Patents by Inventor Mitsuhiro Nada

Mitsuhiro Nada 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: 8428850
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a total fuel injection amount is calculated from a torque required by an engine. A division ratio of a pre-injection amount that achieves both suppression of ignition delay of fuel from a main injection and suppression of a peak value of a heat production ratio of combustion from the main injection is calculated. Upper and lower limit guards are given to the obtained divided amount, and the divided injection amount is calculated. The injection amount of the main injection is obtained by subtracting the divided injection amount from the total fuel injection amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Nada, Akio Matsunaga, Yasuyuki Terada, Makio Tsuchiyama
  • Patent number: 8387586
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a determination is made of whether or not in a condition in which a compressed gas temperature will reach a fuel self-ignition temperature by only a compression operation in the compression stroke, and in a case where the compressed gas temperature will reach the fuel self-ignition temperature, pilot injection is judged to be unnecessary, so this pilot injection is prohibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akio Matsunaga, Mitsuhiro Nada, Yasuyuki Terada, Makio Tsuchiyama
  • Publication number: 20130024097
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine (engine) in which premixed combustion and diffusion combustion are carried out in a combustion chamber, the premixed combustion and the diffusion combustion are separated by carrying out a control to limit the minimum value of the heat generation rate between the combustion centroid of the premixed combustion and the combustion centroid of the diffusion combustion, or carrying out a control to adjust the interval between a first injection for the premixed combustion and a second injection for the diffusion combustion. In this manner, the combustion form in the combustion chamber is made separated combustion in which the premixed combustion and the diffusion combustion are separated, and therefore ignition delay in the earlier premixed combustion does not influence the later diffusion combustion, thus making it possible to use the respective advantages of the premixed combustion and the diffusion combustion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Nada
  • Publication number: 20120253640
    Abstract: An auxiliary injection is carried out at an in-cylinder temperature at which a premixed combustion by the auxiliary injection is separatable into a low-temperature oxidation reaction and a high-temperature oxidation reaction, in a compression self-igniting internal combustion engine in which fuel injected into a cylinder from a fuel injection valve combusts in the cylinder, and that is configured to carry out an operation of fuel injection from the fuel injection valve. The operation of fuel injection includes at least a main injection and the auxiliary injection. The main injection causes a combustion mainly including a diffusion combustion in the cylinder. The auxiliary injection is carried out prior to the main injection and causes a combustion mainly including the premixed combustion in the cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Nada
  • Patent number: 8229654
    Abstract: An output restriction device for restricting engine output when a drive power output system for an internal combustion engine has an abnormality is provided. The output restriction device includes an abnormality detection unit, and initial restriction unit, and a secondary restriction unit. The abnormality restriction unit detects an abnormality in the drive power output system. The initial restriction unit restricts a tolerable range of the engine output to a first restriction region when the abnormality detection unit detects an abnormality in the drive power output system. A secondary restriction unit shifts the tolerable range of the engine output to a second restriction region, which has an upper limit lower than that of the first restriction region, in accordance with an operation history of the engine after the initial restriction unit restricts the tolerable range of the engine output to the first restriction region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Tahara, Mitsuhiro Nada, Hiroki Kinuhata
  • Publication number: 20120143479
    Abstract: During high-load operation of an engine, fuel for initial slow-burning combustion and premixed combustion is injected into a combustion chamber by continuous fuel injection, then fuel injection is paused, and fuel for diffusion combustion is injected after a predetermined interval has elapsed. Also, the fuel injection amount in the continuous fuel injection is set higher than the fuel injection amount for diffusion combustion. A spray autointerference cooling effect is achieved by the continuous fuel injection, thus promoting ignition delay so as to increase the proportion of premixed combustion, thereby suppressing the production of smoke. This enables high-volume EGR to be performed, thus enabling reducing the amount of NOx produced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2009
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Nada
  • Patent number: 8181626
    Abstract: A systematic fuel injection control technique for compression self-igniting internal combustion engines capable of executing an auxiliary injection prior to a primary injection is provided, with which it is possible to optimize an injection mode for the primary injection and the auxiliary injection. In a common rail diesel engine capable of executing at least a main injection and a pre-injection as an operation of fuel injection from an injector, the pre-injection is executed by being split into a first pre-injection and a second pre-injection. The injection timing and the injection amount of each fuel injection is controlled such that some of the fuel injected in the first pre-injection combusts by self-ignition, and the remainder of the fuel does not combust until fuel is injected in the main injection, but combusts together with the fuel injected in the main injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Nada
  • Publication number: 20120016571
    Abstract: A series of combustion forms including initial low-temperature combustion, premixed combustion, and diffusive combustion are performed when an engine operates under a low load and a medium load. The initial low-temperature combustion is carried out by performing a small-amount injection while performing an operation for lowering the encounter rate between oxygen and a fuel spray in a cylinder, and thereby the heat generation rate is kept low and the amount of NOx generated is suppressed. The premixed combustion is carried out as fuel receives heat in the initial low-temperature combustion, and the amount of smoke generated is suppressed. The diffusive combustion is accomplished as fuel travels through the combustion field of the premixed combustion, and by controlling the fuel injection timing thereof, it is possible to suitably control the timing at which the heat generation rate reaches its maximum in the aforementioned series of combustion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Nada
  • Publication number: 20110180039
    Abstract: In a common rail diesel engine, main injection is executed as injection divided into first divided main injection and second divided main injection. In the first divided main injection, fuel injection is stopped before a fuel evaporation speed in a combustion field becomes greater than an oxygen supply speed. After fuel injection is temporarily stopped, the combustion field of fuel that was injected in the first divided main injection flows in a circumferential direction within a combustion chamber according to a swirl flow, and the second divided main injection is executed when a region where the fuel evaporation speed is less than the oxygen supply speed, this being a region between combustion fields, has moved to a position facing an injection nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Nada
  • Publication number: 20110056459
    Abstract: A systematic fuel injection control technique for compression self-igniting internal combustion engines capable of executing an auxiliary injection prior to a primary injection is provided, with which it is possible to optimize an injection mode for the primary injection and the auxiliary injection. In a common rail diesel engine capable of executing at least a main injection and a pre-injection as an operation of fuel injection from an injector, the pre-injection is executed by being split into a first pre-injection and a second pre-injection. The injection timing and the injection amount of each fuel injection is controlled such that some of the fuel injected in the first pre-injection combusts by self-ignition, and the remainder of the fuel does not combust until fuel is injected in the main injection, but combusts together with the fuel injected in the main injection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Nada
  • Publication number: 20110060514
    Abstract: A fuel injection control apparatus of an internal combustion engine of the present invention performs control for a common rail diesel engine so that at a timing when a piston reaches compression top dead center, the rate of heat production due to the combustion of fuel injected in pre-injection is substantially maximal, and furthermore so that the combustion of fuel injected in main injection is started in the vicinity of this timing. As a result, the combustion of fuel injected in main injection is started by fully utilizing the heat production amount due to the pre-injection. Also, this avoids the production of reverse torque, as well as ensures maximizing the amount of torque produced by the combustion of fuel injected in main injection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Nada
  • Publication number: 20110005491
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a total pilot injection amount is calculated from the difference between a compressed gas temperature in a cylinder and a fuel self-ignition temperature. As pilot injection, a plurality of instances of divided pilot injection are performed, and by setting the injection amount per one instance of divided pilot injection to an injector minimum limit injection amount, each divided pilot injection amount is suppressed, and the penetration of fuel is suppressed to a low level so that attachment of fuel to a wall face is avoided, and also, fuel is caused to accumulate in the center portion of the cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Terada, Mitsuhiro Nada, Akio Matsunaga, Makio Tsuchiyama
  • Publication number: 20100312454
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a total fuel injection amount is calculated from a torque required by an engine. A division ratio of a pre-injection amount that achieves both suppression of ignition delay of fuel from a main injection and suppression of a peak value of a heat production ratio of combustion from the main injection is calculated. Upper and lower limit guards are given to the obtained divided amount, and the divided injection amount is calculated. The injection amount of the main injection is obtained by subtracting the divided injection amount from the total fuel injection amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Nada, Akio Matsunaga, Yasuyuki Terada, Makio Tsuchiyama
  • Publication number: 20100305833
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a determination is made of whether or not in a condition in which a compressed gas temperature will reach a fuel self-ignition temperature by only a compression operation in the compression stroke, and in a case where the compressed gas temperature will reach the fuel self-ignition temperature, pilot injection is judged to be unnecessary, so this pilot injection is prohibited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akio Matsunaga, Mitsuhiro Nada, Yasuyuki Terada, Makio Tsuchiyama
  • Patent number: 7832510
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle of the invention has an engine, a planetary gear unit including a carrier linked with rankshaft of the engine and a ring gear linked with a drive shaft, a motor MG1 inputting and outputting power to and from a sun gear of the planetary gear unit, and a motor MG2 inputting and outputting power to and from the drive shaft. During a drive of the hybrid vehicle in a light load state and under a drive restriction of the motor MG2, the hybrid vehicle corrects a target revolution speed Ne* of the engine to make a calculated average charge-discharge electric power Wbave of a battery equal to a charge-discharge electric power demand Wb*, while keeping a torque of the engine unchanged (steps S300 to S330), and controls actuation of the engine and the motors MG1 and MG2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Hoshiba, Mitsuhiro Nada
  • Publication number: 20100211286
    Abstract: An output restriction device for restricting engine output when a drive power output system for an internal combustion engine has an abnormality is provided. The output restriction device includes an abnormality detection unit, and initial restriction unit, and a secondary restriction unit. The abnormality restriction unit detects an abnormality in the drive power output system. The initial restriction unit restricts a tolerable range of the engine output to a first restriction region when the abnormality detection unit detects an abnormality in the drive power output system. A secondary restriction unit shifts the tolerable range of the engine output to a second restriction region, which has an upper limit lower than that of the first restriction region, in accordance with an operation history of the engine after the initial restriction unit restricts the tolerable range of the engine output to the first restriction region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2009
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JODOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Jun Tahara, Mitsuhiro Nada, Hiroki Kinuhata
  • Patent number: 7712450
    Abstract: In an ignition timing control apparatus for an engine, a KCS learning value learned when the engine is in a given operating state is used in an ignition timing control executed when the engine is in the other operating state. An estimated knocking occurrence ignition timing is set based on a most retarded ignition timing using the KCS learning value. A final ignition timing is set by changing a KCS feedback correction value based on whether knocking occurs when ignition is performed at the estimated knocking occurrence ignition timing. When a point indicating the engine operating state moves into a region where it is difficult to set the estimated knocking occurrence ignition timing, the KCS feedback correction value is changed to retard the final ignition timing, and the final ignition timing is set using the KCS learning value and the changed KCS feedback correction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichiro Sato, Tomohiro Fujita, Akito Onishi, Mitsuhiro Nada
  • Patent number: 7596444
    Abstract: Under the condition of a large variation in motor torque demand, the significant torque change may lead to some vibration of a vehicle to temporarily heighten an angular acceleration. The temporary rise of the angular acceleration may cause the angular acceleration to exceed a preset threshold value slip and result in misdetection of the occurrence of a ‘phantom’ skid in an angular acceleration—based skid state determination. The drive control of the invention accordingly specifies a potential for misdetection of the occurrence of a ‘phantom’ skid when the variation in motor torque demand exceeds a preset threshold value at step S108. The drive control thereby does not execute skid occurring state control with torque restriction but performs grip state control at step S116.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Hommi, Kiyotaka Hamajima, Mitsuhiro Nada
  • Patent number: 7532961
    Abstract: The technique of the invention sets an upper limit torque Tm1max and a lower limit torque Tm1min output from a motor generator, based on input and output restrictions Win and Wout of a battery, a motor electric power demand Pm2, an auxiliary machinery electric power demand Pcsm, and a potential loss Ploss (step S150). The technique then restricts a target revolution speed Ne* of an engine to make an output torque of the motor generator within a range of the lower limit torque Tm1min to the upper limit torque Tm1max (steps S180 to S200). This arrangement ensures output of a torque in response to a driver's requirement, while effectively preventing the battery from being charged or discharged excessively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Hoshiba, Mitsuhiro Nada
  • Patent number: RE42464
    Abstract: One of the two accelerator sensors 165a and 165b is detected faulty by analyzing variation patterns outputted by the two sensors even when the outputs of two sensors remain within their respective normal output ranges. An accelerator control input is determined using the output of the fault-free sensor if a faulty sensor is detected. The fault detector detects the faulty sensor by analyzing variation patterns of outputs of the first and second accelerator sensors when the outputs of the first and second accelerator sensors remain within respective normal output ranges thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Nada