Patents by Inventor Masatake Ichikawa

Masatake Ichikawa 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: 8924107
    Abstract: A control device for an automatic transmission mounted on a vehicle to establish a plurality of shift speeds by engaging engagement elements that need to be engaged for each shift speed. The control device includes a target shift speed setting device, a during-travel neutral control device and a prediction control device. The prediction control device takes action when a predicted prechange time becomes equal to or less than a predetermined time while the automatic transmission is in the neutral state, the predicted prechange time being a time predicted on the basis of variations in vehicle speed and being a time before implementation of a change of the target shift speed that involves changing the particular engagement element from a disengaged state to an engaged state in order to maintain the neutral state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masatake Ichikawa, Yutaka Teraoka, Hiroyasu Amano
  • Patent number: 8886435
    Abstract: A lock-up device supplies hydraulic pressure to a lock-up clutch when lock-up capacity becomes insufficient with increasing accelerator operation amount during slip control. The lock-up device (1) sets a hydraulic unit pressure command value corresponding to drive source torque so rotational speed difference becomes target slip speed when a variation in accelerator operation amount is in a predefined range, and deriving an estimated drive source output torque corresponding to the accelerator operation amount to set the pressure command value corresponding to the estimated drive source torque so the rotational speed difference becomes target slip speed when accelerator operation amount variation exceeds the range's upper limit, and (2) controls the hydraulic unit to supply hydraulic pressure corresponding to hydraulic pressure command value to the lock-up clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Nagami, Masatake Ichikawa, Makoto Hashizume
  • Patent number: 8880310
    Abstract: If it is determined that a D range is in use and determined that a vehicle is stopped, neutral control means (25) commands and controls an engagement pressure of a clutch (C-1) so as to achieve a state in which a piston of the clutch (C-1) contacts a clutch drum by a biasing force of a spring, and a state in which oil fills an oil passage from a linear solenoid valve (SLC1) to a hydraulic oil chamber and fills the hydraulic oil chamber. There is thus no drag loss in the clutch (C-1) during a neutral control, and the same fuel economy as when, for example, a manual shift to the neutral range is made can be achieved during the neutral control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tsutsui, Yutaka Teraoka, Masatake Ichikawa, Shoji Omitsu
  • Patent number: 8725373
    Abstract: A control apparatus of an automatic transmission including a start intended operation detecting unit detecting a vehicle starting operation; and a clutch control unit engaging the clutch from the clutch disengaged state and the automatic speed change mechanism is placed in a neutral state, when the vehicle starting operation is detected. The clutch control unit includes an initial engagement control unit performing initial engagement control that starts frictional contact of the clutch by supplying hydraulic pressure to a hydraulic servo of the clutch, and a slip start control unit establishing a speed ratio of the automatic speed change mechanism at the start by slip-controlling the clutch after the initial engagement control is terminated, thereby increasing output shaft rotational speed of the automatic speed change mechanism without reducing the input shaft rotational speed of the automatic speed change mechanism to less than the input shaft rotational speed at the end of initial engagement control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tsutsui, Yutaka Teraoka, Masatake Ichikawa, Shoji Omitsu
  • Patent number: 8682552
    Abstract: A control apparatus of an automatic transmission having an automatic speed change mechanism for changing a driving source speed of rotation and a clutch engaged at a start, a fluid transmission apparatus between the driving source and the automatic speed change mechanism, and a lock-up clutch for locking up the fluid transmission apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tsutsui, Yutaka Teraoka, Masatake Ichikawa, Shoji Omitsu
  • Publication number: 20130261910
    Abstract: A control device for an automatic transmission mounted on a vehicle to establish a plurality of shift speeds by engaging engagement elements that need to be engaged for each shift speed. The control device includes a target shift speed setting means, a during-travel neutral control means, and a prediction control means. The prediction control means takes action when a predicted prechange time becomes equal to or less than a predetermined time while the automatic transmission is in the neutral state, the predicted prechange time being a time predicted on the basis of variations in vehicle speed and being a time before implementation of a change of the target shift speed that involves changing the particular engagement element from a disengaged state to an engaged state in order to maintain the neutral state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Inventors: Masatake ICHIKAWA, Yutaka TERAOKA, Hiroyasu AMANO
  • Patent number: 8521381
    Abstract: A device with a stepped automatic transmission to transfer power from a power source to an axle using changeable shift speeds includes an input-side fluid transmission element connected to the power source, an output-side fluid transmission element connected to the transmission input shaft, a lock-up clutch engaging and disengaging the input-side and the output-side fluid transmission elements; a unit adjusting the lock-up clutch; a unit setting, when a downshift is to be performed in response to a predetermined request for a large drive force, a predetermined target slip speed value larger than a non-shifting-time value before a rotational speed of the power source exceeds a input shaft rotational speed after the downshift, and setting the target slip speed to decrease toward the non-shifting-time value along with lapse of time after the power source rotational speed source exceeds the post-shifting input shaft speed; and a unit controlling the engagement force so the slip speed becomes the set target slip s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Fujiwara, Hiromasa Takai, Masatake Ichikawa, Yutaka Teraoka, Hiroshi Tsutsui
  • Patent number: 8394001
    Abstract: A control device controlling a vehicle's automatic transmission. The automatic transmission engages first and second friction engagement elements by fluid pressure from a pump operating using motive power from the vehicle's motor when a shift position is at a reverse traveling position, places the first friction engagement element on standby at a predetermined pressure that is higher than a stroke starting pressure by which a piston stroke is started and lower than a complete engagement pressure or engages the first friction engagement at the complete engagement pressure when the shift position is at a non-traveling position, and engages a third friction engagement element as a starting shift speed when the shift position is at a forward traveling position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tsutsui, Yutaka Teraoka, Keishi Morita, Hiroyuki Fujioka, Hiroyasu Amano, Masatake Ichikawa, Tetsuya Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20120143453
    Abstract: A lock-up device supplies hydraulic pressure to a lock-up clutch when lock-up capacity becomes insufficient with increasing accelerator operation amount during slip control. The lock-up device (1) sets a hydraulic unit pressure command value corresponding to drive source torque so rotational speed difference becomes target slip speed when a variation in accelerator operation amount is in a predefined range, and deriving an estimated drive source output torque corresponding to the accelerator operation amount to set the pressure command value corresponding to the estimated drive source torque so the rotational speed difference becomes target slip speed when accelerator operation amount variation exceeds the range's upper limit, and (2) controls the hydraulic unit to supply hydraulic pressure corresponding to hydraulic pressure command value to the lock-up clutch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi NAGAMI, Masatake ICHIKAWA, Makoto HASHIZUME
  • Patent number: 8142320
    Abstract: A shift control apparatus that disconnects and connects respective pairs of friction engagement elements during downshift to a speed spaced apart by two or more steps through an intermediate shift speed. A shift controller controls a hydraulic pressure of a second shift release element by feedback control, and in accordance with the increase in the torque capacity of the second shift release element, also controls the torque capacity of a first shift engagement element so as to be sufficiently higher than the amount of change in the torque capacity of the second shift release element. The occurrence of adverse consequences in which a shift shock is generated is effectively suppressed because a sufficient reaction force cannot be ensured during engagement switching due to insufficient torque capacity of the first shift engagement element, and since the second shift release element cannot be appropriately feedback-controlled, difficulty in control of rotation change results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Morimoto, Haruki Sato, Masatake Ichikawa, Hiroshi Tsutsui
  • Publication number: 20110257856
    Abstract: A control apparatus of an automatic transmission including a start intended operation detecting unit detecting a vehicle starting operation; and a clutch control unit engaging the clutch from the clutch disengaged state and the automatic speed change mechanism is placed in a neutral state, when the vehicle starting operation is detected. The clutch control unit includes an initial engagement control unit performing initial engagement control that starts frictional contact of the clutch by supplying hydraulic pressure to a hydraulic servo of the clutch, and a slip start control unit establishing a speed ratio of the automatic speed change mechanism at the start by slip-controlling the clutch after the initial engagement control is terminated, thereby increasing output shaft rotational speed of the automatic speed change mechanism without reducing the input shaft rotational speed of the automatic speed change mechanism to less than the input shaft rotational speed at the end of initial engagement control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi TSUTSUI, Yutaka TERAOKA, Masatake ICHIKAWA, Shoji OMITSU
  • Publication number: 20110251767
    Abstract: If it is determined that a D range is in use and determined that a vehicle is stopped, neutral control means (25) commands and controls an engagement pressure of a clutch (C-1) so as to achieve a state in which a piston of the clutch (C-1) contacts a clutch drum by a biasing force of a spring, and a state in which oil fills an oil passage from a linear solenoid valve (SLC1) to a hydraulic oil chamber and fills the hydraulic oil chamber. There is thus no drag loss in the clutch (C-1) during a neutral control, and the same fuel economy as when, for example, a manual shift to the neutral range is made can be achieved during the neutral control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi TSUTSUI, Yutaka Teraoka, Masatake Ichikawa, Shoji Omitsu
  • Publication number: 20110246036
    Abstract: A control apparatus of an automatic transmission having an automatic speed change mechanism for changing a driving source speed of rotation and a clutch engaged at a start, a fluid transmission apparatus between the driving source and the automatic speed change mechanism, and a lock-up clutch for locking up the fluid transmission apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi TSUTSUI, Yutaka Teraoka, Masatake Ichikawa, Shoji Omitsu
  • Publication number: 20110246034
    Abstract: A device with a stepped automatic transmission to transfer power from a power source to an axle using changeable shift speeds includes an input-side fluid transmission element connected to the power source, an output-side fluid transmission element connected to the transmission input shaft, a lock-up clutch engaging and disengaging the input-side and the output-side fluid transmission elements; a unit adjusting the lock-up clutch; a unit setting, when a downshift is to be performed in response to a predetermined request for a large drive force, a predetermined target slip speed value larger than a non-shifting-time value before a rotational speed of the power source exceeds a input shaft rotational speed after the downshift, and setting the target slip speed to decrease toward the non-shifting-time value along with lapse of time after the power source rotational speed source exceeds the post-shifting input shaft speed; and a unit controlling the engagement force so the slip speed becomes the set target slip s
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro FUJIWARA, Hiromasa Takai, Masatake Ichikawa, Yutaka Teraoka, Hiroshi Tsutsui
  • Publication number: 20110245005
    Abstract: A control device controlling a vehicle's automatic transmission. The automatic transmission engages first and second friction engagement elements by fluid pressure from a pump operating using motive power from the vehicle's motor when a shift position is at a reverse traveling position, places the first friction engagement element on standby at a predetermined pressure that is higher than a stroke starting pressure by which a piston stroke is started and lower than a complete engagement pressure or engages the first friction engagement at the complete engagement pressure when the shift position is at a non-traveling position, and engages a third friction engagement element as a starting shift speed when the shift position is at a forward traveling position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tsutsui, Yutaka Teraoka, Keishi Morita, Hiroyuki Fujioka, Hiroyasu Amano, Masatake Ichikawa, Tetsuya Shimizu
  • Patent number: 7841455
    Abstract: In clutch-to-clutch upshifting, the occurrence of inertia shock is suppressed while racing of the engine is prevented. Corresponding to a first sweep control in which an engaging-side pressure sweeps up toward a target hydraulic pressure PTA, a releasing-side hydraulic pressure PB sweeps down as an initial control. When the releasing-side hydraulic pressure PB becomes a minute torque capacity [fPB(0)+PKEEP+PLS2T], a hold control, which has a very low gradient ?PB, is started so that the pressure is substantially held, and, after a rotation change is started, the pressure sweeps down with a low gradient ?PE2 until release.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Maki, Hitoshi Asano, Masatake Ichikawa, Hiroshi Tsutsui
  • Publication number: 20090170650
    Abstract: A shift control apparatus that disconnects and connects respective pairs of friction engagement elements during downshift to a speed spaced apart by two or more steps through an intermediate shift speed. A shift controller controls a hydraulic pressure of a second shift release element by feedback control, and in accordance with the increase in the torque capacity of the second shift release element, also controls the torque capacity of a first shift engagement element so as to be sufficiently higher than the amount of change in the torque capacity of the second shift release element. The occurrence of adverse consequences in which a shift shock is generated is effectively suppressed because a sufficient reaction force cannot be ensured during engagement switching due to insufficient torque capacity of the first shift engagement element, and since the second shift release element cannot be appropriately feedback-controlled, difficulty in control of rotation change results.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro MORIMOTO, Haruki Sato, Masatake Ichikawa, Hiroshi Tsutsui
  • Publication number: 20080032861
    Abstract: In clutch-to-clutch upshifting, the occurrence of inertia shock is suppressed while racing of the engine is prevented. Corresponding to the first sweep control in which the engaging-side pressure sweeps up toward a target hydraulic pressure PTA, the releasing-side hydraulic pressure PB sweeps down as the initial control. When the releasing-side hydraulic pressure PB becomes a minute torque capacity [fPB(0)+PKEEP+PLS2T], the hold control, which has a very low gradient ?PB, is started so that the pressure is substantially held, and, after the rotation change is started, the pressure sweeps down with a low gradient ?PE2 until release.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Publication date: February 7, 2008
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshinori MAKI, Hitoshi Asano, Masatake Ichikawa, Hiroshi Tsutsui
  • Patent number: 6955629
    Abstract: A shift control apparatus has first, second, third and fourth engagement elements, and a shift control processing unit engaging the first and the second engagement elements in order to realize a first shift speed, engaging the third and the fourth engagement in order to realize a second shift speed, and inhibiting an increase in torque capacity of one of the first and second engagement elements before starting of release of the second engagement element when shifting from the first to the second shift speed. During shifting from the first to the second shift speed, an increase in torque capacity of one of the first and second engagement elements is inhibited before starting of release of the second engagement element. This prevents a step-like shift shock from being caused by the slowed progression of shifting when release of the second engagement element is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Nishida, Hiroshi Tsutsui, Kouichi Kojima, Yutaka Teraoka, Masatake Ichikawa, Hidekazu Funakoshi
  • Publication number: 20030220170
    Abstract: A shift control apparatus has first, second, third and fourth engagement elements, and a shift control processing unit engaging the first and the second engagement elements in order to realize a first shift speed, engaging the third and the fourth engagement in order to realize a second shift speed, and inhibiting an increase in torque capacity of one of the first and second engagement elements before starting of release of the second engagement element when shifting from the first to the second shift speed. During shifting from the first to the second shift speed, an increase in torque capacity of one of the first and second engagement elements is inhibited before starting of release of the second engagement element. This prevents a step-like shift shock from being caused by the slowed progression of shifting when release of the second engagement element is started.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2003
    Publication date: November 27, 2003
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaaki Nishida, Hiroshi Tsutsui, Kouichi Kojima, Yutaka Teraoka, Masatake Ichikawa, Hidekazu Funakoshi