Patents by Inventor Seiyo Hirano

Seiyo Hirano 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: 11958467
    Abstract: A hybrid driving apparatus is provided which enables a driver to sufficiently enjoy a driving feeling of a vehicle driven by an internal combustion engine. A hybrid driving apparatus includes an internal combustion engine that drive main driving wheels, a motive power transmission mechanism transmitting a driving force to the main driving wheels, a main driving electric motor driving the main driving wheels, an accumulator, sub-driving electric motors transmitting motive power to sub-driving wheels of the vehicle, and a control apparatus executing an electric motor traveling mode and an internal combustion engine traveling mode. The control apparatus causes the internal combustion engine to generate the driving force, the internal combustion engine is a flywheel-less engine, and the control apparatus causes the main driving electric motor to generate a torque for maintaining idling of the internal combustion engine in the internal combustion engine traveling mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Isao Toda, Seiyo Hirano, Hideki Sanai
  • Patent number: 11938801
    Abstract: To provide a vehicle drive device capable of effectively driving a vehicle by using in-wheel motors without falling into the vicious cycle between enhancement of driving via the motors and an increase in vehicle weight. The present invention is a vehicle drive device that uses in-wheel motors to drive a vehicle and includes in-wheel motors (20) that are provided in wheels (2b) of a vehicle (1) and drive the wheels, a body side motor (16) that is provided in a body of the vehicle and drives the wheels of the vehicle, and a battery (18) and a capacitor (22) that supply electric power for driving the in-wheel motors and/or the body side motor, in which a voltage of the battery is applied to the body side motor and a voltage of the battery and the capacitor connected in series is applied to the in-wheel motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Isao Toda, Seiyo Hirano, Kei Yonemori, Hideki Sanai
  • Patent number: 11738630
    Abstract: A vehicle drive device uses in-wheel motors to drive a vehicle and includes in-wheel motors that are provided in wheels of a vehicle and drive the wheels, a body side motor that is provided in a body of the vehicle and drives the wheels, and a controller that controls the in-wheel motors and the body side motor based on requested output power of a driver, in which the controller causes the body side motor to generate a driving force and the in-wheel motors not to generate driving forces when the requested output power of the driver is less than predetermined output power and the controller causes the body side motor and the in-wheel motors to generate driving forces when the requested output power of the driver is equal to or more than the predetermined output power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Isao Toda, Seiyo Hirano, Kei Yonemori, Hideki Sanai
  • Patent number: 11718168
    Abstract: To provide a vehicle drive device capable of efficiently driving a vehicle by using a motor without falling into the vicious cycle between enhancement of driving via the motor and an increase in vehicle weight. The present invention is a vehicle drive device (10) having a motor for driving the wheels of a vehicle and includes a front wheel motor (20) for driving front wheels (2b) of a vehicle (1) and a battery (18) and a capacitor (22) that supply electric power for driving the front wheel motor (20), in which the voltage of the battery (18) and the capacitor (22) connected in series is applied to the front wheel motor (20) and the capacitor (22) is disposed between the left and right front wheels (2b) of the vehicle (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Isao Toda, Seiyo Hirano, Kei Yonemori, Hideki Sanai
  • Patent number: 11691496
    Abstract: In a vehicle drive system using a motor for cruising, the connection node of serially-connected first and second batteries is grounded. The operation of an inverter is controlled so that the motor drive voltage is higher than the output voltage of each of the first and second batteries. A battery unit is configured so that third and fourth batteries each in a form of a cartridge are removably loaded, and the loaded third battery is connected in parallel with the first battery and the loaded fourth battery is connected in parallel with the second battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Furukawa, Ikuo Usami, Kazuya Kotani, Seiyo Hirano
  • Patent number: 11643065
    Abstract: In a vehicle drive system using a motor for cruising, the connection node of serially-connected first and second batteries is grounded. The operation of an inverter is controlled so that the motor drive voltage is higher than the output voltage of each of the first and second batteries. A balance circuit balances the charged amounts of the first and second batteries by performing charge/discharge control between the first and second batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Furukawa, Ikuo Usami, Seiyo Hirano
  • Patent number: 11427067
    Abstract: To provide a vehicle drive device capable of efficiently driving a vehicle by using in-wheel motors without falling into the vicious cycle between enhancement of driving via the motors and an increase in vehicle weight. The present invention is a vehicle drive device that uses in-wheel motors to drive a vehicle and includes in-wheel motors (20) that are provided in wheels (2b) of a vehicle (1) and drive wheels, in which the in-wheel motors generate the maximum output power in a high revolutions range equal to or more than a predetermined number of revolutions that is more than zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Isao Toda, Seiyo Hirano, Kei Yonemori, Hideki Sanai
  • Patent number: 11364783
    Abstract: A hybrid driving apparatus includes an internal combustion engine, a motive power transmission mechanism transmitting a driving force to main driving wheels, a main driving electric motor generating a driving force of the main driving wheels, an accumulator, sub-driving electric motors generating driving forces of sub-driving wheels, and a control apparatus executing an electric motor traveling mode and an internal combustion engine traveling mode. The sub-driving electric motor is provided to each of the sub-driving wheels, the control apparatus causes only the main driving electric motor to generate the driving force in the electric motor traveling mode and causes the main driving electric motor and the sub-driving electric motors to generate the driving forces in acceleration of the vehicle at a predetermined vehicle speed or higher, and although the engine generates the driving force, it does not cause the motors to generate driving forces in the traveling mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Isao Toda, Seiyo Hirano, Hideki Sanai
  • Patent number: 11351876
    Abstract: A vehicle power supply system configured to be charged by an electric vehicle (EV) charging station that performs charging with a voltage equal to or more than a predetermined lower limit voltage. The vehicle power supply system includes a battery having a rated voltage lower than the lower limit voltage; a capacitor electrically connected in series to the battery, wherein a sum of the rated voltage of the battery and a rated voltage of the capacitor is greater than the first voltage; and an interface configured to receive electric power from the EV charging station. The vehicle power supply system also includes circuitry configured to receive electric power from the EV charging station, and charge the battery and the capacitor using the received electric power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Furukawa, Seiyo Hirano, Hideki Sanai
  • Patent number: 11345242
    Abstract: A vehicle drive system includes: a power supply in which a battery and a capacitor are connected in series; a primary drive motor to which a voltage of the battery is provided; secondary drive motors to each of which a total voltage (Vin) of the battery and the power supply capacitor is provided; a charging circuit; and a control circuit that controls charging/discharging of the power supply. The control circuit operates switches SW1, SW2 of the charging circuit so as to control charging/discharging of the battery and the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Furukawa, Seiyo Hirano, Hideki Sanai
  • Patent number: 11230183
    Abstract: A vehicle drive system includes: a primary drive motor and a secondary drive motor; a battery; a capacitor that is connected in-series with the battery; a first power line that supplies a total aggregate voltage of the battery and the capacitor; a second power line that supplies a battery voltage; and a third power line that supplies a cell voltage. The first power line, the second power line, and the third power line are configured such that the battery voltage is higher than the cell voltage and that the total voltage is higher than the battery voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Furukawa, Seiyo Hirano, Hideki Sanai
  • Publication number: 20210394737
    Abstract: In a vehicle drive system using a motor for cruising, the connection node of serially-connected first and second batteries is grounded. The operation of an inverter is controlled so that the motor drive voltage is higher than the output voltage of each of the first and second batteries. A balance circuit balances the charged amounts of the first and second batteries by performing charge/discharge control between the first and second batteries.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro FURUKAWA, Ikuo USAMI, Seiyo HIRANO
  • Publication number: 20210394609
    Abstract: In a vehicle drive system using a motor for cruising, the connection node of serially-connected first and second batteries is connected with the connection node of first and second capacitors of an inverter. The operation of the inverter is controlled so that the motor drive voltage is higher than the output voltage of each of the first and second batteries. A balance circuit balances the voltages of the first and second capacitors by performing charge/discharge control between the first and second batteries.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro FURUKAWA, Ikuo USAMI, Seiyo HIRANO
  • Publication number: 20210394606
    Abstract: In a vehicle drive system using a motor for cruising, the connection node of serially-connected first and second batteries is grounded. The operation of an inverter is controlled so that the motor drive voltage is higher than the output voltage of each of the first and second batteries. A battery unit is configured so that third and fourth batteries each in a form of a cartridge are removably loaded, and the loaded third battery is connected in parallel with the first battery and the loaded fourth battery is connected in parallel with the second battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro FURUKAWA, Ikuo USAMI, Kazuya KOTANI, Seiyo HIRANO
  • Publication number: 20210394740
    Abstract: In a vehicle drive system using a motor for cruising, the connection node of serially-connected first and second batteries is grounded. The operation of an inverter is controlled so that the motor drive voltage is higher than the output voltage of each of the first and second batteries. The vehicle drive system is configured so that electric power can be supplied, from each of the first and second batteries, to an electric apparatus mounted in a vehicle other than the inverter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro FURUKAWA, Ikuo USAMI, Seiyo HIRANO
  • Publication number: 20210379979
    Abstract: A vehicle driving apparatus is provided that includes a drive motor, an internal combustion engine, and an electrical generator and can inhibit a weight balance and motion performance of a vehicle from being deteriorated and lowered. A vehicle driving apparatus driving a vehicle by motive power of a motor, the vehicle driving apparatus including a drive motor that is driven by electric power, an internal combustion engine that produces motive power by fuel, and an electrical generator that is driven by the internal combustion engine, the vehicle driving apparatus being characterized in that the drive motor, the internal combustion engine, and the electrical generator are arranged in a vehicle width direction of the vehicle in order of the drive motor, the internal combustion engine, and the electrical generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Isao TODA, Seiyo HIRANO, Kei YONEMORI, Satoshi MARUYAMA, Shinji FUJIHIRA, Wataru KUWAHARA, Tomoya KAKITE, Yoshiaki NOGUCHI, Ryuichiro AMANO, Mitsuhiro HIROTA
  • Publication number: 20210370906
    Abstract: To provide a vehicle drive device capable of efficiently driving a vehicle by using a motor without falling into the vicious cycle between enhancement of driving via the motor and an increase in vehicle weight. The present invention is a vehicle drive device (10) having a motor for driving the wheels of a vehicle and includes a front wheel motor (20) for driving front wheels (2b) of a vehicle (1) and a battery (18) and a capacitor (22) that supply electric power for driving the front wheel motor (20), in which the voltage of the battery (18) and the capacitor (22) connected in series is applied to the front wheel motor (20) and the capacitor (22) is disposed between the left and right front wheels (2b) of the vehicle (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Isao TODA, Seiyo HIRANO, Kei YONEMORI, Hideki SANAI
  • Patent number: 11173858
    Abstract: A vehicle power supply system configured to be installed in a vehicle. The vehicle power supply system includes a battery having a rated voltage lower than a first voltage; a capacitor having a rated voltage higher than the first voltage; circuitry configured to discharge electric charge stored in the capacitor; and a controller configured to control the circuitry to charge the battery by discharging the electric charge stored in the capacitor in response to detection of a collision of the vehicle or detection of a process to replace the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Furukawa, Seiyo Hirano, Hideki Sanai
  • Publication number: 20210300322
    Abstract: A vehicle drive system uses the in-wheel motor for driving the vehicle and has: an in-wheel motor that is provided in a wheel of a vehicle and drives the wheel; an internal combustion engine that is provided in a vehicle body of the vehicle and drives the wheel; and control equipment that controls the in-wheel motor and the internal combustion engine on the basis of requested output by a driver. The control equipment is configured to cause the internal combustion engine to generate drive power and cause the in-wheel motor not to generate the drive power when the requested output by the driver is lower than specified output. The control equipment is further configured to cause the internal combustion engine and the in-wheel motor to generate the drive power when the requested output by the driver is equal to or higher than the specified output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Isao TODA, Seiyo HIRANO, Kei YONEMORI
  • Publication number: 20210300321
    Abstract: A vehicle drive system uses an in-wheel motor and has: a vehicle speed sensor; an in-wheel motor that is provided to a wheel of the vehicle and drives the wheel; an internal combustion engine that is provided in a vehicle body of the vehicle and drives the wheel; and control equipment that controls the in-wheel motor and the internal combustion engine. The control equipment causes the internal combustion engine to generate drive power and causes the in-wheel motor not to generate the drive power when the travel speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor is lower than a specified vehicle speed that is higher than zero. The internal combustion engine and the in-wheel motor generate the drive power in the case where the travel speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor is equal to or higher than the specified vehicle speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Isao TODA, Seiyo HIRANO, Kei YONEMORI