Patents by Inventor Seiji Kuwahara

Seiji Kuwahara 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: 8301351
    Abstract: A parameter ?(OUT) having an accelerator pedal position, a vehicle speed and a drive force as components is set according to information representing a driver's operation and information representing running environment of a vehicle. A gear is set according to the parameter ?(OUT) and a map determining the gear based on the accelerator pedal position, the vehicle speed and the drive force. A gear shift line is defined such that a rate of increase of the drive force with respect to the vehicle speed is zero or more. A down-shift line is defined such that the drive force decreases with increase in accelerator pedal position. Down-shift after up-shift as well as the up-shift after the down-shift are inhibited when both a condition that an amount of change of the accelerator pedal position after last gear shift is larger than a threshold and a condition that an amount of change of the drive force after the last gear shift is larger than the threshold are satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Kuwahara, Masato Kaigawa
  • Patent number: 8185283
    Abstract: First target torque of an engine is set based on a driver's operation, a vehicle behavior, and a request for shifting gears of an automatic transmission. The engine is controlled such that the difference between the first target torque and the actual output torque of the engine is reduced. Detection torque is calculated from an operation state of the engine. In consideration of dead time in control of the engine, calculation torque is calculated from the first target torque. In addition, first lookahead torque with the dead time in the engine being removed is calculated by feedback-correcting the first target torque according to an error e between the detection torque and the calculation torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Kuwahara, Toshiya Oishi, Shogo Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8180551
    Abstract: A vehicular control apparatus that controls an engine mounted on a vehicle includes: a generating section that generates respective required values of the engine based on quantities of state in different units of measure; an adjusting section that converts the required values into values in a common unit of measure and obtains a desired value of the engine based on the values in the common unit of measure; a control section that controls the engine based on the obtained desired value; and a determining section that determines whether the vehicle is in an idling state using respective reference values set for the quantities of state, the required values, and the desired value. One of the reference values is converted into the remaining reference values in different units of measure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Kuwahara, Masato Kaigawa
  • Patent number: 8090511
    Abstract: A parameter having an accelerator pedal position and a drive force as components is set according to information representing driver's operations such as the accelerator pedal position and a stroke amount of a brake pedal. Similarly to the information representing the driver's operation, a parameter having the accelerator pedal position and the drive force as the components is set according to information representing running environment of a vehicle such as a gradient of a road surface, a curvature of the road surface, a friction coefficient ? of the road surface, a type of a road and a length of traffic jam. One parameter ?(OUT) is set by mediating a parameter ?(1) obtained from the information representing the driver's operation and a parameter ?(2) obtained from the information representing the running environment of the vehicle. The gear corresponding to the parameter ?(OUT) is set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Seiji Kuwahara
  • Publication number: 20110288732
    Abstract: A dynamic threshold value when an engine, an automatic transmission and the like are in a transition state is calculated in accordance with a static threshold value determined based on a state where the engine, the automatic transmission and the like are stabilized. The engine and the automatic transmission are controlled in accordance with a result of comparison between target drive force or target engine torque and the dynamic threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji Kuwahara, Toshiya Oishi
  • Patent number: 8019524
    Abstract: A first arbitration unit determines one demand engine torque of static demand engine torques set in a power train driver model and an ECT torque control system. The demand engine torque determined by the first arbitration unit is converted into dynamic demand engine torque by a conversion unit. A second arbitration unit determines demand engine torque for use in control of an engine from among the dynamic demand engine torque converted from the static demand engine torque by the conversion unit, dynamic demand engine torque set by a VDIM system, and dynamic demand engine torque set by a vibration suppression control system. An engine control system controls the engine according to the demand engine torque determined by the second arbitration unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiya Oishi, Seiji Kuwahara, Shinichi Soejima, Ken Koibuchi
  • Patent number: 8010272
    Abstract: A driving force control system includes an internal combustion engine model (1000) represented by a model linearized while including a first-order lag component, a calculator (2000) calculating deviation between target engine torque and estimated engine torque, a delay compensator (3000) compensating for response delay based on the deviation, and an adder (4000) calculating an engine controlled variable by adding delay-compensated deviation to the target engine torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Kuwahara, Masato Kaigawa
  • Publication number: 20110208394
    Abstract: A target gear ratio calculation unit calculates a target gear ratio TGR of a transmission. A setting unit sets a target gear TG according to target gear ratio TGR. A multi-speed transmission control unit controls the transmission according to target gear TG. A target driving force calculation unit calculates target driving force TF of a vehicle. A correction unit corrects target driving force TF according to a gear ratio of the transmission. A conversion unit converts target driving force TF into target engine torque TTE. An engine control unit controls an engine according to target engine torque TTE. Modules used for the engine control unit, the target driving force calculation unit, the conversion unit, and the target gear ratio calculation unit are used in common in a case where the transmission is a multi-speed transmission and in a case where the transmission is a continuously variable transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji Kuwahara, Toshiya Oishi
  • Patent number: 7983826
    Abstract: Static demand engine torque set in a static torque setter is converted into dynamic demand engine torque in a converter using an engine model C (s) represented by a first-order lag function. A time constant T of engine model C (s) is calculated by a time constant calculator. The time constant calculator calculates time constant T in accordance with the static demand engine torque set in the static torque setter and dynamic demand engine torque set in a dynamic torque setter. The dynamic demand engine torque set in the dynamic torque setter is added to the dynamic demand engine torque converted from the static demand engine torque in the converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Kuwahara, Toshiya Oishi, Shogo Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7953534
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle integrated-control apparatus and method that sets a final control target by coordinating a control target primarily set based on an input of a driver with instruction values from the control systems; and that causes a drive control system to control a drive source and a stepped automatic transmission to achieve the final control target. With this apparatus and method, at least one of the control systems, which provide instruction values to be coordinated with the primarily set control target, is notified of a range of control targets that can be achieved at a current shift speed; a range of control targets that can be achieved by changing the current shift speed to a currently achievable shift speed; and a range of control targets that can be achieved without changing the current shift speed to another shift speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Kuwahara, Masato Kaigawa
  • Patent number: 7949451
    Abstract: A powertrain manager executes a program including the steps of: reading an instruction gear ratio kgear(1) for transmission control; calculating an actual gear ratio kgear(2); determining that failure of an automatic transmission has occurred on a low gear side if relation of kgear(1)<{kgear(2)/?} or kgear(1)<{kgear(2)??} is satisfied; and substituting larger one of kgear(1) and kgear(2) into a gear ratio for operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Kuwahara, Masato Kaigawa
  • Patent number: 7920948
    Abstract: An assumption torque setting device for an engine that executes a torque reduction process during gear shifting. The device sets a torque assumed to be output by the engine and based on a target torque from which an amount corresponding to the torque reduction process is excluded as an assumption torque during the gear shifting. The device includes an assumption model torque calculation unit which calculates an assumption model torque from the target torque from which an amount corresponding to the torque reduction process is excluded based on an internal combustion engine delay model. An assumption torque calculation unit calculates before torque reduction is performed an assumption torque based on an engine operation state and calculates when the torque reduction is being performed an assumption torque based on the assumption model torque and an assumption torque calculated from the engine operation state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Kuwahara, Masato Kaigawa
  • Patent number: 7917262
    Abstract: An ECU executes a program that includes the steps of: sensing an accelerator position (S100); calculating a target engine torque of a manipulating system “a” from the accelerator position (S200); holding the target engine torque of the manipulating system “a” (S300); calculating a target driving force of the manipulating system “A” from the target engine torque of the manipulating system “a” (S400); arbitrating in driving force between the target driving force of the manipulating system “A” and the target driving force of the supporting system “B” (S500); and, if the target driving force of the manipulating system “A” is selected as a result of the arbitration (NO in S600), outputting the held target engine torque of the manipulating system “a” as the target engine torque to the engine ECU (S900).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Kuwahara, Masato Kaigawa
  • Patent number: 7908065
    Abstract: An ECU executes a program that includes the steps of i) calculating a sporty running counting SC based on a state of a vehicle according to an operation of a driver; ii) changing a condition for executing sporty running in which an upshift is inhibited when an accelerator is suddenly released and in which a downshift is promoted during sudden braking such that the condition is easier to satisfy and changing a condition for returning from sporty running so that it is more difficult to satisfy when the sporty running count SC is equal to or greater than a threshold value; and iii) changing the condition for executing sporty running so that it is more difficult to satisfy and changing the condition for returning from sporty running so that it is easier to satisfy when the sporty running count SC is not equal to or greater than the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Kuwahara, Toshihiro Fukumasu, Masami Kondo, Hideki Kubonoya, Naoto Moriya, Masato Kaigawa
  • Patent number: 7900533
    Abstract: A controller of an automatic transmission can be set to be in a first control mode and a second control mode for controlling a transmission gear ratio of the automatic transmission. The controller in the second control mode automatically changes the transmission gear ratio. The controller obtains an index value and upper limit speed of rotation speed of a transmission output shaft. The controller in the first control mode allows the transmission gear ratio to be changed when an operation member is operated to increase the transmission gear ratio and the index value is equal to or lower than the upper limit speed. The controller has a setting section that sets the upper limit speed. The setting section sets the upper limit speed based on vehicle acceleration when the controller is in the first control mode and the operation member is operated to increase the transmission gear ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Shiiba, Seiji Kuwahara, Nobufusa Kobayashi, Ichiro Kitaori, Toshihiro Fukumasu, Atsushi Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 7890237
    Abstract: A control device of a vehicle which switches a lockup clutch to an operating state depending upon vehicle conditions determines switching of the lockup clutch from lockup-ON switching lines established when the lockup clutch is in an engaged state, or from lockup-OFF switching lines established when the lockup clutch is in a released state. When switching of the lockup clutch is determined based on one of the lockup-ON switching lines and the lockup-OFF switching lines, a determination based on the other switching lines is selected as an effective determination about switching once the same switching of the operating state as that determined based on the above-indicated one of the switching lines is determined based on the other switching lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Kuwahara, Masato Kaigawa
  • Patent number: 7885729
    Abstract: A control target value calculation portion (42) calculates a control target value for an engine (32) based on a control instruction amount requested by a driver, which is calculated by a driver's instruction amount calculation portion (14), and control instruction amounts requested by control units such as a driver support amount calculation portion (16) and a wheel stability control amount calculation portion (18). A horsepower conversion portion (44) converts the control target value into a control target horsepower. Meanwhile, an allowable horsepower range calculation portion (40) calculates a target instruction horsepower and an allowable horsepower range based on the information from the driver's instruction amount calculation portion (14). Even when an integrated-control involving multiple control units is performed, a monitor portion (46) determines whether the control target derived through conversion is within the allowable horsepower range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Kuwahara, Masato Kaigawa
  • Publication number: 20100305823
    Abstract: An ECU controls an automatic transmission that can be manually shifted. The ECU executes a program that includes i) the step of, when there are a plurality of allowed gears that are allowed at the time of a downshift operation (i.e., YES in S150), continuously determining whether the engine speed NE after a downshift will be in a preset overspeed region for each allowed gear when the second and subsequent allowed gears are lower than an output gear (YES in S152; S151), and when there is an allowed gear that will result in the engine speed NE being in the overspeed region, ii) the step of cancelling that allowed gear (S158). Thus this control appropriately suppresses overspeeding of the engine while executing a manual shift in response to an operation by the driver without bothering the driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Inventors: Ichiro Kitaori, Hiroyuki Sawada, Yoshio Hasegawa, Kazuyuki Shiiba, Toshihiro Fukumasu, Nobufusa Kobayashi, Seiji Kuwahara
  • Publication number: 20100292899
    Abstract: When an automatic transmission is in a manual mode, a transmission ECU calculates a speed sftrng manually requested by the driver and a speed sftrngmap set by a shift map and then performs a shift prohibition procedure. In this procedure, if the engine coolant temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined coolant temperature or the AT fluid temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined fluid temperature, a prohibition, determination flag xthlow is set to “on”, and if the engine coolant temperature is higher than the predetermined coolant temperature and the AT fluid temperature is higher than the predetermined fluid temperature, the prohibition determination flag xthlow is set to “off”. When the prohibitions determination flag xthlow is “on”, the speed sftrngmap is set as the upper limit of the speed sftrng.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ichiro Kitaori, Seiji Kuwahara, Hiroyuki Sawada, Kazuyuki Shiiba, Toshihiro Fukumasu
  • Publication number: 20100274460
    Abstract: Static demand engine torque is converted into dynamic demand engine torque. The dynamic demand engine torque converted from the static demand engine torque is accommodated in relation to the dynamic demand engine torque set in another system. Static demand drive force is converted into dynamic demand drive force. The dynamic demand drive force converted from the static demand drive force is accommodated in relation to the dynamic demand drive force set in another system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOta JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji Kuwahara, Masato Kaigawa, Toshiya Oishi, Shogo Matsumoto