Patents by Inventor Seiji Nakayama

Seiji Nakayama 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: 20220221050
    Abstract: A shift range control device switches a shift range by controlling driving of a motor. The shift range control device calculate an actual rotation position of the motor. The shift range control device sets a target range according to a required range and a target rotation position according to the target range. The shift range control device controls the driving of the motor such that the actual rotation position reaches the target rotation position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventors: Haruka MIYANO, Kouji SAKAGUCHI, Jun YAMADA, Seiji NAKAYAMA
  • Publication number: 20220190750
    Abstract: A motor control device controls the drive of a motor including a motor winding. The motor control device is provided with an energization control unit and a standstill determination unit. The energization control unit controls the energization of the motor winding in accordance with a detection value of a rotational position sensor that detects a rotational position of the motor. The standstill determination unit determines a standstill of the motor. When a standstill of the motor is detected, the energization control unit controls energization in a change pattern that is an energization pattern different from a preset regular pattern in accordance with the detection value of the rotational position sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Kouji SAKAGUCHI, Seiji NAKAYAMA, Jun YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20220154820
    Abstract: A shift range control device controls a shift range switching system including an actuator, an output shaft, and a shift range switching mechanism. The shift range control device includes a target setting unit, a drive control unit, and an abnormality monitoring unit. The target setting unit sets a target shift range. The drive control unit controls the drive of the actuator so that the engagement member fits into the target valley portion, which is the valley portion corresponding to the target shift range. The abnormality monitoring unit monitors an abnormality. When a stagnation abnormality is determined in which the engagement member does not reach the target valley portion and stagnates, the drive control unit controls the drive of the actuator so that the engagement member fits into the valley portion on the side where the engagement member is returned from a stagnant position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Inventors: Haruka Miyano, Kouji Sakaguchi, Jun Yamada, Seiji Nakayama
  • Patent number: 11333241
    Abstract: A shift range control device includes an encoder count unit, an energization control unit, a learning unit, an energization phase count unit, and an abnormality determination unit. The encoder count unit calculates an encoder count value based on an encoder signal. The energization control unit controls energization to the motor. The learning unit learns a wall position that is the encoder count value when an engaging member abuts on the wall portion. The energization phase count unit calculates an energization phase count value that is counted according to switching of the energization phase. The abnormality determination unit determines an abnormality of the encoder based on the energization phase count value and the encoder count value before and after learning the wall position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusaku Kawaguchi, Jun Yamada, Seiji Nakayama
  • Publication number: 20220060138
    Abstract: A motor control device controls a drive of a motor having a coil, and includes a drive circuit and a control unit. The drive circuit has a plurality of switching elements, and switches the energization of the coil. The control unit includes an energization control part and a current limit part. The energization control part accelerates and then decelerates the motor, and controls energization of the coil so that a rotation position of the motor stops at a target rotation position. The current limit part limits the current during a deceleration control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Jun YAMADA, Seiji NAKAYAMA, Kouji SAKAGUCHI, Haruka MIYANO
  • Patent number: 11236823
    Abstract: A shift range control device for a shift range switching mechanism that is rotatably coupled with a shift actuator and includes a rotation member having multiple recesses and a locking portion rotationally positioning the rotation member by being locked to one of the multiple recesses, controls a motor of the shift actuator to switch a shift range. The shift range control device includes: an angle acquisition unit that acquires a rotation angle of an output shaft of the shift actuator; a valley position learning unit that performs valley position learning for learning, as a valley position, the rotation angle of the output shaft; and a temperature acquisition unit that acquires an environmental temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Haruka Miyano, Kouji Sakaguchi, Jun Yamada, Seiji Nakayama
  • Publication number: 20210356040
    Abstract: A shift range control device switches a shift range by controlling a drive of a motor in which a rotor rotates by energizing a motor winding. An angle calculation unit calculates a motor angle based on a signal from a rotation angle sensor that detects a rotation position of the rotor. An energization control unit drives the rotor so that the motor angle becomes a target angle according to the target shift range, and stops the rotor at a position where the motor angle becomes the target angle, by controlling the energization of the motor winding. A zero point estimation unit estimates a speed 0 point, which is a timing at which a rotational speed of the vibrating rotor becomes 0 during the stop control for stopping the rotor. The energization control unit switches a current control at the estimated speed 0 point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Inventors: Haruka Miyano, Koji Sakaguchi, Jun Yamada, Seiji Nakayama
  • Patent number: 11125324
    Abstract: A shift range control device includes an angle detector, a valley position learner, and a validity determiner. The angle detector detects a rotation angle of an output shaft of a shift actuator. The valley position learner learns the rotation angle of the output shaft when a locker is positioned at a valley bottom of a recess as a valley position based on a detection angle of the angle detector. The validity determiner determines validity of a learning value of the valley position learner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kouji Sakaguchi, Seiji Nakayama, Jun Yamada, Haruka Miyano
  • Publication number: 20210262566
    Abstract: A shift range control device includes an encoder count unit, an energization control unit, a learning unit, an energization phase count unit, and an abnormality determination unit. The encoder count unit calculates an encoder count value based on an encoder signal. The energization control unit controls energization to the motor. The learning unit learns a wall position that is the encoder count value when an engaging member abuts on the wall portion. The energization phase count unit calculates an energization phase count value that is counted according to switching of the energization phase. The abnormality determination unit determines an abnormality of the encoder based on the energization phase count value and the encoder count value before and after learning the wall position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Yusaku KAWAGUCHI, Jun YAMADA, Seiji NAKAYAMA
  • Publication number: 20200386307
    Abstract: A shift range control device for a shift range switching mechanism that is rotatably coupled with a shift actuator and includes a rotation member having multiple recesses and a locking portion rotationally positioning the rotation member by being locked to one of the multiple recesses, controls a motor of the shift actuator to switch a shift range. The shift range control device includes: an angle acquisition unit that acquires a rotation angle of an output shaft of the shift actuator; a valley position learning unit that performs valley position learning for learning, as a valley position, the rotation angle of the output shaft; and a temperature acquisition unit that acquires an environmental temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Haruka MIYANO, Kouji SAKAGUCHI, Jun YAMADA, Seiji NAKAYAMA
  • Publication number: 20200370643
    Abstract: A shift range control device that switches a shift range by controlling driving of a motor includes a plurality of control units and a plurality of motor drivers. The plurality of control units respectively have an energization control unit for controlling energization to the motor and an abnormality monitor unit for performing abnormality monitoring. The energization control unit turns off energization of the own system in a state of temporary abnormality before determining a decisive abnormality when abnormality affecting the other system is detected in the own system while driving the motor by the plurality of systems, and the abnormality monitor unit determines whether a state of abnormality is the temporary abnormality or the decisive abnormality after turning off energization of the own system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Kouji SAKAGUCHI, Seiji NAKAYAMA, Jun YAMADA, Haruka MIYANO
  • Patent number: 10830344
    Abstract: A shift range control device that switches a shift range by controlling driving of a motor includes a plurality of control units and a plurality of motor drivers. The plurality of control units respectively have an energization control unit for controlling energization to the motor and an abnormality monitor unit for performing abnormality monitoring. The energization control unit turns off energization of the own system in a state of temporary abnormality before determining a decisive abnormality when abnormality affecting the other system is detected in the own system while driving the motor by the plurality of systems, and the abnormality monitor unit determines whether a state of abnormality is the temporary abnormality or the decisive abnormality after turning off energization of the own system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kouji Sakaguchi, Seiji Nakayama, Jun Yamada, Haruka Miyano
  • Publication number: 20200325986
    Abstract: A shift range control device includes an angle detector, a valley position learner, and a validity determiner. The angle detector detects a rotation angle of an output shaft of a shift actuator. The valley position learner learns the rotation angle of the output shaft when a locker is positioned at a valley bottom of a recess as a valley position based on a detection angle of the angle detector. The validity determiner determines validity of a learning value of the valley position learner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Publication date: October 15, 2020
    Inventors: Kouji SAKAGUCHI, Seiji NAKAYAMA, Jun YAMADA, Haruka MIYANO
  • Patent number: 10523138
    Abstract: A motor control device includes: a state monitoring unit that detects a power supply abnormality in which a power is not normally supplied to at least one of a rotation sensor and a motor; an abnormality determination unit that detects an abnormality of the rotation sensor based on an output signal of the rotation sensor; and a decision unit that decides whether to confirm the abnormality of the rotation sensor based on a detection result of the state monitoring unit and a detection result of the abnormality determination unit. When the state monitoring unit detects the power supply abnormality, the decision unit does not decide the abnormality of the rotation sensor even when the abnormality determination unit detects the abnormality of the rotation sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Nagata, Seiji Nakayama, Jun Yamada
  • Publication number: 20190103825
    Abstract: A motor control device includes: a state monitoring unit that detects a power supply abnormality in which a power is not normally supplied to at least one of a rotation sensor and a motor; an abnormality determination unit that detects an abnormality of the rotation sensor based on an output signal of the rotation sensor; and a decision unit that decides whether to confirm the abnormality of the rotation sensor based on a detection result of the state monitoring unit and a detection result of the abnormality determination unit. When the state monitoring unit detects the power supply abnormality, the decision unit does not decide the abnormality of the rotation sensor even when the abnormality determination unit detects the abnormality of the rotation sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Inventors: Hiromitsu NAGATA, Seiji NAKAYAMA, Jun YAMADA
  • Patent number: 10234030
    Abstract: A motor controller includes a first forward driver rotating a motor in a forward rotation direction, a torque short determiner determining short of a switch torque, a backward driver driving the motor up to an extreme position in the backward rotation direction in a switch torque short case, and a second forward driver rotating the motor from the extreme position to a target position. When the second forward driver drives the motor, a drive objet is rotated not only by a motor torque but also by a twist backlash torque from a rotation transmission part. Further, after a rotation of the motor in the forward rotation direction, the backward rotation operation of the motor is performed only in the switch torque short case, thereby reducing a shift position switch time in a switch torque sufficient case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Seiji Nakayama
  • Patent number: 9985568
    Abstract: An integrated IC provided in an SBW-ECU has plural functions such as a receiving function of receiving output signals of an encoder and a current supply function of supplying current to each phase of the motor. A microcomputer checks individually whether the signal receiving function and the current supply function are potentially abnormal and checks whether the integrated IC is abnormal based on the check results about the signal receiving function and the current supply function. For example, when it is determined that only the signal receiving function of the integrated IC is potentially abnormal, the encoder is determined to be abnormal. When it is determined that the signal receiving function and the current supply function of the integrated IC are both potentially abnormal, the integrated IC is determined to be abnormal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Nagata, Seiji Nakayama
  • Patent number: 9856945
    Abstract: Each of gear teeth of an external gear has a tooth-bottom portion, a tooth-middle portion and a tooth-front portion. The tooth-middle portion is operatively engaged with an internal gear. A cross-sectional shape of the tooth-bottom portion is formed by a hypocycloid curved line. A cross-sectional shape of the tooth-middle portion is formed by an epicycloid curved line. A cross-sectional shape of the tooth-front portion is formed by a first predetermined curved line, which is located at a position closer to a first pitch circle of the external gear in a radial-inward direction from a reference epicycloid curved line. The reference epicycloid curved line is continuously connected to each of the curved lines of the tooth-middle portion at both circumferential sides of each gear tooth. As a result, the tooth-front portion is so formed that a part of the tooth-front portion is escaped in the radial-inward direction from the reference epicycloid curved line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toru Tabuchi, Seiji Nakayama
  • Patent number: 9847746
    Abstract: A motor control device is provided with a control circuit and a driving circuit. The control circuit switches over a current supply phase of the motor in a predetermined angular rotation of the rotor a first switching number of times in an acceleration range. The control circuit switches over the current supply phase of the motor in the predetermined angular rotation of the rotor a second switching number of times in a stationary rotation range in a specific condition that the rotation speed of the rotor is between a predetermined first threshold value and a predetermined second threshold value. The control circuit sets the second switching number to be smaller than the first switching number. In the acceleration range, the switching number is relatively large and hence a sufficient driving torque is applied to the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Yoshida, Seiji Nakayama
  • Publication number: 20170248229
    Abstract: A motor controller includes a first forward driver rotating a motor in a forward rotation direction, a torque short determiner determining short of a switch torque, a backward driver driving the motor up to an extreme position in the backward rotation direction in a switch torque short case, and a second forward driver rotating the motor from the extreme position to a target position. When the second forward driver drives the motor, a drive objet is rotated not only by a motor torque but also by a twist backlash torque from a rotation transmission part. Further, after a rotation of the motor in the forward rotation direction, the backward rotation operation of the motor is performed only in the switch torque short case, thereby reducing a shift position switch time in a switch torque sufficient case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventor: Seiji NAKAYAMA