Patents by Inventor Motoji Hirata

Motoji Hirata 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: 7909123
    Abstract: In a hybrid vehicle, an ECU performs speed-change control and selectively changes a speed-change mode between a stepless speed-change mode and a fixed speed-change mode in accordance with the travel condition of the hybrid vehicle. At this time, in the condition that the fixed speed-change mode is selected, if an accelerator off operation is performed, a release preparing process is performed, and a reaction element which receives the reaction torque of engine torque in a power dividing mechanism is changed to a sun gear on a motor generator side. Moreover, if an accelerator off speed or a brake pedal operation amount exceeds its own reference value, the speed-change mode is transferred into the stepless speed-change mode, predictively and unconditionally, before a normal speed-change condition is met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroaki Ebuchi, Motoji Hirata
  • Publication number: 20090159349
    Abstract: In a hybrid vehicle, an ECU performs speed-change control and selectively changes a speed-change mode between a stepless speed-change mode and a fixed speed-change mode in accordance with the travel condition of the hybrid vehicle. At this time, in the condition that the fixed speed-change mode is selected, if an accelerator off operation is performed, a release preparing process is performed, and a reaction element which receives the reaction torque of engine torque in a power dividing mechanism is changed to a sun gear on a motor generator side. Moreover, if an accelerator off speed or a brake pedal operation amount exceeds its own reference value, the speed-change mode is transferred into the stepless speed-change mode, predictively and unconditionally, before a normal speed-change condition is met.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki EBUCHI, Motoji HIRATA