Patents by Inventor Sei Shinohara

Sei Shinohara 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: 10442282
    Abstract: A vehicle drive system includes a left-wheel drive unit having a first motor and a first transmission, a right-wheel drive unit having a second motor and a second transmission, and a motor control unit. Each of the first and second transmissions has a first to third rotational elements. The first motor is connected to the first rotational element of the first transmission. The second motor is connected to the first rotational element of the second transmission. The left wheel is connected to the second rotational element of the first transmission. The right wheel is connected to the second rotational element of the second transmission. The third rotational element of the first transmission and the third rotational element of the second transmission are coupled to each other. Each of the first and second transmissions has a fourth rotational element which is supported to revolve around by the second rotational element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sei Shinohara, Masatoshi Noguchi, Satoshi Andou, Makoto Tsuchihashi
  • Patent number: 10059323
    Abstract: A vehicle driving system includes: a left wheel driving system having a first motor and a first speed changer; a right wheel driving system having a second motor and a second speed changer; a motor controller which controls the first motor and the second motor, a rotation restricting unit which can be shifted between a released state and an applied state; and a rotation restricting unit controller which controls the rotation restricting unit. When the rotation restricting unit controller shifts the rotation restricting unit from the applied state to the released state, the motor controller controls the first motor and the second motor so that a torque sum of the first motor and the second motor approaches zero while maintaining a torque difference between the first motor and the second motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Ando, Sei Shinohara
  • Publication number: 20170349038
    Abstract: A vehicle drive system includes a left-wheel drive unit having a first motor and a first transmission, a right-wheel drive unit having a second motor and a second transmission, and a motor control unit. Each of the first and second transmissions has a first to third rotational elements. The first motor is connected to the first rotational element of the first transmission. The second motor is connected to the first rotational element of the second transmission. The left wheel is connected to the second rotational element of the first transmission. The right wheel is connected to the second rotational element of the second transmission. The third rotational element of the first transmission and the third rotational element of the second transmission are coupled to each other. Each of the first and second transmissions has a fourth rotational element which is supported to revolve around by the second rotational element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sei Shinohara, Masatoshi Noguchi, Satoshi Andou, Makoto Tsuchihashi
  • Patent number: 9174526
    Abstract: In a drive controller for a vehicle including: a drive source configured to output a drive force to a first axle serving as one of front and rear wheel axles; an electric motor configured to output a drive force to a second axle serving as the other of the front and rear wheel axles; a one-way power transmission device disposed on a power transmission pathway between the second axle and the electric motor so as to transmit a power drive force from the electric motor to the second axle; a two-way power transmission device that transmits a rotation power from the second axle to the electric motor or transmits the power drive force and a regeneration drive force from the electric motor to the second axle, the drive controller includes: a first detector that detects a speed of the vehicle or a rotation speed of the second axle; a target rotation speed determination section that determines a target rotation speed of the electric motor based on the speed of the vehicle or the rotation speed of the second axle; a se
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro Yamamoto, Tomokazu Katayama, Yoshihiro Kanamaru, Sei Shinohara, Nobuyuki Hiramatsu
  • Patent number: 9150118
    Abstract: A motor controller obtains: a first motor target rotation number, a first motor actual rotation number of a first motor, a second motor target rotation number, and a second motor actual rotation number of a second motor; determines a first rotation number difference between the first motor target rotation number and the first motor actual rotation number of the first motor, and a second rotation number difference between the second motor target rotation number and the second motor actual rotation number of the second motor, determines first and second rotation control torques based on a smaller one of the first rotation number difference and the second rotation number difference; and determines a first motor torque of the first motor and a second motor torque of the second motor based on the first and second rotation control torques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sei Shinohara, Satoshi Ando, Masatoshi Noguchi, Masakatsu Hori, Makoto Tsuchihashi
  • Publication number: 20150065293
    Abstract: A vehicle driving system includes: a left wheel driving system having a first motor and a first speed changer; a right wheel driving system having a second motor and a second speed changer; a motor controller which controls the first motor and the second motor, a rotation restricting unit which can be shifted between a released state and an applied state; and a rotation restricting unit controller which controls the rotation restricting unit. When the rotation restricting unit controller shifts the rotation restricting unit from the applied state to the released state, the motor controller controls the first motor and the second motor so that a torque sum of the first motor and the second motor approaches zero while maintaining a torque difference between the first motor and the second motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Ando, Sei Shinohara
  • Patent number: 8972139
    Abstract: A control system that performs control of an electric motor is described. The control system may include a rotating body inertia torque computing unit that uses a rotational state of a vehicle wheel when braking is applied to the wheel to calculate an inertia torque of rotating bodies residing within a span behind the wheel, among members that rotate by the driving force of the electric motor. The control system also may include a controller that performs control of the electric motor to cancel the inertia torque of the rotating bodies based on the calculation result from the rotating body inertia torque computing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sei Shinohara, Keiichi Ooiso, Satoshi Andou
  • Publication number: 20150042245
    Abstract: A motor controller obtains: a first motor target rotation number, a first motor actual rotation number of a first motor, a second motor target rotation number, and a second motor actual rotation number of a second motor; determines a first rotation number difference between the first motor target rotation number and the first motor actual rotation number of the first motor, and a second rotation number difference between the second motor target rotation number and the second motor actual rotation number of the second motor, determines first and second rotation control torques based on a smaller one of the first rotation number difference and the second rotation number difference; and determines a first motor torque of the first motor and a second motor torque of the second motor based on the first and second rotation control torques.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sei Shinohara, Satoshi Ando, Masatoshi Noguchi, Masakatsu Hori, Makoto Tsuchihashi
  • Patent number: 8894542
    Abstract: A rear-wheel drive system includes motors for generating driving force to drive a vehicle, hydraulic brakes on power transmission lines between the motors and rear wheels switching a motors side and a wheels side to a connected state or a disconnected state, an ECU controlling the motors and the brakes and a one-way clutch in parallel with the hydraulic brakes on the transmission line configured to be engaged when a forward rotational power on the motors side is inputted into the wheels side and disengaged when a backward rotational power on the motors side is inputted into the wheels side and vice versa. The ECU causes the hydraulic brakes to be applied so as to put the motors side and the wheels side in the connected state when the forward rotational power on the motors side is inputted into the wheels side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Aoki, Takeshi Hoshinoya, Akihiro Yamamoto, Sei Shinohara
  • Patent number: 8727053
    Abstract: In the case where a vehicle 3 runs forward, when both two electric motors 2A, 2B power the vehicle, an oil pressure controller 48 releases hydraulic brakes 60A, 60B; when both the two electric motors 2A, 2B perform a regenerative braking, actuates the hydraulic brakes 60A, 60B. When one of the two electric motors 2A, 2B powers the vehicle and the other motor performs regenerative braking, the oil pressure controller 48 controls releases or actuates the hydraulic brakes 60A, 60B based on a power driving torque and a regenerative braking torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Yamamoto, Sei Shinohara
  • Publication number: 20130150211
    Abstract: A rear-wheel drive system includes motors for generating driving force to drive a vehicle, hydraulic brakes on power transmission lines between the motors and rear wheels switching a motors side and a wheels side to a connected state or a disconnected state, an ECU controlling the motors and the brakes and a one-way clutch in parallel with the hydraulic brakes on the transmission line configured to be engaged when a forward rotational power on the motors side is inputted into the wheels side and disengaged when a backward rotational power on the motors side is inputted into the wheels side and vice versa. The ECU causes the hydraulic brakes to be applied so as to put the motors side and the wheels side in the connected state when the forward rotational power on the motors side is inputted into the wheels side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Aoki, Takeshi Hoshinoya, Akihiro Yamamoto, Sei Shinohara
  • Publication number: 20120143426
    Abstract: In a drive controller for a vehicle including: a drive source configured to output a drive force to a first axle serving as one of front and rear wheel axles; an electric motor configured to output a drive force to a second axle serving as the other of the front and rear wheel axles; a one-way power transmission device disposed on a power transmission pathway between the second axle and the electric motor so as to transmit a power drive force from the electric motor to the second axle; a two-way power transmission device that transmits a rotation power from the second axle to the electric motor or transmits the power drive force and a regeneration drive force from the electric motor to the second axle, the drive controller includes: a first detector that detects a speed of the vehicle or a rotation speed of the second axle; a target rotation speed determination section that determines a target rotation speed of the electric motor based on the speed of the vehicle or the rotation speed of the second axle; a se
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro Yamamoto, Tomokazu Katayama, Yoshihiro Kanamaru, Sei Shinohara, Nobuyuki Hiramatsu
  • Publication number: 20120118652
    Abstract: In the case where a vehicle 3 runs forward, when both two electric motors 2A, 2B power the vehicle, an oil pressure controller 48 releases hydraulic brakes 60A, 60B; when both the two electric motors 2A, 2B perform a regenerative braking, actuates the hydraulic brakes 60A, 60B. When one of the two electric motors 2A, 2B powers the vehicle and the other motor performs regenerative braking, the oil pressure controller 48 controls releases or actuates the hydraulic brakes 60A, 60B based on a power driving torque and a regenerative braking torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro Yamamoto, Sei Shinohara