Patents by Inventor Mamoru Mabuchi

Mamoru Mabuchi 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: 9505398
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus computes a fuel consumption decrease or a fuel consumption increase for each of a plurality of travel modes. The vehicle control apparatus includes a control section that calculates an engine efficiency of an engine and an MG-INV efficiency which is a combined efficiency of a motor generator and an inverter. The engine efficiency is calculated based on an engine power and an ideal fuel consumption line. The MG-INV efficiency is calculated based on an MG power. As such, based on the engine efficiency and the MG-INV efficiency, the control section computes the per-unit-electric-power fuel consumption decrease or the per-unit-electric-power fuel consumption increase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mutsuaki Gotoh, Takashi Satoh, Masanori Sugiura, Mitsuharu Higashitani, Mamoru Mabuchi, Motoyoshi Hatta, Hiroaki Ono
  • Patent number: 9499159
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus uses a travel mode selection unit to select between an EV travel mode, an engine travel mode, and an engine generation mode depending on comparisons between an engine generated power cost, an EV effect, and a surplus electric energy. In such manner, according to a travel condition of a vehicle, an appropriate travel mode is selected for an improvement of fuel consumption efficiency. The vehicle control apparatus also computes a fuel consumption decrease or a fuel consumption increase for each of a plurality of travel modes based on an engine efficiency and an MG-INV efficiency. In such manner, fuel consumption increase/decrease for every travel mode may be computed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mutsuaki Gotoh, Takashi Satoh, Masanori Sugiura, Mitsuharu Higashitani, Mamoru Mabuchi, Motoyoshi Hatta
  • Publication number: 20150051776
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus computes a fuel consumption decrease or a fuel consumption increase for each of a plurality of travel modes. The vehicle control apparatus includes a control section that calculates an engine efficiency of an engine and an MG-INV efficiency which is a combined efficiency of a motor generator and an inverter. The engine efficiency is calculated based on an engine power and an ideal fuel consumption line. The MG-INV efficiency is calculated based on an MG power. As such, based on the engine efficiency and the MG-INV efficiency, the control section computes the per-unit-electric-power fuel consumption decrease or the per-unit-electric-power fuel consumption increase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventors: Mutsuaki GOTOH, Takashi SATOH, Masanori SUGIURA, Mitsuharu HIGASHITANI, Mamoru MABUCHI, Motoyoshi HATTA, Hiroaki ONO
  • Publication number: 20150051775
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus uses a travel mode selection unit to select between an EV travel mode, an engine travel mode, and an engine generation mode depending on comparisons between an engine generated power cost, an EV effect, and a surplus electric energy. In such manner, according to a travel condition of a vehicle, an appropriate travel mode is selected for an improvement of fuel consumption efficiency. The vehicle control apparatus also computes a fuel consumption decrease or a fuel consumption increase for each of a plurality of travel modes based on an engine efficiency and an MG-INV efficiency. In such manner, fuel consumption increase/decrease for every travel mode may be computed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventors: Mutsuaki GOTOH, Takashi SATOH, Masanori SUGIURA, Mitsuharu HIGASHITANI, Mamoru MABUCHI, Motoyoshi HATTA
  • Patent number: 8489300
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to execute an optimum control of vibrations due to a driver's operation of an accelerator pedal, steering wheel and brake pedal. The operation instructions are inputted into a vibration calculating means (kinetic model) comprising a vehicle body model, suspension model and tire model. Conventional kinetic model controlled the suspension in order to suppress the vehicle body vibration. However, in the kinetic model of the present invention, the tire vibration due to a change in the engine output is first absorbed by the suspension, whereby a residual vibration which was not be absorbed yet by the suspension is transferred to the vehicle body. The operation inputs are compensated by the three feed-back loops between the outputs of the above-mentioned three portions and input of the tire portion, giving the highest priority on the vehicle body model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Motoaki Kataoka, Toshiki Matsumoto, Tsutomu Tashiro, Mamoru Mabuchi, Mamoru Sawada
  • Publication number: 20090060776
    Abstract: The present invention provides a high-quality magnesium alloy case having a complex shape in which formability is ensured by specifying the composition of the magnesium alloy and setting the amount of internal impurities to an appropriate value or below, and the present invention is a magnesium alloy case comprising a superplastica body formed by the superplastic forming of a magnesium alloy sheet material, which is containing 1.0 to 10.0 mass % of aluminum, 0.5 to 3.0 mass % of zinc, and 0.1 to 0.8 mass % of manganese as a part of added alloy elements and has an oxygen concentration of 300 mass ppm or less, and the case having a structure being inhibited in cavity formation during the superplastic forming, and in accordance with the present invention, it is possible to manufacture and provide a magnesium alloy case having a complex shape through superplastic forming by accurately regulating the composition and impurities content of the magnesium alloy sheet material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2005
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: National Inst. of Adv. Industrial Science & Tech
    Inventors: Yasumasa Chino, Mamoru Mabuchi, Kazuo Araki, Hiroyuki Fujii, Shunji Sakurai
  • Patent number: 7457697
    Abstract: A vehicle integration control system includes a manager controller and a driving system controller. The manager controller sets a target generation driving force guide value for a driving force outputted from a driving system of a vehicle. The driving system controller controls the driving force on the basis of the target generation driving force guide value. The manager controller includes a driver request value setter and a driving force corrector. The driver request value setter sets a driver request generation driving force value corresponding to the driving force outputted from the driving system on the basis of a driver's input. The driving force corrector corrects the driver request generation driving force value on the basis of a predetermined program to restrain vibration generated in the vehicle when the driving force outputted from the driving system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Mamoru Sawada, Toshiki Matsumoto, Tsutomu Tashiro, Mamoru Mabuchi, Takehito Fujii, Motoaki Kataoka
  • Patent number: 7328097
    Abstract: While a driving torque TD outputted to a driving shaft via an AT from an engine is detected, a road-surface transmitting torque Td_tire is detected based on rotation speeds Vwdr, Vwdl of vehicle driving wheels, a vehicle body speed Vd, and driving torques Tdr, Tdl, all of which are previously detected. The driving torque TD and the road-surface transmitting torque Td_tire are then compared to each other. When TD>Td_tire, the driving torque from an engine is controlled so as to decrease a value of (TD?Td_tire). The vibrations of individual vehicle parts are thereby decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Mamoru Sawada, Toshiki Matsumoto, Tsutomu Tashiro, Mamoru Mabuchi, Takehito Fujii
  • Patent number: 7280895
    Abstract: In a state where a driver sees a region near a vehicle, a finally-requested output-shaft torque is set so that a response is hastened in a deceleration and slowed in an acceleration. Thereby, a vehicle takes a forward descending position in which the front end of the vehicle is descending, which gives a driver a sense of deceleration or a sense of turning. Further, this position causes a front wheel load acting on the ground to increase and a rear wheel load acting on the ground to decrease, in comparison to a normal position. This thereby makes it easier for the vehicle to decelerate when practically decelerating or turning, and further enables turning to slightly over-steer. A resultant vehicular kinetic characteristic becomes comparable with a sense that is expected by the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Mamoru Mabuchi, Motoaki Kataoka, Hiromichi Tanaka, Mamoru Sawada
  • Patent number: 7241249
    Abstract: In a driving condition control system, a sensing unit is configured to sense a first physical quantity indicative of a rotation of the first rotatable axle assembly and a second physical quantity indicative of a rotation of the second rotatable axle assembly. A correcting unit is configured to correct the torque according to the sensed first and second physical quantities of the rotations of the first and second rotational axle assemblies. This allows the torque to be precisely obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mamoru Sawada, Toshiki Matsumoto, Tsutomu Tashiro, Mamoru Mabuchi, Takehito Fujii, Motoaki Kataoka
  • Patent number: 7169083
    Abstract: In a driving condition control system, a sensing unit senses a first physical quantity indicative of a rotation of the first rotatable axle assembly and a second physical quantity indicative of a rotation of the second rotatable axle assembly. A determining unit compares the first and second physical quantities of the rotations of the first and second rotational axle assemblies and determines whether a driving condition of the vehicle is unstable according to the compared result. As a result, the unstable condition of the vehicle can be rapidly detected without detecting a yaw moment of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Mamoru Sawada, Toshiki Matsumoto, Tsutomu Tashiro, Mamoru Mabuchi, Takehito Fujii, Motoaki Kataoka
  • Patent number: 7079929
    Abstract: In a power steering apparatus employing an EPS (electrical power steering) motor coupled to a steering mechanism, when vibration of the steering mechanism is produced by twisting of tire rubber due to changes in steering angle, resultant pulsation of the drive current of the EPS motor are suppressed by adding to the drive current a current that is of equal frequency and opposite phase to the pulsation. Vibration of the EPS motor shaft, and resultant vibration of the steering wheel and vehicle body, are thereby effectively suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Mamoru Sawada, Toshiki Matsumoto, Tsutomu Tashiro, Mamoru Mabuchi, Takehito Fujii, Motoaki Kataoka
  • Publication number: 20050267648
    Abstract: In a state where a driver sees a region near a vehicle, a finally-requested output-shaft torque is set so that a response is hastened in a deceleration and slowed in an acceleration. Thereby, a vehicle takes a forward descending position in which the front end of the vehicle is descending, which gives a driver a sense of deceleration or a sense of turning. Further, this position causes a front wheel load acting on the ground to increase and a rear wheel load acting on the ground to decrease, in comparison to a normal position. This thereby makes it easier for the vehicle to decelerate when practically decelerating or turning, and further enables turning to slightly over-steer. A resultant vehicular kinetic characteristic becomes comparable with a sense that is expected by the driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Publication date: December 1, 2005
    Applicant: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Mamoru Mabuchi, Motoaki Kataoka, Hiromichi Tanaka, Mamoru Sawada
  • Publication number: 20050143896
    Abstract: A vehicle integration control system includes a manager controller and a driving system controller. The manager controller sets a target generation driving force guide value for a driving force outputted from a driving system of a vehicle. The driving system controller controls the driving force on the basis of the target generation driving force guide value. The manager controller includes a driver request value setter and a driving force corrector. The driver request value setter sets a driver request generation driving force value corresponding to the driving force outputted from the driving system on the basis of a driver's input. The driving force corrector corrects the driver request generation driving force value on the basis of a predetermined program to restrain vibration generated in the vehicle when the driving force outputted from the driving system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Publication date: June 30, 2005
    Inventors: Mamoru Sawada, Toshiki Matsumoto, Tsutomu Tashiro, Mamoru Mabuchi, Takehito Fujii, Motoaki Kataoka
  • Publication number: 20050102087
    Abstract: While a driving torque TD outputted to a driving shaft via an AT from an engine is detected, a road-surface transmitting torque Td_tire is detected based on rotation speeds Vwdr, Vwdl of vehicle driving wheels, a vehicle body speed Vd, and driving torques Tdr, Tdl, all of which are previously detected. The driving torque TD and the road-surface transmitting torque Td_tire are then compared to each other. When TD>Td_tire, the driving torque from an engine is controlled so as to decrease a value of (TD?Td_tire). The vibrations of individual vehicle parts are thereby decreased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2004
    Publication date: May 12, 2005
    Inventors: Mamoru Sawada, Toshiki Matsumoto, Tsutomu Tashiro, Mamoru Mabuchi, Takehito Fujii
  • Patent number: 6892126
    Abstract: A control system for vehicle power train components has an engine ECU, an AT ECU and a manager ECU. The manager ECU outputs command signals such as a target engine torque and a target AT range for the engine ECU and the AT ECU. The manager ECU retrieves data for completing a map for determining availability of the target engine torque from the engine ECU. The manager ECU checks the availability of a computed value of the target engine torque, and if it is necessary, the manager ECU replaces the target engine torque with an available value. The engine ECU executes an engine control process on the basis of the target engine torque of which availability has thus been ensured by the manager ECU. It is therefore possible to operate the vehicle power train components in a more appropriate manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Tsutomu Tashiro, Mamoru Mabuchi, Toshiki Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20050049761
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to execute an optimum control of vibrations due to a driver's operation of an accelerator pedal, steering wheel and brake pedal. The operation instructions are inputted into a vibration calculating means (kinetic model) comprising a vehicle body model, suspension model and tire model. Conventional kinetic model controlled the suspension in order to suppress the vehicle body vibration. However, in the kinetic model of the present invention, the tire vibration due to a change in the engine output is first absorbed by the suspension, whereby a residual vibration which was not be absorbed yet by the suspension is transferred to the vehicle body. The operation inputs are compensated by the three feed-back loops between the outputs of the above-mentioned three portions and input of the tire portion, giving the highest priority on the vehicle body model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2003
    Publication date: March 3, 2005
    Inventors: Motoaki Kataoka, Toshiki Matsumoto, Tsutomu Tashiro, Mamoru Mabuchi, Mamoru Sawada
  • Publication number: 20050027417
    Abstract: In a power steering apparatus employing an EPS (electrical power steering) motor coupled to a steering mechanism, when vibration of the steering mechanism is produced by twisting of tire rubber due to changes in steering angle, resultant pulsation of the drive current of the EPS motor are suppressed by adding to the drive current a current that is of equal frequency and opposite phase to the pulsation. Vibration of the EPS motor shaft, and resultant vibration of the steering wheel and vehicle body, are thereby effectively suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2004
    Publication date: February 3, 2005
    Inventors: Mamoru Sawada, Toshiki Matsumoto, Tsutomu Tashiro, Mamoru Mabuchi, Takehito Fujii, Motoaki Kataoka
  • Publication number: 20040262067
    Abstract: In a driving condition control system, a sensing unit senses a first physical quantity indicative of a rotation of the first rotatable axle assembly and a second physical quantity indicative of a rotation of the second rotatable axle assembly. A determining unit compares the first and second physical quantities of the rotations of the first and second rotational axle assemblies and determines whether a driving condition of the vehicle is unstable according to the compared result. As a result, the unstable condition of the vehicle can be rapidly detected without detecting a yaw moment of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Inventors: Mamoru Sawada, Toshiki Matsumoto, Tsutomu Tashiro, Mamoru Mabuchi, Takehito Fujii, Motoaki Kataoka
  • Publication number: 20040259681
    Abstract: In a driving condition control system, a sensing unit is configured to sense a first physical quantity indicative of a rotation of the first rotatable axle assembly and a second physical quantity indicative of a rotation of the second rotatable axle assembly. A correcting unit is configured to correct the torque according to the sensed first and second physical quantities of the rotations of the first and second rotational axle assemblies. This allows the torque to be precisely obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventors: Mamoru Sawada, Toshiki Matsumoto, Tsutomu Tashiro, Mamoru Mabuchi, Takehito Fujii, Motoaki Kataoka