Patents by Inventor Seiji Masunaga

Seiji Masunaga 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: 20230234591
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle that includes a power transmission apparatus including a frictional engagement element configured to connect and disconnect transmission of a power between a drive power source and drive wheels of the vehicle. The control apparatus is configured to execute a vibration suppression control for estimating torsional vibration of the power transmission apparatus, based on a preformulated vibration model, and controlling a torque of a rotating machine that is connected to the power transmission apparatus, so as to suppress the torsional vibration. The control apparatus allows execution of the vibration suppression control, when the frictional engagement element is in an engaged state, and also when a differential rotation of the frictional engagement element has become smaller than a predetermined determination value even with the frictional engagement element being in a disengaged state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2022
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji Masunaga, Shingo Eto
  • Publication number: 20230226864
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an electrically-operated vehicle that includes an electric motor serving as one of at least one drive power source. The control apparatus includes a vibration-suppression control portion configured to execute a vibration suppression control for causing the electric motor to output a vibration suppression torque by which vibration of the electrically-operated vehicle is to be suppressed. The vibration-suppression control portion is configured to determine whether the electrically-operated vehicle is in a towing state in which the electrically-operated vehicle runs while towing a towed vehicle, or not, and is configured to make a vibration suppression capacity of the vibration suppression control higher when determining that the electrically-operated vehicle is in the towing state, than when determining that the electrically-operated vehicle is not in the towing state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2022
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji MASUNAGA, Shingo ETO, Yoshio HASEGAWA, Shingo OKAYA
  • Publication number: 20230219573
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid electrically-operated vehicle that includes an engine, a rotating machine, a transmission apparatus and an engine connection/disconnection device which is to be engaged to connect a power transmission between the engine and the transmission apparatus and which is to be released to disconnect the power transmission between the engine and the transmission apparatus. The control apparatus executes a vibration suppression control by using a first vibration model in which the engine connection/disconnection device is engaged and a second vibration model in which the engine connection/disconnection device is released, such that the vibration suppression control is executed also during a switch control for switching between an engine driving mode and a motor driving mode, by using one of the first and second vibration models which is used in execution of the vibration suppression control before start of the execution of the switch control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2022
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji MASUNAGA, Shingo ETO
  • Patent number: 10634244
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle includes an electronic control unit configured to increase a disengagement-side instructed pressure such that an input rotation speed decreases when overspeeding of the input shaft occurs during a coast downshift of an automatic transmission. Overspeeding of the input shaft in a disengagement-side element that forms a gear stage before a downshift having a lower gear ratio than that after the downshift is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji Masunaga, Ayumu Sagawa, Keisuke Ota
  • Patent number: 10295001
    Abstract: A control device of a lock-up clutch according to the disclosure is mounted on a vehicle including an engine, a transmission, a fluid-type power transmitting device interposed between the engine and the transmission, and the lock-up clutch provided on the fluid-type power transmitting device. The control device includes: a controller configured to slip-engage the lock-up clutch when accelerator opening of the vehicle changes in an accelerating direction, and configured to make a slip-engagement amount larger when a state of the fluid-type power transmitting device when the accelerator opening of the vehicle changes in the accelerating direction is a driven state than the slip-engagement amount when the state of the fluid-type power transmitting device is a driving state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki Ando, Seiji Kuwahara, Seiji Masunaga, Tsubasa Kato, Yuki Aratsu
  • Patent number: 10239540
    Abstract: A vehicle control device in a vehicle including an engine and a multi-speed transmission having a plurality of gear positions, each gear position out of the plurality of gear positions established by engaging predetermined engagement devices out of a plurality of engagement devices, the vehicle control device including a shift control portion configured to control release of a release-side engagement device of the plurality of engagement devices and engagement of an engagement-side engagement device of the plurality of engagement devices so as to switch the gear position established in the multi-speed transmission, and an engine control portion configured to provide idling-reduction control of temporarily stopping the operation of the engine based on a predetermined engine stop condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Miura, Seiji Masunaga, Tomohiro Chimbe, Norihiro Tsukamoto, Tomohiro Asami, Yuji Kajiyama, Kazuki Imanishi
  • Patent number: 9981664
    Abstract: A control device includes a controller configured to perform control to increase a rotational speed of a power source when a brake is stepped on and accelerator opening becomes a predetermined value or larger while a vehicle stops, and thereafter, when the brake is stepped off, engage a plurality of engaging units to transmit a power, and start the vehicle. The controller includes: a parameter obtaining unit configured to obtain a parameter indicating requested acceleration when the vehicle starts; and a slip control unit configured to perform slip control on at least one of the plurality of engaging units such that difference in rotational speed occurs between frictionally engaging elements and set number of engaging units on which the slip control is performed according to a value of the obtained parameter when the vehicle starts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji Masunaga, Seiji Kuwahara, Takayuki Ando, Yuki Aratsu
  • Patent number: 9975556
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a transmission and an engine configured to input a torque into the transmission. The transmission has multiple transmission stages and includes a first engagement mechanism and a second engagement mechanism. The control device includes an ECU configured to: (a) control the second engagement mechanism when a second transmission stage is set such that the capacity of torque transmission of the second engagement mechanism is increased and a thrust for separating a first member and a second member of the first engagement mechanism from each other in an axial direction is generated; (b) calculate a decrement in an output torque of the transmission when the capacity of torque transmission of the second engagement mechanism is increased; and (c) increase a torque input into the transmission by the engine based on the decrement in the output torque by controlling the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji Kuwahara, Seiji Masunaga, Takayuki Ando, Yuki Aratsu, Hirotsugu Yoshino
  • Publication number: 20180118222
    Abstract: A vehicle control device in a vehicle including an engine and a multi-speed transmission having a plurality of gear positions, each gear position out of the plurality of gear positions established by engaging predetermined engagement devices out of a plurality of engagement devices, the vehicle control device including a shift control portion configured to control release of a release-side engagement device of the plurality of engagement devices and engagement of an engagement-side engagement device of the plurality of engagement devices so as to switch the gear position established in the multi-speed transmission, and an engine control portion configured to provide idling-reduction control of temporarily stopping the operation of the engine based on a predetermined engine stop condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi MIURA, Seiji MASUNAGA, Tomohiro CHIMBE, Norihiro TSUKAMOTO, Tomohiro ASAMI, Yuji KAJIYAMA, Kazuki IMANISHI
  • Publication number: 20180031121
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle includes an electronic control unit configured to increase a disengagement-side instructed pressure such that an input rotation speed decreases when overspeeding of the input shaft occurs during a coast downshift of an automatic transmission. Overspeeding of the input shaft in a disengagement-side element that forms a gear stage before a downshift having a lower gear ratio than that after the downshift is suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji MASUNAGA, Ayumu SAGAWA, Keisuke OTA
  • Publication number: 20170129490
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a transmission and an engine configured to input a torque into the transmission. The transmission has multiple transmission stages and includes a first engagement mechanism and a second engagement mechanism. The control device includes an ECU configured to: (a) control the second engagement mechanism when a second transmission stage is set such that the capacity of torque transmission of the second engagement mechanism is increased and a thrust for separating a first member and a second member of the first engagement mechanism from each other in an axial direction is generated; (b) calculate a decrement in an output torque of the transmission when the capacity of torque transmission of the second engagement mechanism is increased; and (c) increase a torque input into the transmission by the engine based on the decrement in the output torque by controlling the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji KUWAHARA, Seiji MASUNAGA, Takayuki ANDO, Yuki ARATSU, Hirotsugu YOSHINO
  • Patent number: 9643591
    Abstract: A speed change control system for a hybrid vehicle comprised of a first motor-generator, a differential mechanism that distributes a power of an engine to the first motor-generator and to an output member and that changes an engine speed in accordance with a speed of the first motor-generator, and a second motor-generator that exchanges a torque with any of wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Honda, Hitoshi Matsunaga, Souitirou Shimura, Seiji Masunaga, Munehiro Katsumata
  • Patent number: 9500278
    Abstract: With a hydraulic control operation amount generation apparatus for an automatic transmission and a control apparatus for an automatic transmission, a control operation amount at which any desired target packing control execution time can be realized is generated on a hydraulic model by determining formulae of the 2n?2 constraint conditions corresponding to the n hydraulic control phases relating to the packing control of the engagement devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki Ando, Masami Kondo, Seiji Masunaga, Shogo Tsuge
  • Patent number: 9488270
    Abstract: A slip control device includes a control unit configured to: calculate a difference value between a target value and a current value or an estimated value of a difference in a rotational speed between an input shaft and an output shaft of a fluid type power transmitting device, or a difference value being a difference between a target value and a current value or an estimated value of a speed of an engine; calculate an inclination of torque capacity of the fluid type power transmitting device with respect to an input parameter at a current value of the input parameter having correlative relationship with the torque capacity of the fluid type power transmitting device; calculate torque capacity of a lock-up clutch by multiplying the inclination by the difference value; and control a slip amount of the lock-up clutch by using the calculated torque capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji Kuwahara, Seiji Masunaga, Takayuki Ando, Yuki Aratsu
  • Patent number: 9470309
    Abstract: The present invention executes a desired gear shift of an automatic transmission using gear shift modeling even when there are three control inputs to two target gear shift values. Setting torque share ratio as a constraint on the equation of motion for the automatic transmission is suitable for controlling the transfer of engaging unit torque, which is considered to be difficult in variable speed control, and allows solving of the equation of motion. Viewed from a different angle, because the torque share ratio, which represents the torque transfer, has been set as a constraint, any gear shift pattern can be handled with a single gear shift model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji Masunaga, Yoshio Hasegawa, Keisuke Ota
  • Publication number: 20160281804
    Abstract: A control device of a lock-up clutch according to the disclosure is mounted on a vehicle including an engine, a transmission, a fluid-type power transmitting device interposed between the engine and the transmission, and the lock-up clutch provided on the fluid-type power transmitting device. The control device includes: a controller configured to slip-engage the lock-up clutch when accelerator opening of the vehicle changes in an accelerating direction, and configured to make a slip-engagement amount larger when a state of the fluid-type power transmitting device when the accelerator opening of the vehicle changes in the accelerating direction is a driven state than the slip-engagement amount when the state of the fluid-type power transmitting device is a driving state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki ANDO, Seiji KUWAHARA, Seiji MASUNAGA, Tsubasa KATO, Yuki ARATSU
  • Patent number: 9441731
    Abstract: Torque shares that express an exchange of torque are set as a constraint condition of an equation of motion of an automatic transmission, so it is suitable to control an exchange of torque between engagement devices, which is difficult in shift control, and it is possible to solve the equation of motion. In other words, it is possible to handle any shift pattern with the use of a predetermined shift model. Furthermore, at the time of a shift in which two elements are released and two elements are engaged, a first shift and a second shift in each of which one element is released and one element is engaged are carried out, so three control operation amounts are used in each of the first shift and the second shift, with the result that it is possible to solve the equation of motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji Masunaga, Yoshio Hasegawa, Keisuke Ota
  • Patent number: 9410620
    Abstract: An automatic transmission shifting control including: a shifting target value calculating portion setting shifting target values, torque of a rotary-member on the output shaft side, and rate of change of rotating speed of a rotary-member on the input shaft side; a manipulated calculating portion setting manipulated amounts, a torque of the rotary-member on the input shaft side, a torque capacity of one coupling device engaging for a transmission shifting-action, and torque capacity of other coupling devices releasing the shifting-action; a torque assignment ratio calculating portion setting torque assignment ratios to transfer through the respective coupling devices to engage and release the shifting-action; when a second-shifting-action is required during a preceding first-shifting-action according to a first-shifting-model, the manipulated calculating portion switching the first-shifting-model corresponding to the first-shifting-action to a second-shifting-model corresponding to the second-shifting-action,
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shogo Tsuge, Seiji Masunaga, Yoshio Hasegawa, Keisuke Ota
  • Publication number: 20160221577
    Abstract: A control device includes a controller configured to perform control to increase a rotational speed of a power source when a brake is stepped on and accelerator opening becomes a predetermined value or larger while a vehicle stops, and thereafter, when the brake is stepped off, engage a plurality of engaging units to transmit a power, and start the vehicle. The controller includes: a parameter obtaining unit configured to obtain a parameter indicating requested acceleration when the vehicle starts; and a slip control unit configured to perform slip control on at least one of the plurality of engaging units such that difference in rotational speed occurs between frictionally engaging elements and set number of engaging units on which the slip control is performed according to a value of the obtained parameter when the vehicle starts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji MASUNAGA, Seiji KUWAHARA, Takayuki ANDO, Yuki ARATSU
  • Publication number: 20160208913
    Abstract: A slip control device includes a control unit configured to: calculate a difference value between a target value and a current value or an estimated value of a difference in a rotational speed between an input shaft and an output shaft of a fluid type power transmitting device, or a difference value being a difference between a target value and a current value or an estimated value of a speed of an engine; calculate an inclination of torque capacity of the fluid type power transmitting device with respect to an input parameter at a current value of the input parameter having correlative relationship with the torque capacity of the fluid type power transmitting device; calculate torque capacity of a lock-up clutch by multiplying the inclination by the difference value; and control a slip amount of the lock-up clutch by using the calculated torque capacity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji KUWAHARA, Seiji MASUNAGA, Takayuki ANDO, Yuki ARATSU