Patents by Inventor Natsuko Kitamura

Natsuko Kitamura 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: 9316168
    Abstract: A control device for a fuel pump includes a power storage and a discharger. The fuel pump includes an electromagnetic valve. The power storage is configured to store surge current generated upon stopping supplying electric power to the electromagnetic valve. One end of the power storage is connected to a negative electrode terminal of the electromagnetic valve. Another end of the power storage is connected to a power supply. The discharger is configured to connect the power storage and a positive electrode terminal of the electromagnetic valve upon starting supplying electric power to the electromagnetic valve to discharge an electric charge stored in the power storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Natsuko Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20150040873
    Abstract: A control device for a fuel pump includes a power storage and a discharger. The fuel pump includes an electromagnetic valve. The power storage is configured to store surge current generated upon stopping supplying electric power to the electromagnetic valve. One end of the power storage is connected to a negative electrode terminal of the electromagnetic valve. Another end of the power storage is connected to a power supply. The discharger is configured to connect the power storage and a positive electrode terminal of the electromagnetic valve upon starting supplying electric power to the electromagnetic valve to discharge an electric charge stored in the power storage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Natsuko KITAMURA
  • Patent number: 8905004
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes a booster, a first controller, and a second controller. The booster is configured to increase an output voltage of a battery to a drive voltage of a fuel injection unit of the internal combustion engine. The first controller has a first initialization time after boot of the first controller. The first controller is configured to control the booster to increase the output voltage to the drive voltage at start-up of the internal combustion engine. The second controller has a second initialization time after boot of the second controller. The second initialization time is longer than the first initialization time of the first controller. The second controller is configured to control the booster to increase the output voltage to the drive voltage after the start-up of the internal combustion engine is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Natsuko Kitamura, Akitsugu Ikeda
  • Patent number: 8731856
    Abstract: A frequency spectrum analyzing apparatus for performing a frequency spectrum analysis with respect to a detected value of an operating parameter of an internal combustion engine in synchronism with rotation of the engine, is provided. The operating parameter is sampled at predetermined time intervals, and the sampled value is converted to a digital value. Intensities of first and second elements are calculated with respect to a predetermined number of the sampled values, wherein the first and second elements respectively correspond to a plurality of frequency components contained in the detected value, and a phase of the second element differs from a phase of the first element by 90 degrees. Frequency component intensities corresponding to the plurality of frequencies are calculated in synchronism with rotation of the engine, using the first element intensities and the second element intensities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Natsuko Kitamura, Jiro Takagi, Atsushi Kurauchi, Hirotaka Komatsu, Masayuki Yoshiiri
  • Patent number: 8725463
    Abstract: A frequency spectrum analyzing apparatus for performing a frequency spectrum analysis with respect to a detected value of an operating parameter of an internal combustion engine in synchronism with rotation of the engine, is provided. The operating parameter is sampled at predetermined time intervals, and a sampled value is converted to a digital value. Intensities of first and second elements are calculated with respect to a predetermined number of the sampled values. The first elements and second elements respectively correspond to a plurality of frequency components contained in the detected value, and a phase of the second element differs from a phase of the first element by 90 degrees. Frequency component intensities corresponding to the plurality of frequency components are calculated in synchronism with rotation of the engine, using the first element intensities and the second element intensities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Natsuko Kitamura, Yoshiaki Akimoto, Jiro Takagi, Atsushi Kurauchi, Masayuki Yoshiiri, Hirotaka Komatsu, Kazuhiko Hirota, Makoto Murakami
  • Patent number: 8694228
    Abstract: A fuel injection control for an internal combustion engine includes a coil, a first switch, a capacitor, a second switch, and a control circuit. The coil is to boost a voltage of a power supply source. The first switch is connected at one end to an output side of the coil and at the other end to a ground. The capacitor is connected to an electromagnetic fuel injection valve to store energy which has been stored in the coil. The second switch is connected at one end between the coil and the first switch and at the other end to an input side of the capacitor. The control circuit is connected to the first switch and the second switch. The control circuit is configured to perform synchronous rectifying control for switching the first switch and the second switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Natsuko Kitamura, Jun Ishii, Akitsugu Ikeda
  • Patent number: 8606489
    Abstract: An ignition timing control system for an internal combustion engine, for controlling an ignition timing of the engine, is provided. A charging efficiency of the engine is calculated according to the intake air flow rate and the engine rotational speed which are detected, and a knock limit ignition timing is calculated according to the engine rotational speed and the charging efficiency. A knock correction value is calculated according to the knocking detection result by a knock sensor, and a learning parameter table, in which first and second learning parameters are set, is updated based on the engine rotational speed and the knock correction value when the knocking is detected. The learning parameter table is retrieved according to the engine rotational speed, to calculate the first and second learning parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Yoshiiri, Jiro Takagi, Hirotaka Komatsu, Kazuhiko Hirota, Atsushi Kurauchi, Natsuko Kitamura
  • Patent number: 8326518
    Abstract: A knocking detecting apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which can more accurately perform the knocking determination based on frequency components of the output signal of the knock sensor, is provided. A frequency spectrum analysis of the knock sensor output signal is performed at predetermined angular intervals of the crankshaft rotation angle. Intensities of a plurality of frequency components obtained by the frequency spectrum analysis are stored as time series data. The time series data of the frequency component intensity are binarized, and it is determined whether or not a knocking has occurred based on the binarized time series data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Komatsu, Jiro Takagi, Atsushi Kurauchi, Masayuki Yoshiiri, Kazuhiko Hirota, Natsuko Kitamura, Yoshiaki Akimoto
  • Publication number: 20120192837
    Abstract: A fuel injection control for an internal combustion engine includes a coil, a first switch, a capacitor, a second switch, and a control circuit. The coil is to boost a voltage of a power supply source. The first switch is connected at one end to an output side of the coil and at the other end to a ground. The capacitor is connected to an electromagnetic fuel injection valve to store energy which has been stored in the coil. The second switch is connected at one end between the coil and the first switch and at the other end to an input side of the capacitor. The control circuit is connected to the first switch and the second switch. The control circuit is configured to perform synchronous rectifying control for switching the first switch and the second switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Natsuko KITAMURA, Jun Ishii, Akitsugu Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20120125296
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes a booster, a first controller, and a second controller. The booster is configured to increase an output voltage of a battery to a drive voltage of a fuel injection unit of the internal combustion engine. The first controller has a first initialization time after boot of the first controller. The first controller is configured to control the booster to increase the output voltage to the drive voltage at start-up of the internal combustion engine. The second controller has a second initialization time after boot of the second controller. The second initialization time is longer than the first initialization time of the first controller. The second controller is configured to control the booster to increase the output voltage to the drive voltage after the start-up of the internal combustion engine is completed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Natsuko KITAMURA, Akitsugu Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20110282562
    Abstract: An ignition timing control system for an internal combustion engine, for controlling an ignition timing of the engine, is provided. A charging efficiency of the engine is calculated according to the intake air flow rate and the engine rotational speed which are detected, and a knock limit ignition timing is calculated according to the engine rotational speed and the charging efficiency. A knock correction value is calculated according to the knocking detection result by a knock sensor, and a learning parameter table, in which first and second learning parameters are set, is updated based on the engine rotational speed and the knock correction value when the knocking is detected. The learning parameter table is retrieved according to the engine rotational speed, to calculate the first and second learning parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masayuki Yoshiri, Jiro Takagi, Hirotaka Komatsu, Kazuhiko Hirota, Atsushi Kurauchi, Natsuko Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20110276293
    Abstract: A frequency spectrum analyzing apparatus for performing a frequency spectrum analysis with respect to a detected value of an operating parameter of an internal combustion engine in synchronism with rotation of the engine, is provided. The operating parameter is sampled at predetermined time intervals, and the sampled value is converted to a digital value. Intensities of first and second elements are calculated with respect to a predetermined number of the sampled values, wherein the first and second elements respectively correspond to a plurality of frequency components contained in the detected value, and a phase of the second element differs from a phase of the first element by 90 degrees. Frequency component intensities corresponding to the plurality of frequencies are calculated in synchronism with rotation of the engine, using the first element intensities and the second element intensities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Natsuko Kitamura, Jiro Takagi, Atsushi Kurauchi, Hirotaka Komatsu, Masayuki Yoshiiri
  • Publication number: 20110178750
    Abstract: A frequency spectrum analyzing apparatus for performing a frequency spectrum analysis with respect to a detected value of an operating parameter of an internal combustion engine in synchronism with rotation of the engine, is provided. The operating parameter is sampled at predetermined time intervals, and a sampled value is converted to a digital value. Intensities of first and second elements are calculated with respect to a predetermined number of the sampled values. The first elements and second elements respectively correspond to a plurality of frequency components contained in the detected value, and a phase of the second element differs from a phase of the first element by 90 degrees. Frequency component intensities corresponding to the plurality of frequency components are calculated in synchronism with rotation of the engine, using the first element intensities and the second element intensities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Natsuko Kitamura, Yoshiaki Akimoto, Jiro Takagi, Atsushi Kurauchi, Masayuki Yoshiiri, Hirotaka Komatsu, Kazuhiko Hirota, Makoto Murakami
  • Publication number: 20110118960
    Abstract: A knocking detecting apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which can more accurately perform the knocking determination based on frequency components of the output signal of the knock sensor, is provided. A frequency spectrum analysis of the knock sensor output signal is performed at predetermined angular intervals of the crankshaft rotation angle. Intensities of a plurality of frequency components obtained by the frequency spectrum analysis are stored as time series data. The time series data of the frequency component intensity are binarized, and it is determined whether or not a knocking has occurred based on the binarized time series data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2009
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Komatsu, Jiro Takagi, Atsushi Kurauchi, Masayuki Yoshiri, Kazuhiko Hirota, Natsuko Kitamura, Yoshiaki Akimoto