Patents by Inventor Ryusuke Hirao

Ryusuke Hirao 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).

  • Publication number: 20180194188
    Abstract: The invention detects at least either one of a supply fault and a ground fault distinctively from a disconnection. A compressor relay 22 is placed between a battery 21 and an air compressor module 5. The compressor relay 22 controls the drive and stop of the air compressor module 5. A compressor driver 26 outputs a drive signal to the compressor relay 22. A ground-side voltage monitor 2S detects the drive voltage of the compressor relay 22. A pressure sensor 17 detects air pressure in a discharge side of the air compressor module 5. A microcomputer 30 of a controller 25 detects a ground fault and a disconnection of the drive signal of the compressor 22 distinctively from each other on the basis of a voltage value Vg detected by the ground-side voltage monitor 28 and a pressure valve P detected by the pressure sensor 17.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Inventors: Kentaro KASUYA, Nobuyuki ICHIMARU, Takahide KOBAYASHI, Ryusuke HIRAO
  • Patent number: 9809076
    Abstract: A suspension control apparatus includes a damping force adjustable shock absorber disposed between a vehicle body and a wheel of a vehicle and capable of adjusting a damping force to be generated, a vertical movement detection device configured to detect a state regarding a vertical movement of a vehicle, and a controller including: a target damping force calculation section configured to calculate a target damping force based on a detection result of the vertical movement detection device, a correction section configured to calculate a corrected damping force, which is acquired by reducing the target damping force when a relative speed is a low speed between a sprung side and an unsprung side of the damping force adjustable shock absorber, and a control signal output section configured to output the control signal corresponding to the corrected damping force to the damping force adjustable shock absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventor: Ryusuke Hirao
  • Patent number: 9731575
    Abstract: Shock absorbers of left and right front wheel suspensions and shock absorbers of left and right rear wheel suspensions each are constituted by a damping force adjustable hydraulic shock absorber provided with a frequency response unit. An actuator of a damping force variable mechanism provided to the shock absorber is driven and controlled by a controller. The controller variably adjusts the damping force between the soft side and the hard side by the damping force variable mechanism according to a vertical vibration when a vehicle body vertically vibrates at a low frequency. The controller does not adjust the damping force when the vehicle body vibrates at a higher frequency than the low frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Chikuma, Ryusuke Hirao, Nobuyuki Ichimaru, Masaaki Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 9636965
    Abstract: A suspension system capable of improving maneuverability and stability, the suspension system including a force generation mechanism and a controller. The controller, which controls each of shock absorbers, includes a main control calculation unit, a longitudinal force reaction force calculation unit, a lateral force reaction force calculation unit, an addition unit, and a suspension reaction force consideration unit. The controller subtracts an output from a vertical force calculation unit including the longitudinal force reaction force calculation unit, the lateral force reaction force calculation unit, and the addition unit from an output from the main control calculation unit by the suspension reaction force consideration unit, thereby succeeding in calculating a vertical force applied between a vehicle body and each wheel as a value in consistency with an actual behavior of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventor: Ryusuke Hirao
  • Publication number: 20160159189
    Abstract: A suspension control apparatus includes a damping force adjustable shock absorber disposed between a vehicle body and a wheel of a vehicle and capable of adjusting a damping force to be generated, a vertical movement detection device configured to detect a state regarding a vertical movement of a vehicle, and a controller including: a target damping force calculation section configured to calculate a target damping force based on a detection result of the vertical movement detection device, a correction section configured to calculate a corrected damping force, which is acquired by reducing the target damping force when a relative speed is a low speed between a sprung side and an unsprung side of the damping force adjustable shock absorber, and a control signal output section configured to output the control signal corresponding to the corrected damping force to the damping force adjustable shock absorber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventor: Ryusuke HIRAO
  • Patent number: 9278599
    Abstract: A suspension control apparatus includes a damping force adjustable shock absorber disposed between a vehicle body and a wheel of a vehicle and capable of adjusting a damping force to be generated, a vertical movement detection device configured to detect a state regarding a vertical movement of a vehicle, and a controller including: a target damping force calculation section configured to calculate a target damping force based on a detection result of the vertical movement detection device, a correction section configured to calculate a corrected damping force, which is acquired by reducing the target damping force when a relative speed is a low speed between a sprung side and an unsprung side of the damping force adjustable shock absorber, and a control signal output section configured to output the control signal corresponding to the corrected damping force to the damping force adjustable shock absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMATIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventor: Ryusuke Hirao
  • Publication number: 20150088379
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to providing a suspension system capable of improving maneuverability and stability. A controller, which controls each of shock absorbers, includes a main control calculation unit, a longitudinal force reaction force calculation unit, a lateral force reaction force calculation unit, an addition unit, and a suspension reaction force consideration unit. The controller subtracts an output from a vertical force calculation unit including the longitudinal force reaction force calculation unit, the lateral force reaction force calculation unit, and the addition unit from an output from the main control calculation unit by the suspension reaction force consideration unit, thereby succeeding in calculating a vertical force applied between a vehicle body and each wheel as a value in consistency with an actual behavior of a vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventor: Ryusuke HIRAO
  • Publication number: 20150066243
    Abstract: A tire load calculation section of a controller calculates tire load factors of the respective wheels. A target tire load-factor calculation section calculates a tire load factor average value (?ave) obtained by averaging the tire load factors (?i) of the respective wheels as a target tire load factor. A target tire vertical-load calculation section calculates target tire vertical loads (Fzrefi) for the respective wheels so that the tire load factors of the respective wheels become equal to the tire load factor average value. A vertical-load control section and a suspension control section control thrusts of electromagnetic dampers for the respective wheels so as to achieve the target tire vertical loads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Ryusuke HIRAO, Nobuyuki ICHIMARU, Yasuhiro AOKI, Makoto YAMAKADO
  • Patent number: 8965632
    Abstract: [Object] The present invention provides a suspension control apparatus that allows miniaturization of a solenoid valve. [Solution] When a controller is started up by a power source controller (a power source unit), the controller switches a control current from 0 ampere to a maximum current value I6 at the same time as the startup. After that, the control shifts to normal control. As a result, even if a hysteresis of a damping force characteristic is large relative to the control current, it is possible to promptly move a solenoid valve to a position to be used in the normal control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Uchino, Ryusuke Hirao, Yohei Katayama, Hiroyuki Yabe, Hiroki Ohara
  • Patent number: 8880293
    Abstract: A vehicle motion control apparatus configured to be used with a vehicle including a brake force control unit capable of generating a brake force during a steering operation. The control apparatus includes a plurality of force generation apparatuses disposed between a vehicle body of the vehicle and a plurality of axles, each of which is capable of generating an adjustable force between the vehicle body and each wheel of the vehicle, a force adjustment unit configured to adjust the force of each of the force generation apparatuses, and a target pitch state calculation unit configured to calculate a target pitch state from a state in which the vehicle body turns. The force adjustment unit adjusts the force of each of the force generation apparatuses so that a pitch state of the vehicle body approaches the target pitch state calculated by the target pitch state calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryusuke Hirao, Nobuyuki Ichimaru, Makoto Yamakado
  • Publication number: 20140324289
    Abstract: [Object] The present invention provides a suspension control apparatus that allows miniaturization of a solenoid valve. [Solution] When a controller is started up by a power source controller (a power source unit), the controller switches a control current from 0 ampere to a maximum current value I6 at the same time as the startup. After that, the control shifts to normal control. As a result, even if a hysteresis of a damping force characteristic is large relative to the control current, it is possible to promptly move a solenoid valve to a position to be used in the normal control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventors: Toru UCHINO, Ryusuke HIRAO, Yohei KATAYAMA, Hiroyuki YABE, Hiroki OHARA
  • Patent number: 8838336
    Abstract: A vehicle body attitude control apparatus capable improving cornering operability, steering stability, and ride comfort while a vehicle is running. A controller includes a gain, a determination unit, a multiplication unit, an FF control unit, a difference calculation unit, an FB control unit, an average value calculation unit, a target damping force calculation unit, and a damper instruction value calculation unit so as to enable such control that a pitch rate and a roll rate are set into a proportional relationship while the vehicle is cornering. The controller calculates a target pitch rate proportional to the roll rate, variably controls a damping force characteristic of a damping force variable damper disposed at each the wheels so as to achieve the target pitch rate, and generates a pitch moment to be applied to the vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryusuke Hirao, Makoto Yamakado, Nobuyuki Ichimaru
  • Patent number: 8798859
    Abstract: [Object] The present invention provides a suspension control apparatus that allows miniaturization of a solenoid valve. [Solution] When a controller is started up by a power source controller (a power source unit), the controller switches a control current from 0 ampere to a maximum current value I6 at the same time as the startup. After that, the control shifts to normal control. As a result, even if a hysteresis of a damping force characteristic is large relative to the control current, it is possible to promptly move a solenoid valve to a position to be used in the normal control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Uchino, Ryusuke Hirao, Yohei Katayama, Hiroyuki Yabe, Hiroki Ohara
  • Patent number: 8718872
    Abstract: A vehicle attitude controller capable of improving turning operability, steering stability, and ride quality of a vehicle. In a normal-operation region, a pitch control unit for calculating a target pitch rate in accordance with a roll rate performs control in priority to a roll suppression section. In this case, a target damping force calculated in the pitch control unit is weighed to control a damping-force characteristic of the dampers so that a pitch rate becomes equal to the target pitch rate. In a critical region in which a road-surface gripping state of the vehicle tires is bad, the roll suppression section performs control in priority to the pitch control unit so as to weigh a target damping force calculated in the roll suppression section. As a result, the damping-force characteristic of the dampers is controlled so as to increase the amount of roll suppression control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryusuke Hirao, Toru Uchino
  • Publication number: 20140095024
    Abstract: A suspension control apparatus includes a damping force adjustable shock absorber disposed between a vehicle body and a wheel of a vehicle and capable of adjusting a damping force to be generated, a vertical movement detection device configured to detect a state regarding a vertical movement of a vehicle, and a controller including: a target damping force calculation section configured to calculate a target damping force based on a detection result of the vertical movement detection device, a correction section configured to calculate a corrected damping force, which is acquired by reducing the target damping force when a relative speed is a low speed between a sprung side and an unsprung side of the damping force adjustable shock absorber, and a control signal output section configured to output the control signal corresponding to the corrected damping force to the damping force adjustable shock absorber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventor: Ryusuke HIRAO
  • Publication number: 20130275003
    Abstract: [Object] The present invention provides a suspension control apparatus that allows miniaturization of a solenoid valve. [Solution] When a controller is started up by a power source controller (a power source unit), the controller switches a control current from 0 ampere to a maximum current value I6 at the same time as the startup. After that, the control shifts to normal control. As a result, even if a hysteresis of a damping force characteristic is large relative to the control current, it is possible to promptly move a solenoid valve to a position to be used in the normal control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Inventors: Toru Uchino, Ryusuke Hirao, Yohei Katayama, Hiroyuki Yabe, Hiroki Ohara
  • Patent number: 8322728
    Abstract: The present invention provides a suspension control apparatus requiring a reduced number of sensors. A pitch rate estimating unit 21 calculates a pitch rate used for creating a control instruction value, with use of a wheel-speed time-rate-of change obtained based on wheel speeds vcFL and vcFR detected by wheel speed sensors 7FL and 7FR, and an estimated forward/backward acceleration aes calculated by a forward/backward acceleration estimating unit 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryusuke Hirao, Takahide Kobayashi, Nobushige Wakamatsu
  • Patent number: 8296010
    Abstract: A suspension control apparatus enabling a driver to obtain an excellent driving feeling. The suspension control apparatus controls an actuator disposed between a vehicle body and a wheel of a vehicle. The suspension control apparatus includes a lateral acceleration detector operable to detect a lateral acceleration, a lateral jerk detector operable to detect a lateral jerk, and a suspension controller operable to control the actuator to change a pitch of the vehicle based the detected lateral acceleration and lateral jerk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryusuke Hirao, Masaaki Uchiyama, Nobuyuki Ichimaru, Takahide Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20120247888
    Abstract: Shock absorbers of left and right front wheel suspensions and shock absorbers of left and right rear wheel suspensions each are constituted by a damping force adjustable hydraulic shock absorber provided with a frequency response unit. An actuator of a damping force variable mechanism provided to the shock absorber is driven and controlled by a controller. The controller variably adjusts the damping force between the soft side and the hard side by the damping force variable mechanism according to a vertical vibration when a vehicle body vertically vibrates at a low frequency. The controller does not adjust the damping force when the vehicle body vibrates at a higher frequency than the low frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Inventors: Hiroshi CHIKUMA, Ryusuke Hirao, Nobuyuki Ichimaru, Masaaki Uchiyama
  • Publication number: 20120078470
    Abstract: A vehicle attitude controller capable of improving turning operability, steering stability, and ride quality of a vehicle. In a normal-operation region, a pitch control unit for calculating a target pitch rate in accordance with a roll rate performs control in priority to a roll suppression section. In this case, a target damping force calculated in the pitch control unit is weighed to control a damping-force characteristic of the dampers so that a pitch rate becomes equal to the target pitch rate. In a critical region in which a road-surface gripping state of the vehicle tires is bad, the roll suppression section performs control in priority to the pitch control unit so as to weigh a target damping force calculated in the roll suppression section. As a result, the damping-force characteristic of the dampers is controlled so as to increase the amount of roll suppression control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Inventors: Ryusuke HIRAO, Toru Uchino