Patents by Inventor Masakazu Kaifuku

Masakazu Kaifuku 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: 11505057
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes (a) a clutch control portion configured to output a hydraulic-pressure command value for supplying a hydraulic pressure to a clutch actuator of a clutch disposed between an engine and an electric motor, when the engine is to be started by being cranked by the electric motor, and (b) a learning control portion configured to execute a plurality of leanings for correcting a relationship representing a correlation between the hydraulic pressure and the hydraulic-pressure command value, wherein at least one of the leanings is a higher priority learning, and at least one of the leanings is a lower priority learning. The learning control portion is configured, when the higher priority learning is in an unconverged state, to cause a degree of reflection of a learning result of the lower priority learning to be lower, than when the higher priority learning is in a converged state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keigo Matsubara, Masayuki Baba, Tomoya Inayoshi, Masakazu Kaifuku
  • Publication number: 20220227218
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes (a) a clutch control portion configured to output a hydraulic-pressure command value for supplying a hydraulic pressure to a clutch actuator of a clutch disposed between an engine and an electric motor, when the engine is to be started by being cranked by the electric motor, and (b) a learning control portion configured to execute a plurality of leanings for correcting a relationship representing a correlation between the hydraulic pressure and the hydraulic-pressure command value, wherein at least one of the leanings is a higher priority learning, and at least one of the leanings is a lower priority learning. The learning control portion is configured, when the higher priority learning is in an unconverged state, to cause a degree of reflection of a learning result of the lower priority learning to be lower, than when the higher priority learning is in a converged state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keigo MATSUBARA, Masayuki BABA, Tomoya INAYOSHI, Masakazu KAIFUKU
  • Patent number: 10753472
    Abstract: A control device that includes an electronic control unit that is configured to perform neutral travel control that controls the transmission apparatus to enter a neutral state in which power is not transferred during rotation of the wheel, wherein the electronic control unit performs switching between an engaged neutral state in which a particular engagement device of the plurality of engagement devices is put in an engagement state and the transmission apparatus is put in a state in which power is not transferred and a released neutral state in which all of the plurality of engagement devices are put in a released state and the transmission apparatus is put in the state in which power is not transferred, based on at least a vehicle speed during the neutral travel control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masakazu Kaifuku, Yuto Yuasa, Jyunichi Matoba, Masaru Katsuya, Kazuhiko Motodohi
  • Patent number: 9919700
    Abstract: A vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle driving device including an internal combustion engine as a driving force source for a wheel and a transmission apparatus, wherein the transmission apparatus includes a transmission shift input member drivably coupled to the internal combustion engine, a transmission shift output member drivably coupled to the wheel, and a transmission mechanism having a plurality of engagement devices and selectively forming a plurality of transmission shift stages having different transmission shift ratios depending on engagement states of the plurality of engagement devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masakazu Kaifuku, Shiko Yoshimura
  • Publication number: 20170152944
    Abstract: A control device that includes an electronic control unit that is configured to perform neutral travel control that controls the transmission apparatus to enter a neutral state in which power is not transferred during rotation of the wheel, wherein the electronic control unit performs switching between an engaged neutral state in which a particular engagement device of the plurality of engagement devices is put in an engagement state and the transmission apparatus is put in a state in which power is not transferred and a released neutral state in which all of the plurality of engagement devices are put in a released state and the transmission apparatus is put in the state in which power is not transferred, based on at least a vehicle speed during the neutral travel control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masakazu KAIFUKU, Yuto YUASA, Jyunichi MATOBA, Masaru KATSUYA, Kazuhiko MOTODOHI
  • Publication number: 20160325751
    Abstract: A vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle driving device including an internal combustion engine as a driving force source for a wheel and a transmission apparatus, wherein the transmission apparatus includes a transmission shift input member drivably coupled to the internal combustion engine, a transmission shift output member drivably coupled to the wheel, and a transmission mechanism having a plurality of engagement devices and selectively forming a plurality of transmission shift stages having different transmission shift ratios depending on engagement states of the plurality of engagement devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masakazu KAIFUKU, Shiko YOSHIMURA
  • Publication number: 20160318506
    Abstract: A vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle driving device including an internal combustion engine as a driving force source for a wheel and a transmission apparatus, wherein the transmission apparatus includes a transmission shift input member drivably coupled to the internal combustion engine, a transmission shift output member drivably coupled to the wheel, and a transmission mechanism having a plurality of engagement devices and selectively forming a plurality of transmission shift stages having different transmission shift ratios depending on engagement states of the plurality of engagement devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masakazu KAIFUKU, Shiko YOSHIMURA
  • Patent number: 8777812
    Abstract: In a downshift of an automatic transmission in a state where an accelerator pedal is depressed, one of a clutch-to-clutch shift in which the shift is carried out by gradually reducing an engagement pressure of a clutch or a brake to be disengaged in the shift and a rotation synchronization shift in which the shift is carried out by reducing the engagement pressure of the clutch or the brake more quickly than in the clutch-to-clutch shift is selected based on an output shaft torque of the automatic transmission, a region where the rotation synchronization shift is selected is lower in output shaft torque than a region where the clutch-to-clutch shift is selected, and hence it is possible to appropriately selectively execute a shift placing emphasis on a shock and a shift placing emphasis on a shift speed in accordance with the output shaft torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tooru Matsubara, Atsushi Tabata, Masakazu Kaifuku, Yoshiki Ando
  • Patent number: 8777811
    Abstract: A vehicular shift control device is provided that controls the input rotational speed of a geared transmission by adjusting the rotational speed of a drive source at downshift of the geared transmission. The greater the deceleration of the vehicle, the smaller is set the change gradient of the input rotational speed of the geared transmission. Therefore, even if the decrease rate of the post-shifting synchronization rotational speed is great, the incident angle ? of the input rotational speed of the geared transmission relative to the post-shifting synchronization rotational speed is maintained as a large angle. Even when the deceleration of the vehicle during downshift is great, the downshift is smoothly executed without producing an excessive synchronization shock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshinari Suzuki, Kenta Kumazaki, Yoshiki Ando, Masakazu Kaifuku
  • Patent number: 8744657
    Abstract: A hybrid drive system including a rotating electric machine; an input member drive-coupled to an internal combustion engine and the rotating electric machine; an output member drive-coupled to a wheel; a speed change device with a plurality of switchable shift speeds changes the rotational speed of the input member and transmits the changed rotational speed to the output member; and a control device that controls the rotating electric machine. The control device corrects the output torque of the rotating electric machine so as to cancel out a torque fluctuation of the input member that accompanies an initial explosion of the internal combustion engine; and, when the initial explosion of the internal combustion engine occurs during a shift operation of the speed change device, modifies the torque correction amount in a direction that suppresses a change in the rotational speed of the input member that advances the shift operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignees: Aisin AW Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masakazu Kaifuku, Tooru Matsubara
  • Patent number: 8740747
    Abstract: A control device limiting an input torque to an automatic shifting portion before initiation of an inertia phase in a downshift as compared to a case of not executing the downshift, wherein in an input torque limiting control, if an accelerator variation before a start of the downshift is equal to or less than a predetermined accelerator variation limit, the control device limits the input torque before the initiation of the inertia phase to the input torque at a time of a shifting output commanding the execution of the downshift, and wherein if an accelerator variation before the start of the downshift is greater than the accelerator variation limit, the control device limits the input torque before the initiation of the inertia phase equal to or less than a predetermined input torque limit value larger than the input torque at the time of the shifting output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Tooru Matsubara, Masakazu Kaifuku
  • Patent number: 8696516
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicular drive system having (i) an engine, (ii) an electrically controlled differential portion operative to control an operating state of an electric motor connected to a rotary element of a differential mechanism for power-transmissive state for thereby controlling a differential state between a rotation speed of an input shaft connected to the engine, and a rotation speed of an output shaft, and (iii) a shifting portion forming a part of a power-transmitting mechanism between the electrically controlled differential portion and drive wheels, the control device including high-speed rotation preventing means for preventing high-speed rotations of each rotary elements of both the differential mechanism and the shifting portion, when a drop occurs or drop occurrence is predicted, in a supplied hydraulic pressure applied to a hydraulically operated frictional engaging device of the shifting portion, to a level less than a given value, wherein the high-speed rotation preventing means red
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Shibata, Tooru Matsubara, Atsushi Tabata, Masakazu Kaifuku, Hidenori Kato
  • Patent number: 8655560
    Abstract: A control apparatus and a control method for a vehicular drive apparatus that includes a driving power source, and a power transmission device that transmits power from the driving power source to a drive wheel are provided. It is determined that a malfunction occurs in the power transmission device, when a comparison value remains equal to or above a predetermined value for a predetermined period. The comparison value is obtained by making a comparison between an actual value and a theoretical value that relate to a rotational speed of a predetermined rotational member that constitutes at least a part of the vehicular drive apparatus. The predetermined period is set according to an operating state of the power transmission device. Thus, it is possible to reduce the possibility that it is erroneously determined that a malfunction occurs, and to quickly determine that a malfunction occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tooru Matsubara, Atsushi Tabata, Masakazu Kaifuku, Hidenori Katoh
  • Patent number: 8634978
    Abstract: It is provided a power transmitting apparatus for a vehicle that is disposed in a power transmission path between an engine and driving wheels and that has an electric differential portion whose differential state between an input rotation speed and an output rotation speed is controlled by controlling a driving state through an electric motor coupled to a rotating element of the differential portion, wherein for varying the output rotation speed of the electric differential portion, at a predetermined time point, an amount of divergence between an actual rotation speed and a target rotation speed of the engine is calculated and the target rotation speed of the engine is set such that the amount of divergence converges at a predetermined slope and the convergence of the amount of divergence is delayed compared to that without any control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tooru Matsubara, Atsushi Tabata, Masakazu Kaifuku
  • Patent number: 8591378
    Abstract: A controller for a power transmission system that uses an engine and a motor as driving force sources to transmit power and that includes a transmission unit is provided. The transmission unit has a plurality of engagement devices and establishes a plurality of gears having different speed ratios by the frictional engagement devices. The transmission unit is arranged downstream of the driving force sources. The controller includes a torque transmission capacity setting unit that, when the transmission unit shifts gears, varies torque transmission capacities of the frictional engagement devices on the basis of an operating state of the motor and an operating state of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tooru Matsubara, Atsushi Tabata, Masakazu Kaifuku
  • Publication number: 20130109533
    Abstract: In a downshift of an automatic transmission in a state where an accelerator pedal is depressed, one of a clutch-to-clutch shift in which the shift is carried out by gradually reducing an engagement pressure of a clutch or a brake to be disengaged in the shift and a rotation synchronization shift in which the shift is carried out by reducing the engagement pressure of the clutch or the brake more quickly than in the clutch-to-clutch shift is selected based on an output shaft torque of the automatic transmission, a region where the rotation synchronization shift is selected is lower in output shaft torque than a region where the clutch-to-clutch shift is selected, and hence it is possible to appropriately selectively execute a shift placing emphasis on a shock and a shift placing emphasis on a shift speed in accordance with the output shaft torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2012
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Inventors: Tooru MATSUBARA, Atsushi TABATA, Masakazu KAIFUKU, Yoshiki ANDO
  • Publication number: 20130079961
    Abstract: A hybrid drive system including a rotating electric machine; an input member drive-coupled to an internal combustion engine and the rotating electric machine; an output member drive-coupled to a wheel; a speed change device with a plurality of switchable shift speeds changes the rotational speed of the input member and transmits the changed rotational speed to the output member; and a control device that controls the rotating electric machine. The control device corrects the output torque of the rotating electric machine so as to cancel out a torque fluctuation of the input member that accompanies an initial explosion of the internal combustion engine; and, when the initial explosion of the internal combustion engine occurs during a shift operation of the speed change device, modifies the torque correction amount in a direction that suppresses a change in the rotational speed of the input member that advances the shift operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masakazu Kaifuku, Tooru Matsubara
  • Patent number: 8403807
    Abstract: In a vehicular power transmitting apparatus provided with an electrically-controlled differential portion in which controlling an operating state of an electric motor controls a differential state of a differential mechanism, a control device for starting up a drive force source in an appropriate mode depending on a vehicle condition can be provided. The control device includes drive-force source start control means for switching start modes of an engine depending on a vehicle condition to achieve an appropriate start mode for the engine depending on the vehicle condition, so that for instance a contracted drive range by a second electric motor can be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Tooru Matsubara, Hiroyuki Shibata, Kenta Kumazaki, Yuji Iwase, Masakazu Kaifuku
  • Patent number: 8380409
    Abstract: A vehicle power transmission system has a first electric motor, a differential section, a power interruption element forming part of a power transmission path, a second electric motor connected to a power transmission path, and a control device that maintains the output rotational speed of the differential section at a predetermined constant value or at a value within a predetermined range until the engagement of the power interruption element is completed, so as to control a rotational speed of a primary power source by the first electric motor during the period when the state of the vehicle power transmission system is being switched front a non-drive mode to a drive mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tooru Matsubara, Kenta Kumazaki, Atsushi Tabata, Masakazu Kaifuku
  • Patent number: 8308593
    Abstract: A drive system of a hybrid vehicle, including an engine, a first electric motor, a second electric motor operatively connected to a drive wheel of the hybrid vehicle, and two planetary gear mechanisms, and wherein the two planetary gear mechanisms have at least four rotary elements arranged to permit the drive system to be placed in a selected one of a first operation mode in which the rotary element connected to the engine and the rotary element connected to the first electric motor are disposed on opposite sides of the rotary element connected to the drive wheel and the second electric motor, as seen in a collinear chart in which the four rotary elements are located at respective four different positions along a base line, and a second operation mode in which the rotary element connected to the first electric motor and the rotary element connected to the drive wheel and the second electric motor are disposed on opposite sides of the rotary element connected to the engine, as seen in said collinear chart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenta Kumazaki, Tooru Matsubara, Atsushi Tabata, Keita Imai, Masakazu Kaifuku, Masaki Yoshida, Tatsuya Imamura, Yuji Iwase