IP/PSTN charging management apparatus on a called destination side; and generate other fee information so that a fee in the network on a call origination side may be charged to a business company of called destination, and transmit the fee information to the apparatus on a call origination side.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2004Publication date: August 18, 2005Inventors: Yusuke Honda, Satoshi Matsuhashi, Kouichi Shimizu
-
Patent number: 6931310Abstract: An electric motor diagnosing apparatus is provided in a vehicle having a generator driven by a drive torque of a drive source, an electric motor driven by electric power supplied from the generator, and a wheel driven by the electric motor. The electric motor diagnosing apparatus comprises a counterelectromotive force determining section and an electric motor diagnosing section. The counterelectromotive force determining section determines whether a voltage of electric power supplied from the generator to the electric motor is greater than an induced voltage of a counterelectromotive force of the electric motor. The electric motor diagnosing section drives the electric motor by controlling the generator to supply the electric power to the electric motor, and determines whether the electric motor is rotating, upon determining that the voltage of the electric power supplied from the generator to the electric motor is greater than the electric motor induced voltage.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2003Date of Patent: August 16, 2005Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kouichi Shimizu, Hiroyuki Ohya
-
Publication number: 20050133285Abstract: A drive control device is provided with a determining section and a voltage increasing section. The determining section determines if the actual acceleration is deficient in comparison with the acceleration requested by the driver or if the generator output is deficient in comparison with the acceleration requested by the driver. The voltage increasing section increases the voltage supplied to the electric generator from a vehicle mounted electric power source when the determining section determines that the actual acceleration or the generator output is deficient. As a result, the generator output deficiency is eliminated and the required motor torque is produced, thereby enabling the vehicle to start into motion appropriately in accordance with the acceleration requested by the driver.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2004Publication date: June 23, 2005Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventor: Kouichi Shimizu
-
Patent number: 6908411Abstract: A vehicle drive control apparatus is provided for detecting clutch trouble early and alert the driver to the need for clutch repair. The vehicle drive control apparatus is provided in a vehicle having a clutch disposed between an electric motor and a wheel driven by the electric motor. The drive control apparatus comprises a clutch control section and a diagnosis section. The clutch control section is configured to control engagement of the clutch to selectively drive the wheel by the electric motor. The diagnosis section is configured to diagnose whether or not the clutch can be operated by controlling the clutch control section to turn on and off the clutch, when the diagnosis section determines that the wheel is not being driven by the electric motor.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2003Date of Patent: June 21, 2005Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kouichi Shimizu, Hiroyuki Ohya
-
Patent number: 6905438Abstract: A vehicle powertrain includes an electric motor (4) and a clutch (12) between the electric motor and a motor driven road wheel (3L, 3R). Powertrain play between the electric motor (4) and the road wheel is eliminated upon determination that powertrain play elimination (PPE) is needed for motor torque transmission to the motor driven road wheel. The PPE includes controlling engagement of the clutch and regulating the electric motor to produce a very small amount of motor torque required for PPE.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2003Date of Patent: June 14, 2005Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hidetoshi Suzuki, Kouichi Shimizu, Tatsuya Kamata, Keiji Kadota, Keigo Nishio, Kimitaka Nakamura
-
Patent number: 6902511Abstract: A vehicle driving force control apparatus is provided for a vehicle to prevent a shock from being generated when a clutch disposed between a subordinate drive source and subordinate drive wheels is transferred to a disengaged state during vehicle travel. When a transition is made from a four-wheel drive state to a two-wheel drive state, and a clutch is released during vehicle travel, the motor torque is maintained constant at a level of a clutch-release torque required by the electric motor as the output for bringing the torque on the clutch substantially to zero.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2003Date of Patent: June 7, 2005Assignee: Nissan Motor, Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kouichi Shimizu, Hiroyuki Ohya
-
Patent number: 6898505Abstract: A system is provided, which controls a starting and the subsequent vehicle acceleration procedure of a motor vehicle. The system compares a predetermined variable that grows continuously during the starting procedure to a threshold value. It determines a first desired value of torque in response to operator demand, and a second desired value torque in response to acceleration slip. The system performs a feed-forward 4WD control in response to the first desired value of torque when the predetermined variable is lower than or equal to the threshold value. The system determines whether or not driving situation justifies a change from performing the feed-forward 4WD control to performing a feed-back 2/4WD control in response to the second desired value of torque.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2003Date of Patent: May 24, 2005Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Keiji Kadota, Kouichi Shimizu, Hidetoshi Suzuki
-
Publication number: 20050090965Abstract: A vehicle driving force control apparatus is configured to provide a vehicle drive force control apparatus that can expand the operating region within which an electric motor can be driven in a stable manner. The output of an engine is delivered to the main drive wheels through a transmission and also to an electric generator. The output voltage of the electric generator is supplied to the electric motor and the output of the electric motor drives the subordinate drive wheels. When it is determined that the generator output voltage will not be sufficient to meet the requirement of the electric motor, the amount of acceleration slippage allowed at the left and front wheels is increased.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2004Publication date: April 28, 2005Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tatsuya Kamata, Kouichi Shimizu, Hideyuki Saeki, Masanori Aoyagi
-
Publication number: 20050085980Abstract: A vehicle drive force control apparatus is provided that can stabilize the output of the electric motor even if the engine rotational speed experiences an acute change. The output of an engine is delivered to the left and right front wheels through a transmission and also to an electric generator. The output voltage of the electric generator is supplied to an electric motor and the output of the electric motor drives the left and right rear wheels. The drive force control device predicts if the rotational speed of the engine will decrease or increase acutely based on the upshifting and downshifting of the transmission and adjusts the field current of the electric generator up or down before the acute change in the engine rotational speed occurs.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2004Publication date: April 21, 2005Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hideki Kawashima, Hideaki Ohtsuka, Tatsuya Kamata, Kouichi Shimizu, Hideyuki Saeki, Masanori Aoyagi
-
Publication number: 20050077731Abstract: A vehicle drive system with a vehicle electric power generation control device is configured to prevent a drive belt between an engine and generator from slipping without causing the output of the generator from declining. When the target load torque Tg* of the generator is limited to the maximum transmittable torque value Tslip in order to prevent the belt from slipping, the engine rotational speed Ne and the generator rotational speed Ng are increased by downshifting the automatic transmission 4 to a lower gear ratio.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 4, 2004Publication date: April 14, 2005Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventor: Kouichi Shimizu
-
Publication number: 20050070401Abstract: A vehicle drive apparatus is provided that comprises first and second drive sources, a main clutch, a subordinate clutch, a drive source selecting section, and a clutch control section. The first and second drive sources output drive forces to a first wheel. The main clutch is configured to simultaneously shut off delivery of outputs from the first and second drive sources. The subordinate clutch coupled to the first drive source is configured to shut off delivery of only the output from the first drive source. The drive source selecting section is configured to select at least one of the first and second drive sources to output the drive force. The clutch control section is configured to release the subordinate clutch while the main clutch is temporality released upon a determination of the first drive source being switched from an output delivery state to an output stop state.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 15, 2004Publication date: March 31, 2005Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., LtdInventor: Kouichi Shimizu
-
Publication number: 20050067199Abstract: A vehicle drive device has a reduction gear is installed between first and second electric motors and a wheel axle so that the first and second electric motors can transmit torque to the wheel axle at different reduction ratios. More specifically, the reduction gear is configured such that the torque of the first electric motor is delivered to the wheel axle using a reduction ratio suitable for low speed travel and the torque of the second electric motor is delivered using a reduction ratio suitable for high speed travel. Thus, the vehicle drive device can deliver sufficient drive torque at rotational speeds ranging from low speeds to high speeds while preventing the size of the rotary drive source used to drive the vehicle from becoming large.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2004Publication date: March 31, 2005Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventor: Kouichi Shimizu
-
Publication number: 20050067202Abstract: In a vehicle drive system, a pair of rear wheels is driven by first and second motors. The first motor is designed to specifications suited to delivering torque at low rotational speeds and the second motor is designed to specifications suited to delivering torque at high rotational speeds. The motor used to drive the rear wheels is selected based on the vehicle speed. The change in the operations of the first and second motors is synchronized with a shifting of a transmission disposed between an engine and a pair of front wheels. Thus, the vehicle drive system is configured and arranged to accommodate speeds ranging from low speeds to high speeds in a sufficient manner without requiring the drive source to become large.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 15, 2004Publication date: March 31, 2005Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventor: Kouichi Shimizu
-
Patent number: 6860247Abstract: In the variable valve timing system according to the present invention, portions of the intake-side advancing hydraulic line and a retarding hydraulic line respectively constitute annular grooves 104 and 113 for advancing and retarding provided on the intake camshaft 5 bearing surface 5a of the cam cap 4 which supports the camshafts 5 and 6. In addition, portions of the advancing hydraulic line and the retarding hydraulic line for exhaust respectively constitute annular grooves for advancing and retarding 123 and 133 provided on the exhaust camshaft 6 bearing surface 4b of the cam cap 4. Moreover, the annular groove for retarding 113 on the intake camshaft 5 bearing surface 4a and the annular groove for advancing 123 on the exhaust camshaft 6 bearing surface 4b are respectively provided in the center in the width direction of their respective bearing surfaces 4a and 4b.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2003Date of Patent: March 1, 2005Assignee: Mazda Motor CorporationInventors: Akira Asai, Masaki Fukuma, Masahiro Naito, Kouichi Shimizu, Ikuma Takahashi, Kazuhiro Tomizawa
-
Publication number: 20050025294Abstract: A telephone applicable to PSTN and IP network having functions of obtaining, when a call is originated by entering a PSTN telephone number, an IP network telephone number of a destination telephone corresponding to the PSTN telephone number from a telephone number translation server connected to the IP network, obtaining IP address information of the destination telephone corresponding to the IP network telephone number from a call agent connected to the IP network, establishing call connection with the destination telephone via the IP network by using the IP address information, and establishing call connection with the destination telephone via the PSTN if the IP network telephone number of the destination telephone cannot be obtained from the telephone number translation server.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2003Publication date: February 3, 2005Inventors: Satoshi Matsuhashi, Toshiyuki Matsuda, Kouichi Shimizu, Taro Ogawa
-
Patent number: 6820580Abstract: A rotational angle sensor and a hydraulic pressure control valve are disposed such that a detecting end surface of the rotational angle sensor disposed close to a sensor rotor attached to an exhaust camshaft is located in a spray area of return oil discharged through a drain hole formed at a cam cap, which flows down through a lower drain port of the hydraulic pressure control valve attached on the cam cap from a variable valve timing mechanism. Further, the detecting end surface is located forward in the rotational direction, shown as the arrow a, of the exhaust camshaft so that the return oil can be positively carried toward the detecting end surface by the rotation of the sensor rotor. Accordingly, this can maintain properly detecting accuracy of the rotational sensor disposed close to the camshaft.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2004Date of Patent: November 23, 2004Assignee: Mazda Motor CorporationInventors: Masahiro Naito, Masaki Fukuma, Kouichi Shimizu
-
Publication number: 20040154566Abstract: A rotational angle sensor and a hydraulic pressure control valve are disposed such that a detecting end surface of the rotational angle sensor disposed close to a sensor rotor attached to an exhaust camshaft is located in a spray area of return oil discharged through a drain hole formed at a cam cap, which flows down through a lower drain port of the hydraulic pressure control valve attached on the cam cap from a variable valve timing mechanism. Further, the detecting end surface is located forward in the rotational direction, shown as the arrow a, of the exhaust camshaft so that the return oil can be positively carried toward the detecting end surface by the rotation of the sensor rotor. Accordingly, this can maintain properly detecting accuracy of the rotational sensor disposed close to the camshaft.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2004Publication date: August 12, 2004Applicant: Mazda Motor CorporationInventors: Masahiro Naito, Masaki Fukuma, Kouichi Shimizu
-
Publication number: 20040094106Abstract: In the variable valve timing system according to the present invention, portions of the intake-side advancing hydraulic line and a retarding hydraulic line respectively constitute annular grooves 104 and 113 for advancing and retarding provided on the intake camshaft 5 bearing surface 5a of the cam cap 4 which supports the camshafts 5 and 6. In addition, portions of the advancing hydraulic line and the retarding hydraulic line for exhaust respectively constitute annular grooves for advancing and retarding 123 and 133 provided on the exhaust camshaft 6 bearing surface 4b of the cam cap 4. Moreover, the annular groove for retarding 113 on the intake camshaft 5 bearing surface 4a and the annular groove for advancing 123 on the exhaust camshaft 6 bearing surface 4b are respectively provided in the center in the width direction of their respective bearing surfaces 4a and 4b.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2003Publication date: May 20, 2004Applicant: Mazda Motor CorporationInventors: Akira Asai, Masaki Fukuma, Masahiro Naito, Kouichi Shimizu, Ikuma Takahashi, Kazuhiro Tomizawa
-
Publication number: 20040055304Abstract: An electric motor diagnosing apparatus is provided in a vehicle having a generator driven by a drive torque of a drive source, an electric motor driven by electric power supplied from the generator, and a wheel driven by the electric motor. The electric motor diagnosing apparatus comprises a counterelectromotive force determining section and an electric motor diagnosing section. The counterelectromotive force determining section determines whether a voltage of electric power supplied from the generator to the electric motor is greater than an induced voltage of a counterelectromotive force of the electric motor. The electric motor diagnosing section drives the electric motor by controlling the generator to supply the electric power to the electric motor, and determines whether the electric motor is rotating, upon determining that the voltage of the electric power supplied from the generator to the electric motor is greater than the electric motor induced voltage.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 15, 2003Publication date: March 25, 2004Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kouichi Shimizu, Hiroyuki Ohya