Patents by Inventor Masasumi Kitou

Masasumi Kitou 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: 7849986
    Abstract: The hydraulic pressure control apparatus includes an upstream control valve, a downstream control valve, a hydraulic pressure sensor, and a controller. The upstream control valve is provided between a hydraulic pressure source and a hydraulic pressure device. The downstream control valve is disposed between the upstream control valve and the hydraulic pressure device. The hydraulic pressure sensor is configured and arranged to detect the hydraulic pressure on a downstream side of the downstream control valve. The controller is configured to control the upstream control valve and the downstream control valve based on an upstream pressure command value and a downstream pressure command value, respectively. The controller is further configured to detect an abnormality in the upstream control valve based on the hydraulic pressure detected by the hydraulic pressure sensor when the downstream pressure command value is set to be equal to or greater than the upstream pressure command value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masasumi Kitou, Makoto Futamura
  • Patent number: 7757577
    Abstract: A position detecting device is basically provided with a control section, a detecting section and a setting section. The control section repeatedly controls a gear connecting mechanism in a vehicle transmission to selectively perform a gear connecting operation to obtain a selected gear range and a gear releasing operation to release the selected gear range after the gear connecting operation has been performed. The detecting section detects a position of a connecting member of the gear connecting mechanism after the gear connecting operation has been performed. The setting section sets a shift completion position at which connecting of the selected gear range is determined to be completed based on a plurality of positions of the connecting member of the gear connecting mechanism detected by the detecting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Kawamoto, Makoto Futamura, Masasumi Kitou
  • Patent number: 7624659
    Abstract: An automated manual transmission to which a shift position sensor of the present invention is practically applied has a hydraulic shift actuator that includes a cylinder and a piston that moves in the cylinder in accordance with a speed change operation of the transmission. The shift position sensor comprises a magnet mounted in the piston to move therewith, and a magnaflux detector mounted to a fixed member of the transmission near the hydraulic shift actuator to detect a magnaflux produced by the magnet. The cylinder is so constructed as to cover the magnet even when the piston is subjected to a stroke in the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Aichi Machine Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Futamura, Masasumi Kitou
  • Patent number: 7494442
    Abstract: There is provided a shift control device for an automated manual transmission having power transmission lines equipped with respective start clutches and gears. The shift control device includes clutch actuation mechanisms and a transmission shift controller that causes the clutch actuation mechanisms to regulate the clutch engagement forces applied to the start clutches so as to perform clutch changeover upon gear selection for a desired gear range in response to a transmission shift command. Each of the clutch actuation mechanisms has primary and secondary clutch engagement force regulation units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Aichi Machine Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Futamura, Masasumi Kitou
  • Publication number: 20080006029
    Abstract: The hydraulic pressure control apparatus includes an upstream control valve, a downstream control valve, a hydraulic pressure sensor, and a controller. The upstream control valve is provided between a hydraulic pressure source and a hydraulic pressure device. The downstream control valve is disposed between the upstream control valve and the hydraulic pressure device. The hydraulic pressure sensor is configured and arranged to detect the hydraulic pressure on a downstream side of the downstream control valve. The controller is configured to control the upstream control valve and the downstream control valve based on an upstream pressure command value and a downstream pressure command value, respectively. The controller is further configured to detect an abnormality in the upstream control valve based on the hydraulic pressure detected by the hydraulic pressure sensor when the downstream pressure command value is set to be equal to or greater than the upstream pressure command value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masasumi KITOU, Makoto FUTAMURA
  • Publication number: 20070272046
    Abstract: A position detecting device is basically provided with a control section, a detecting section and a setting section. The control section repeatedly controls a gear connecting mechanism in a vehicle transmission to selectively perform a gear connecting operation to obtain a selected gear range and a gear releasing operation to release the selected gear range after the gear connecting operation has been performed. The detecting section detects a position of a connecting member of the gear connecting mechanism after the gear connecting operation has been performed. The setting section sets a shift completion position at which connecting of the selected gear range is determined to be completed based on a plurality of positions of the connecting member of the gear connecting mechanism detected by the detecting section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshinobu KAWAMOTO, Makoto FUTAMURA, Masasumi KITOU
  • Publication number: 20070028709
    Abstract: An automated manual transmission to which a shift position sensor of the present invention is practically applied has a hydraulic shift actuator that includes a cylinder and a piston that moves in the cylinder in accordance with a speed change operation of the transmission. The shift position sensor comprises a magnet mounted in the piston to move therewith, and a magnaflux detector mounted to a fixed member of the transmission near the hydraulic shift actuator to detect a magnaflux produced by the magnet. The cylinder is so constructed as to cover the magnet even when the piston is subjected to a stroke in the cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Inventors: Makoto Futamura, Masasumi Kitou
  • Publication number: 20070028708
    Abstract: There is provided a shift control device for an automated manual transmission having power transmission lines equipped with respective start clutches and gears. The shift control device includes clutch actuation mechanisms and a transmission shift controller that causes the clutch actuation mechanisms to regulate the clutch engagement forces applied to the start clutches so as to perform clutch changeover upon gear selection for a desired gear range in response to a transmission shift command. Each of the clutch actuation mechanisms has primary and secondary clutch engagement force regulation units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Inventors: Makoto Futamura, Masasumi Kitou