Patents by Inventor Masaki Okamura

Masaki Okamura 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: 11198426
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes a first gear mechanism which transmits the power of the internal combustion engine to the motor generator side, while accelerating the power between the internal combustion engine and the motor generator; a second gear mechanism which transmits the power of the motor generator side to a vehicle drive shaft, while decelerating the power between the motor generator and the vehicle drive shaft; a third gear mechanism which transmits the power of the drive motor side to the vehicle drive shaft, while decelerating the power between the drive motor and the vehicle drive shaft; a clutch mechanism which switches connection and disconnection between the drive shaft of the motor generator and the first gear mechanism or the second gear mechanism; and a control device which controls the clutch mechanism. The motor generator is not connected to both the vehicle drive shaft and the internal combustion engine at the same time at the time of normal traveling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kosuke Aiki, Kisaburo Hayakawa, Yoshiaki Ito, Hiroyuki Yamaguchi, Hideto Inagaki, Masaki Okamura
  • Patent number: 11124231
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle including a plurality of wheels, a steering device, and a direction indication system. The steering device is configured to steer the wheels at least either to such a first steering angle that the vehicle travels straight in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction or to such a second steering angle that the vehicle rotates around a vertical axis passing through a central portion of the vehicle body. The direction indication system is configured to, when the steering device steers the wheels to either the first steering angle or the second steering angle, indicate toward the outside of the vehicle body that the vehicle is going to travel straight in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction or that the vehicle is going to rotate around the vertical axis passing through the central portion of the vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Hiroe, Masaki Okamura, Kensuke Yoshizue
  • Patent number: 10744897
    Abstract: A power-supply apparatus includes: an energy storage unit including energy storage modules; switches conducting or shutting off a current and switching a connection state of the storage modules; a voltage control unit switching a voltage of the energy storage unit; drive units, connected to the energy storage unit in series, driving respective external rotating electrical machines; and a capacitor connected to the drive units. Further, the power-supply apparatus includes a control unit that, when the voltage control unit switches the voltages of the energy storage unit, supplies electric power regenerated in the drive units to the capacitor and discharges the capacitor, and after an absolute value of a voltage difference between a post-switching voltage of the energy storage unit and a voltage of the capacitor is less than a predetermined value, controls so that the post-switching voltage of the energy storage unit is applied to the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoyoshi Takamatsu, Yoshihiko Hiroe, Yoshitaka Niimi, Masaki Okamura
  • Publication number: 20200254983
    Abstract: A brake force control system configured to allow a driver to control brake force finely only by operating an accelerator pedal, and to decelerate a vehicle to a target speed only by operating the accelerator pedal. The control system calculates a target deceleration to travel through a target site at a target speed in accordance with a decelerating factor. If a reference deceleration generated by returning the accelerator pedal to an initial position is equal to or less than the target deceleration, the control system increases the reference deceleration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yusuke SUZUKI, Masaki OKAMURA, Junichi MURASE, Fumito ITOH
  • Publication number: 20200189656
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle including a plurality of wheels, a steering device, and a direction indication system. The steering device is configured to steer the wheels at least either to such a first steering angle that the vehicle travels straight in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction or to such a second steering angle that the vehicle rotates around a vertical axis passing through a central portion of the vehicle body. The direction indication system is configured to, when the steering device steers the wheels to either the first steering angle or the second steering angle, indicate toward the outside of the vehicle body that the vehicle is going to travel straight in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction or that the vehicle is going to rotate around the vertical axis passing through the central portion of the vehicle body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshihiko HIROE, Masaki OKAMURA, Kensuke YOSHIZUE
  • Patent number: 10556593
    Abstract: A series hybrid vehicle is equipped with an engine, a first motor generator, and a second motor generator. The vehicle has a reduction gear that is a first power transmission mechanism for engaging the engine with the first motor generator, a reduction gear that is a second power transmission mechanism for engaging the first motor generator with a vehicle drive shaft, and a clutch that is capable of engaging the first motor generator with one of the two reduction gears in a switching manner. The vehicle further has a transmission that switches between transmission gear ratios and engages the second motor generator with the vehicle drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Ito, Kosuke Aiki, Kisaburo Hayakawa, Hiroyuki Yamaguchi, Hideto Inagaki, Masaki Okamura
  • Patent number: 10491122
    Abstract: A relative maximum point and a relative minimum point, are provided in a first reactor current and a second reactor current within one control cycle as a result of control of on and off of switching elements. At least one of the inflection points in the first and second reactor currents, a plurality of switching elements to simultaneously be turned on or and off are controlled to be turned on or off in a prescribed order with a time lag being set. At the inflection point with the time lag being set, a switching loss is produced in a switching element turned on later or a switching element turned on earlier in accordance with the prescribed order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeaki Goto, Shuji Tomura, Naoki Yanagizawa, Masaki Okamura, Naoyoshi Takamatsu
  • Patent number: 10483853
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter may include a first lower FET and a first upper FET connected in series between a high potential output wiring and a low potential wiring, and a second lower FET and a second upper FET connected in series between the high potential output wiring and the low potential wiring. Diodes may be connected to the upper FETs in parallel. A main reactor may be connected to the high potential input wiring. A first sub-reactor may be connected between the main reactor and the first lower FET. A second sub-reactor may be connected between the main reactor and the second lower FET. The first upper FET and the second upper FET are not turned on during a zero-cross mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ken Toshiyuki, Masaki Okamura
  • Patent number: 10363831
    Abstract: A power system has a first converter; a second converter; a first controller for generating a first command and a second command, controlling the first converter on the basis of the first command, and transmitting the second command to a second controller; and the second controller for controlling the second converter on the basis of the second command. The first controller adjusts the first command to cancel at least one of shortage and excess of second current by first current. The second controller controls the second converter on the basis of the second command when the first command is smaller than first upper limit. The second controller controls the second converter on the basis of second upper limit when the first command reaches the first upper limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yamakawa, Masaki Okamura
  • Publication number: 20190217853
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes a first gear mechanism which transmits the power of the internal combustion engine to the motor generator side, while accelerating the power between the internal combustion engine and the motor generator; a second gear mechanism which transmits the power of the motor generator side to a vehicle drive shaft, while decelerating the power between the motor generator and the vehicle drive shaft; a third gear mechanism which transmits the power of the drive motor side to the vehicle drive shaft, while decelerating the power between the drive motor and the vehicle drive shaft; a clutch mechanism which switches connection and disconnection between the drive shaft of the motor generator and the first gear mechanism or the second gear mechanism; and a control device which controls the clutch mechanism. The motor generator is not connected to both the vehicle drive shaft and the internal combustion engine at the same time at the time of normal traveling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kosuke AIKI, Kisaburo HAYAKAWA, Yoshiaki ITO, Hiroyuki YAMAGUCHI, Hideto INAGAKI, Masaki OKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20190168761
    Abstract: A series hybrid vehicle is equipped with an engine, a first motor generator, and a second motor generator. The vehicle has a reduction gear that is a first power transmission mechanism for engaging the engine with the first motor generator, a reduction gear that is a second power transmission mechanism for engaging the first motor generator with a vehicle drive shaft, and a clutch that is capable of engaging the first motor generator with one of the two reduction gears in a switching manner. The vehicle further has a transmission that switches between transmission gear ratios and engages the second motor generator with the vehicle drive shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiaki ITO, Kosuke AIKI, Kisaburo HAYAKAWA, Hiroyuki YAMAGUCHI, Hideto INAGAKI, Masaki OKAMURA
  • Patent number: 10250171
    Abstract: An electric motor control apparatus controls an electric motor system that includes a power converter including switching elements and a three-phase alternating-current motor. The electric motor control apparatus includes generating devices for generating modulation signals by respectively adding corresponding triple harmonic signals to phase voltage command signals and a control device for controlling switching elements on the basis of a magnitude relation between each of the modulation signals and a carrier signal. Each of the triple harmonic signals includes a signal component that increases the absolute value of a peak value of a signal level of the corresponding modulation signal above the absolute value of a peak value of a signal level of the carrier signal in a corresponding one of phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yamakawa, Masaki Okamura, Naoyoshi Takamatsu
  • Publication number: 20190089169
    Abstract: A power supply device includes 1 to N-th power storage modules, a first switch group, a second switch group, and a third switch group. 1st to N-th first switch mechanisms are connected respectively between the 1st to N-th power storage modules and the positive electrode-side input output unit. 1st to N-th second switch mechanisms are connected respectively between the 1st to N-th power storage modules and the negative electrode-side input output unit. 1st to N-1-th third switch mechanisms are connected respectively between positive electrodes of the 1st to N-1-th power storage modules and negative electrodes of the 2nd to N-th power storage modules. An N-th third switch mechanism is connected between a positive electrode of an N-th power storage module and a negative electrode of the 1st power storage module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki OKAMURA, Yoshihiko HIROE, Naoyoshi TAKAMATSU, Yoshitaka NIIMI
  • Publication number: 20190089253
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter may include a first lower FET and a first upper FET connected in series between a high potential output wiring and a low potential wiring, and a second lower FET and a second upper FET connected in series between the high potential output wiring and the low potential wiring. Diodes may be connected to the upper FETs in parallel. A main reactor may be connected to the high potential input wiring. A first sub-reactor may be connected between the main reactor and the first lower FET. A second sub-reactor may be connected between the main reactor and the second lower FET. The first upper FET and the second upper FET are not turned on during a zero-cross mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ken TOSHIYUKI, Masaki OKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20190084438
    Abstract: A power-supply apparatus includes: an energy storage unit including energy storage modules; switches conducting or shutting off a current and switching a connection state of the storage modules; a voltage control unit switching a voltage of the energy storage unit; drive units, connected to the energy storage unit in series, driving respective external rotating electrical machines; and a capacitor connected to the drive units. Further, the power-supply apparatus includes a control unit that, when the voltage control unit switches the voltages of the energy storage unit, supplies electric power regenerated in the drive units to the capacitor and discharges the capacitor, and after an absolute value of a voltage difference between a post-switching voltage of the energy storage unit and a voltage of the capacitor is less than a predetermined value, controls so that the post-switching voltage of the energy storage unit is applied to the capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoyoshi TAKAMATSU, Yoshihiko HIROE, Yoshitaka NIIMI, Masaki OKAMURA
  • Patent number: 10232807
    Abstract: A control apparatus for the boost converter to reduce the total loss is proposed. The control apparatus for the boost converter which controls the boost converter in a power system, the system has a DC power source having source voltage; the boost converter including a switching device and boosting the source voltage by predetermined boost control including change of switching state of the switching device based on boost instruction voltage and outputs the boosted voltage to a load apparatus; and a voltage detecting device detecting output voltage of the boost converter, the control apparatus has: a boost controlling device performing the boost control; and an intermittent controlling device performing intermittent process of the boost control based on the detected output voltage to keep the output voltage within range including the boost instruction voltage which is used when the last boost control is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki Okamura, Naoyoshi Takamatsu, Kosuke Hirano
  • Patent number: 10224857
    Abstract: Provided is a motor controller that controls a motor system including: a power converter, a smoothing capacitor, a three-phase AC motor, and a current sensor. The motor controller is provided with an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit specifies a target phase that is a phase of a second phase voltage command signal having a largest difference from a first phase voltage command signal having a signal level that is neither a maximum nor a minimum signal level, based on three phase voltage command signals generated from the detection value of the current sensor, and corrects the detection value of the current sensor, which detects the phase current of the target phase, such that a terminal voltage of the smoothing capacitor matches the desired voltage value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yamakawa, Masaki Okamura, Naoyoshi Takamatsu
  • Patent number: 10199155
    Abstract: A core has first to third magnetic leg portions. First and second windings wound on the first and second magnetic leg portions, respectively, are connected in series to constitute a first reactor. A third winding wound on the third magnetic leg portion constitutes a second reactor. A magnetic field produced from the first reactor and a magnetic field produced from the second reactor reinforce each other in the second magnetic leg portion, but weaken each other in the first magnetic leg portion. In accordance with increase in currents, the operation of the first and second reactors changes from a magnetically uncoupled mode in which the first and second reactors operate in a magnetically non-interfering state to a magnetically coupled mode in which the first and second reactors operate in a magnetically interfering state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA CHUO KENKYUSHO, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masanori Ishigaki, Shuji Tomura, Naoki Yanagizawa, Masaki Okamura, Naoyoshi Takamatsu
  • Patent number: 10170988
    Abstract: An operation mode selection unit selects an operation mode of a power converter and generates a mode selection signal indicating the result of selection, in accordance with a load condition and a power supply condition. An operation mode switching control unit generates a mode control signal designating an operation mode of the power converter. When the operation mode currently selected by the mode control signal is different from an operation mode indicated by the mode selection signal, the operation mode switching control unit adjusts a power distribution ratio between a plurality of DC power supplies or an output voltage on an electric power line so as not to change abruptly, and then permits a transition of operation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masanori Ishigaki, Shuji Tomura, Naoki Yanagizawa, Masaki Okamura
  • Patent number: 10164551
    Abstract: A boost control apparatus is provided with: a controlling device configured (i) to perform first duty control by a first control parameter if output current that flows through a reactor is not near zero, and (ii) to perform second duty control by a second control parameter if the output current is near zero, during one-side element control for driving only one of a first switching element and a second switching element, each of which is connected to a reactor in series. A rate calculating device is provided that is configured to calculate a change rate of the output current to a change amount of a duty value in the first duty control and the second duty control. A control determining device is also provided that is configured to control the controlling device to perform the second duty control regardless of the output current, if the change rate is less than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yamakawa, Masaki Okamura, Naoyoshi Takamatsu