Patents by Inventor Masami Aga
Masami Aga 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).
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Patent number: 6697726Abstract: A rolling control apparatus and method for controlling rolling of a vehicle controls braking force applied to at least one wheel of the vehicle. The apparatus and method set a target roll angle of the vehicle based on a rolling state of the vehicle, calculate a total control quantity for achieving the target roll angle, based on a running condition of the vehicle, and control the braking force applied to each wheel of the vehicle, based on the total control quantity.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2001Date of Patent: February 24, 2004Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masashi Takagi, Masami Aga, Tatsuaki Yokoyama
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Patent number: 6694225Abstract: A rollover determining apparatus and methods for determining whether a vehicle is about to roll over distinguishes a type of rollover that is likely to occur to the vehicle based on the lateral acceleration of the vehicle and the roll angle of the vehicle. Moreover, a determination is made whether the state of the vehicle indicated by a first quantity corresponding to the distinguished type of rollover is in a rollover region determined by a predetermined threshold line. The apparatus and methods can also change the threshold line in accordance with the magnitude of second quantity that is different from the first quantity and that corresponds to the distinguished type of rollover.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2001Date of Patent: February 17, 2004Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masami Aga, Makoto Sekizuka, Shuichi Ishimoto, Motomi Iyoda, Tomoki Nagao
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Patent number: 6650981Abstract: Control systems and methods for controlling a vehicle-occupant protecting apparatus that includes two vehicle-occupant protecting devices which are disposed on respective right and left sides of an automotive vehicle, are operable to determine whether the vehicle has a rollover motion, on the basis of a physical quantity or quantities indicative of a running condition of the vehicle, and, upon determination that the vehicle has said rollover motion, to operate only the vehicle-occupant protecting device(s) located on a rolling side of the vehicle. When the detected rollover motion is expected to develop into a serious rollover motion, non-rolling-side vehicle-occupant protecting device(s) is located on a non-rolling side of the vehicle is operated. Thus, the control system and method permit adequate operations of the vehicle-occupant protecting devices depending upon the rollover state of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2001Date of Patent: November 18, 2003Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Makoto Sekizuka, Shuichi Ishimoto, Koichi Fujita, Yoichi Kozuru, Masami Aga
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Patent number: 6618663Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling a behavior of a vehicle apply a braking force to at least one predetermined wheel of the vehicle when the vehicle undergoes an undesirable behavior, such as a spin or a drift-out. The apparatus and method control a rate of reduction of the braking force to be smaller with an increase in a degree of deceleration of the vehicle caused by application of the braking force to the predetermined wheel.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2001Date of Patent: September 9, 2003Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Masami Aga
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Publication number: 20030036840Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling a behavior of a vehicle apply a braking force to at least one predetermined wheel of the vehicle when the vehicle undergoes an undesirable behavior, such as a spin or a drift-out. The apparatus and method control a rate of reduction of the braking force to be smaller with an increase in a degree of deceleration of the vehicle caused by application of the braking force to the predetermined wheel.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2001Publication date: February 20, 2003Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Masami Aga
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Publication number: 20020087243Abstract: Control systems and methods for controlling a vehicle-occupant protecting apparatus that includes two vehicle-occupant protecting devices which are disposed on respective right and left sides of an automotive vehicle, are operable to determine whether the vehicle has a rollover motion, on the basis of a physical quantity or quantities indicative of a running condition of the vehicle, and, upon determination that the vehicle has said rollover motion, to operate only the vehicle-occupant protecting device(s) located on a rolling side of the vehicle. When the detected rollover motion is expected to develop into a serious rollover motion, non-rolling-side vehicle-occupant protecting device(s) is located on a non-rolling side of the vehicle is operated. Thus, the control system and method permit adequate operations of the vehicle-occupant protecting devices depending upon the rollover state of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2001Publication date: July 4, 2002Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Makoto Sekizuka, Shuichi Ishimoto, Koichi Fujita, Yoichi Kozuru, Masami Aga
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Publication number: 20020087235Abstract: A rollover determining apparatus and methods for determining whether a vehicle is about to roll over distinguishes a type of rollover that is likely to occur to the vehicle based on the lateral acceleration of the vehicle and the roll angle of the vehicle. Moreover, a determination is made whether the state of the vehicle indicated by a first quantity corresponding to the distinguished type of rollover is in a rollover region determined by a predetermined threshold line. The apparatus and methods can also change the threshold line in accordance with the magnitude of second quantity that is different from the first quantity and that corresponds to the distinguished type of rollover.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2001Publication date: July 4, 2002Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masami Aga, Makoto Sekizuka, Shuichi Ishimoto, Motomi Iyoda, Tomoki Nagao
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Publication number: 20020059023Abstract: A rolling control apparatus and method for controlling rolling of a vehicle controls braking force applied to at least one wheel of the vehicle. The apparatus and method set a target roll angle of the vehicle based on a rolling state of the vehicle, calculate a total control quantity for achieving the target roll angle, based on a running condition of the vehicle, and control the braking force applied to each wheel of the vehicle, based on the total control quantity.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2001Publication date: May 16, 2002Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masashi Takagi, Masami Aga, Tatsuaki Yokoyama
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Patent number: 6017102Abstract: An automatic-braking control system for a motor vehicle, wherein an obstacle ahead of the vehicle is sensed so as to automatically brake the vehicle. In a case where the vehicle has been brought into a substantially stopped state by the automatic braking, a braking force for keeping the stopped state of the vehicle is determined, and the vehicle is subjected to a braking control with the determined braking force. In a case where the vehicle has resumed its drive and has reached a vehicle speed of predetermined value, the braking force is released. Thus, the vehicle is permitted to be driven as intended by the driver thereof.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1997Date of Patent: January 25, 2000Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Masami Aga
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Patent number: 5060743Abstract: A four-wheel steering system for an automotive vehicle includes a front wheel steering mechanism operable in response to a steering effort applied thereto to steer a pair of dirigible front road wheels, a rear wheel steering mechanism arranged to steer a pair of dirigible rear road wheels in response to steerage of the front road wheels, and a control apparatus arranged to control the rear wheel steering mechanism in such a manner that the rear road wheels are retained in their neutral positions when the front road wheels are steered at an angle less than a predetermined small angle and that the rear road wheels are steered in an opposite direction relative to the front road wheels when the front road wheels are steered at a larger angle than the predetermined small angle.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 1989Date of Patent: October 29, 1991Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Susumu Oda, Masami Aga, Takashi Kajiwara, Naoki Tajima, deceased