Patents by Inventor Seiichirou Nishikawa

Seiichirou Nishikawa 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: 7269499
    Abstract: An engine stopping and starting control device predicts which cylinder will be on a compression stroke upon being stopped during a process for stopping the engine. Fuel is injected into the predicted cylinder during the process for stopping the engine to seal an air-fuel mixture therein. The same cylinder is then fired upon the next start cycle to generate a first explosion to start the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Murakami, Seiichirou Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 7177755
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an engine increases an intake air quantity just before engine stop to increase a compression pressure in a compression stroke. As the compression pressure is increased, a negative torque in the compression stroke increases and obstructs engine rotation, and brakes the engine rotation. Thus, a range of crank angle, in which torque is below engine friction, that is, in which engine rotation can be stopped, is reduced. As a result, variation in engine rotation stop position is reduced to be within a small range of crank angle. Information of engine rotation stop position is stored, and the stored information of engine rotation stop position is used at the start of an engine to accurately determine an initial injection cylinder and an initial ignition cylinder to start the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Seiichirou Nishikawa, Yoshifumi Murakami
  • Patent number: 7066128
    Abstract: During a shut-down period of an engine based on an idle stop control, a computer estimates a power stroke cylinder and a compression stroke cylinder when the engine is stopped. A fuel is injected into the power stroke cylinder and the compression stroke cylinder in an intake stroke just before the engine is stopped. An air-fuel mixture is hold in each cylinder with the engine stopped. When an auto start is required while the engine is stopped, a spark ignition is performed in the power stroke cylinder to start cranking of the engine by combustion energy. At nest ignition timing, a spark ignition is performed in the compression stroke cylinder to start the engine without an aid of a starter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Satake, Seiichirou Nishikawa, Yoshifumi Murakami
  • Publication number: 20060129305
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an engine increases an intake air quantity just before engine stop to increase a compression pressure in a compression stroke. As the compression pressure is increased, a negative torque in the compression stroke increases and obstructs engine rotation, and brakes the engine rotation. Thus, a range of crank angle, in which torque is below engine friction, that is, in which engine rotation can be stopped, is reduced. As a result, variation in engine rotation stop position is reduced to be within a small range of crank angle. Information of engine rotation stop position is stored, and the stored information of engine rotation stop position is used at the start of an engine to accurately determine an initial injection cylinder and an initial ignition cylinder to start the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2006
    Publication date: June 15, 2006
    Applicant: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Seiichirou Nishikawa, Yoshifumi Murakami
  • Patent number: 7027911
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an engine increases an intake air quantity just before engine stop to increase a compression pressure in a compression stroke. As the compression pressure is increased, a negative torque in the compression stroke increases and obstructs engine rotation, and brakes the engine rotation. Thus, a range of crank angle, in which torque is below engine friction, that is, in which engine rotation can be stopped, is reduced. As a result, variation in engine rotation stop position is reduced to be within a small range of crank angle. Information of engine rotation stop position is stored, and the stored information of engine rotation stop position is used at the start of an engine to accurately determine an initial injection cylinder and an initial ignition cylinder to start the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Seiichirou Nishikawa, Yoshifumi Murakami
  • Publication number: 20060016413
    Abstract: During a shut-down period of an engine based on an idle stop control, a computer estimates a power stroke cylinder and a compression stroke cylinder when the engine is stopped. A fuel is injected into the power stroke cylinder and the compression stroke cylinder in an intake stroke just before the engine is stopped. An air-fuel mixture is hold in each cylinder with the engine stopped. When an auto start is required while the engine is stopped, a spark ignition is performed in the power stroke cylinder to start cranking of the engine by combustion energy. At nest ignition timing, a spark ignition is performed in the compression stroke cylinder to start the engine without an aid of a starter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Publication date: January 26, 2006
    Applicant: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Satake, Seiichirou Nishikawa, Yoshifumi Murakami
  • Publication number: 20050228575
    Abstract: An engine stopping and starting control device includes a prediction means, a control means, and a start control means. The prediction means predicts a cylinder on a compression stroke upon a stop during a process for stopping an engine. The control means controls a fuel injection upon a stop that injects fuel into the cylinder during the process for stopping the engine to seal an air-fuel mixture therein. The start control means fires the cylinder to generate a first explosion to start the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2005
    Publication date: October 13, 2005
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Murakami, Seiichirou Nishikawa
  • Publication number: 20040149251
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an engine increases an intake air quantity just before engine stop to increase a compression pressure in a compression stroke. As the compression pressure is increased, a negative torque in the compression stroke increases and obstructs engine rotation, and brakes the engine rotation. Thus, a range of crank angle, in which torque is below engine friction, that is, in which engine rotation can be stopped, is reduced. As a result, variation in engine rotation stop position is reduced to be within a small range of crank angle. Information of engine rotation stop position is stored, and the stored information of engine rotation stop position is used at the start of an engine to accurately determine an initial injection cylinder and an initial ignition cylinder to start the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2004
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seiichirou Nishikawa, Yoshifumi Murakami
  • Patent number: 5035226
    Abstract: An engine control system comprises a circuit for selecting a first engine controlled variable or a second engine controlled variable according to engine condition, changeover value for introducing to a pressure sensor the atmospheric pressure when the circuit selects the first engine controlled variable and the negative suction pressure when the circuit selects the second engine controlled variable, an engine control circuit for controlling the engine on the basis of a selected engine controlled variable and the atmospheric pressure and a delay circuit for making the selecting circuit to select the second engine controlled variable after a predetermined time period from the time when the pressure to be introduced to the pressure sensor is changed over from the atmospheric pressure to the negative suction pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1991
    Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichirou Nishikawa, Kenichiro Kamai