Patents by Inventor Mineharu Shibata

Mineharu Shibata 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: 5893041
    Abstract: A suspension apparatus for vehicles capable of changing the characteristic of the suspension by controlling supply/release of fluid into/from hydraulic cylinders which are respectively provided between a vehicle body and-at least two wheels provided on the right and left side of the vehicle body. The suspension apparatus includes a pressure detection sensor for detecting a pressure in the hydraulic cylinders and an acceleration detection sensor for detecting a lateral acceleration signal of the vehicle body. A target pressure difference is set to control supply/release of the fluid into/from the right and left cylinders based on the detected pressure differences of the right and left cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1999
    Assignees: Naldec Corp., Mazda Motor Corp.
    Inventors: Mineharu Shibata, Shin Takehara
  • Patent number: 5587907
    Abstract: A suspension apparatus for vehicles capable of changing a characteristic of suspension by controlling supply/release of fluid into/from hydraulic cylinders which are respectively provided between a vehicle body and each wheel. The apparatus detects vehicle height signals at a plurality of positions and extracts at least a bouncing component signal and a rolling component signal from vehicle-height signals detected by the plurality of vehicle-height sensors. Each of the bouncing component signal and rolling component signals are filtered and are used to control supply/release of fluid into/from hydraulic cylinders based on the filtered signals. A cut-off frequency for the rolling component signal set in said filtering unit is set higher than that for the bouncing component signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignees: Naldec Corporation, Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Mineharu Shibata, Shin Takehara
  • Patent number: 5521823
    Abstract: A vehicle having learning control includes a running condition detecting device for detecting a driving condition of the vehicle, a running characteristic control device for controlling a control gain to change a running characteristic of the vehicle and a gain control device for learning the running characteristic of the vehicle to change the control gain. The running characteristics of the vehicle can be controlled corresponding to various running conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuya Akita, Shin Takehara, Hiroshi Ohmura, Kiyoshi Sakamoto, Mineharu Shibata, Shigefumi Hirabayashi, Seiji Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 5402343
    Abstract: A safety device for an automobile vehicle includes a first integration circuit for integrating an output value generated from a G sensor and a decision circuit for comparing the integrated value with a predetermined decision level to determine whether the safety device should be activated. In the first integration circuit, a previously integrated value is incrementally reduced to provide a current integrated value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignees: Mazda Motor Corporation, Naldec Corporation
    Inventors: Mineharu Shibata, Kenji Shodai, Junichi Miyawaki, Etsuko Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5313104
    Abstract: A vehicle control system having plurality of control units, as well as sensors and actuators having a comparatively high degree of importance in terms of control by these control units, which are separately connected to first and second transmission lines. Sensors and actuators having a comparatively low degree of importance are assigned to the second transmission line. The outputs from the comparatively important sensors enter the respective control units directly via the first transmission line. A back-up program for backing up one control unit in case of failure is stored beforehand in another control unit. If the control unit fails, the other control unit performs back-up control to take over its tasks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1994
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Mineharu Shibata, Yasuhiko Matsumura, Nagahisa Fujita, Masao Hideshima
  • Patent number: 5176399
    Abstract: A fluid cylinder unit is disposed between a vehicle body and each of wheels and suspension characteristics are changed by changing the control amount of operating fluid to be supplied to or discharged from the fluid cylinder. The control amount is given based on predetermined conditions using the traveling state of the vehicle such as vehicle height, velocity of displacing the vehicle height and vertical acceleration as a parameter. A filter causes a gain of the control amount to be reduced as the frequency of vibration gets larger. A time constant of the filter is so set to become larger as the operated control amount gets larger when the control amount is smaller than a predetermined value, while the time constant is set to the predetermined value when the control amount is equal to or larger than the predetermined value. Specifically, the control amount Q is determined by the following formula: Q=Qc/(1+k.times.Qo.times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1993
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Takehara, Mineharu Shibata, Shigefumi Hirabayashi
  • Patent number: 5142476
    Abstract: A suspension system for a vehicle has cylinder devices in which suspension characteristics are changed by controlling fluid supply/discharge to/from the cylinder devices. The fluid pressure in the cylinder devices is sensed, and warping of the vehicle body is computed based on the sensed pressures. Then the fluid supply/discharge to/from the cylinder devices is controlled so as to suppress the warping of the vehicle body by a warp control unit. The warp control unit is provided so as to change the ratio of the fluid supply/discharge to/from the cylinder devices of the front wheels to the fluid supply/discharge to/from the cylinder devices of the rear wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1992
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Mineharu Shibata, Shin Tkkehara, Toshiki Morita
  • Patent number: 5056813
    Abstract: A vehicle suspension system includes a cylinder device provided between a vehicle body member and a vehicle wheel member for the vehicle body member in which suspension characteristics are changed by controlling a hydraulic fluid supply for the cylinder device. A pressure detector detects a hydraulic pressure of the cylinder device for each of the vehicle wheel members, and a warp control unit computes a warping of vehicle body so as to control a hydraulic fluid supply for the cylinder device in a manner such that the warp of the vehicle body is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1991
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Mineharu Shibata, Shin Takehara, Toshiki Morita
  • Patent number: 4978135
    Abstract: A vehicle suspension system includes a liquid piston-cylinder device connected between the vehicle body and a wheel. A liquid pump is provided in a liquid passage which connects the liquid piston-cylinder device to a reservoir in which hydraulic liquid is reserved, and feeds under pressure the hydraulic liquid in the reservoir through the liquid passage. A control valve controls the flow of the hydraulic liquid through the liquid passage, thereby controlling feed and discharge of the hydraulic liquid to and from the liquid piston-cylinder device in order to control the properties of the suspension. An accumulator is connected to the liquid passage between the liquid pump and the control valve and accumulates the hydraulic liquid under pressure. A return passage connects the reservoir to the liquid passage between the liquid pump and the control valve and is provided with an on-off valve which opens and closes the return passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Edahiro, Hiroyoshi Kumada, Toshiki Morita, Shin Takehara, Mineharu Shibata
  • Patent number: 4897643
    Abstract: According to the invention, vehicular electronic equipment provides an antenna located in the lower portion of the window. Electronic and mechanical accessories of the vehicle are controlled by a control unit which is controlled or actuated in accordance with information received through the antenna. One end of the antenna is formed for an interface contact. The control unit and the antenna are coupled via interface contacts. Preferably the coupling is so controlled that the two contacts thereof are kept open while the window is moving, and in a closed position when the window is stationary. The control unit analyzes whether all doors are locked and the results of such analysis is outputted to the outside of the vehicle through the antenna. This assists in preventing theft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 30, 1990
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Mineharu Shibata, Tatsuaki Taniguchi