Patents by Inventor Shigemasa Hirooka

Shigemasa Hirooka 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: 11795884
    Abstract: A control device is applied to an internal combustion engine equipped with an electric heating catalyst system provided with an EHC. The control device executes a preheating process to warm up an exhaust gas reduction catalyst prior to a start of the internal combustion engine by supplying electric power to the EHC, when the control device determines that a temperature of the exhaust gas reduction catalyst is lower than an activation temperature. The control device executes a determination process for determining whether water is adhered to a catalyst carrier. The control device starts the internal combustion engine without executing the preheating process when the control device determines by the determination process that water is adhered to the catalyst carrier, even when the control device determines that the temperature of the exhaust gas reduction catalyst is lower than the activation temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigemasa Hirooka, Koichi Kitaura, Yoshio Yamashita, Shingo Korenaga, Katsuhiro Ito, Hikaru Shiozawa
  • Publication number: 20230094717
    Abstract: A control device is applied to an internal combustion engine equipped with an electric heating catalyst system provided with an EHC. The control device executes a preheating process to warm up an exhaust gas reduction catalyst prior to a start of the internal combustion engine by supplying electric power to the EHC, when the control device determines that a temperature of the exhaust gas reduction catalyst is lower than an activation temperature. The control device executes a determination process for determining whether water is adhered to a catalyst carrier. The control device starts the internal combustion engine without executing the preheating process when the control device determines by the determination process that water is adhered to the catalyst carrier, even when the control device determines that the temperature of the exhaust gas reduction catalyst is lower than the activation temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigemasa HIROOKA, Koichi KITAURA, Yoshio YAMASHITA, Shingo KORENAGA, Katsuhiro ITO, Hikaru SHIOZAWA
  • Publication number: 20230042626
    Abstract: A control apparatus is applied to an internal combustion engine where an EHC and a filter are arranged in this sequence from an upstream side. The control apparatus performs a regeneration process for removing particulate matter deposited in the filter through oxidation, and a recovery process for raising the temperature of exhaust gas to a temperature higher than in the case of the regeneration process and removing the particulate matter deposited at a front end portion of the EHC through oxidation when it is determined that the insulation resistance of the EHC is equal to or lower than a prescribed value. The control apparatus performs the regeneration process and then the recovery process when it is determined that the insulation resistance is equal to or lower than the prescribed value and the deposition amount of the particulate matter in the filter is equal to or larger than a prescribed amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2022
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi KITAURA, Shigemasa HIROOKA, Shingo KORENAGA, Daichi IMAI
  • Patent number: 11532945
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle is provided with a catalyst warmup control part supplying electric power to a conductive base to warm up a catalyst device if the temperature of the conductive base is less than a predetermined temperature and the state of charge of the battery is less than a second state of charge larger than a first state of charge when the state of charge of the battery is equal to or greater than the predetermined first state of charge and a driving mode of the vehicle is set to an EV mode in which at least the output of the rotary electric machine is controlled to make the vehicle run. The catalyst warmup control part sets the second state of charge so that the second state of charge becomes larger in the case where the resistance value of the conductive base is large compared to when it is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigemasa Hirooka, Shingo Korenaga
  • Patent number: 11492941
    Abstract: A controller is applied to an internal combustion engine in which an electrically heated catalyst that is heated when supplied with electric power is installed in an exhaust passage. The controller is configured to perform a preheating process of warming up a first exhaust catalyst by supplying electric power to the electrically heated catalyst through control over a power supply before a start of the internal combustion engine. The controller is configured to, when an insulation resistance of the electrically heated catalyst at a start of the preheating process is lower than a threshold, perform the preheating process while decreasing a voltage supplied to the electrically heated catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigemasa Hirooka, Koichi Kitaura, Yoshio Yamashita, Shingo Korenaga, Katsuhiro Ito, Hikaru Shiozawa
  • Publication number: 20220332305
    Abstract: A control device starts supply of electric power to a catalyst device when a state of charge of a main battery decreases to a value which is equal to or less than an optimal power-supply state of charge set based on a travel load while a vehicle is traveling in an EV travel mode. The control device corrects input electric power of the catalyst device to a value less than the value at the time of starting of supply of electric power when the travel load decreases after the supply of electric power has been started.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigemasa HIROOKA, Koichi KITAURA, Yoshio YAMASHITA, Shingo KORENAGA, Katsuhiro ITO, Hikaru SHIOZAWA
  • Publication number: 20220333516
    Abstract: A controller is applied to an internal combustion engine in which an electrically heated catalyst that is heated when supplied with electric power is installed in an exhaust passage. The controller is configured to perform a preheating process of warming up a first exhaust catalyst by supplying electric power to the electrically heated catalyst through control over a power supply before a start of the internal combustion engine. The controller is configured to, when an insulation resistance of the electrically heated catalyst at a start of the preheating process is lower than a threshold, perform the preheating process while decreasing a voltage supplied to the electrically heated catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigemasa HIROOKA, Koichi KITAURA, Yoshio YAMASHITA, Shingo KORENAGA, Katsuhiro ITO, Hikaru SHIOZAWA
  • Patent number: 11306640
    Abstract: The electrically heated catalyst to which the present disclosure is applied is provided in a hybrid vehicle capable of switching its running mode between EV mode and HC mode and supplied with electrical energy before the internal combustion engine is started. An abnormality detection apparatus calculates an electrical energy parameter relating to the integrated value of electrical power actually supplied to the electrically heated catalyst (actually supplied electrical power) over a specific period of time from the time when supply of electrical power to the electrically heated catalyst is started and detects an abnormality of the electrically heated catalyst by comparing the electrical energy parameter with a threshold. The threshold is set according to the rate of decrease of the charge level of a battery (charge level decrease rate) during a period in which electrical power is supplied to the electrically heated catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigemasa Hirooka, Tsuyoshi Obuchi, Shingo Korenaga
  • Patent number: 11306641
    Abstract: The controller adjusts a voltage applied to the electrically heated catalyst in such a way as to make the electrical power as the product of the applied voltage and the catalyst current equal to a target electrical power and to apply a voltage substantially equal to a specific upper limit voltage to the electrically heated catalyst when the electrical power that can be supplied to the electrically heated catalyst by applying a voltage equal to or lower than the specific upper limit voltage is lower than the target electrical power. The controller calculates an actually supplied electrical energy defined as the integrated value of the electrical power actually supplied to the electrically heated catalyst over a specific period. The controller determines that the electrically heated catalyst is abnormal if the actually supplied electrical energy is smaller than a specific electrical energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Obuchi, Shigemasa Hirooka, Shingo Korenaga
  • Patent number: 11300032
    Abstract: An abnormality detection apparatus calculates an actually supplied electrical energy defined as the integrated value of electrical power actually supplied to the electrically heated catalyst over a specific period from the time when the supply of electrical power to the electrically heated catalyst is started and a target electrical energy in the specific period, and further calculates, from these integrated values, an accomplishment parameter relating to the ratio of the actually supplied electrical energy to the target electrical energy. The abnormality detection apparatus detects an abnormality of the electrically heated catalyst by comparing the accomplishment parameter with a specific threshold. The abnormality detection apparatus is configured to set the specific threshold according to the temperature of the electrically heated catalyst at the time when the supply of electrical power is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Obuchi, Shigemasa Hirooka, Shingo Korenaga
  • Patent number: 11293326
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying device for an internal combustion engine includes: an electrically heated catalyst (EHC) including an insulating member; an insulation resistance detector; and a processor. The processor is configured to: acquire an insulation resistance value of the insulating member using the insulation resistance detector each time a trip of the vehicle starts; and execute diagnostic processing to diagnose the state of the EHC when the acquired insulation resistance value is equal to or less than a reference value. In the diagnostic processing, the processor is configured to determine whether or not there is an insulation abnormality of the EHC, based on an index value indicating the degree of decrease in an insulation resistance value of the insulating member of the current trip with respect to an insulation resistance value of the insulating member of one or more past trips including the last trip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigemasa Hirooka, Shingo Korenaga
  • Patent number: 11199145
    Abstract: A control device comprises a catalyst warmup control part configured to supply electric power to a conductive base to warm up a catalyst device. The catalyst warmup control part is provided with a first estimating part configured to estimate a temperature of the conductive base based on an engine operating state, a second estimating part configured to estimate a temperature of the conductive base based on a resistance value of the conductive base detected when supplying current to the conductive base, and an electric power control part configured to control an amount of electric power supplied to the conductive base when warming up the catalyst device based on a result of comparison of magnitudes of a first estimated temperature of the conductive base estimated by the first estimating part and a second estimated temperature of the conductive base estimated by the second estimating part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigemasa Hirooka, Shingo Korenaga
  • Publication number: 20210222638
    Abstract: A control device comprises a catalyst warmup control part configured to supply electric power to a conductive base to warm up a catalyst device. The catalyst warmup control part is provided with a first estimating part configured to estimate a temperature of the conductive base based on an engine operating state, a second estimating part configured to estimate a temperature of the conductive base based on a resistance value of the conductive base detected when supplying current to the conductive base, and an electric power control part configured to control an amount of electric power supplied to the conductive base when warming up the catalyst device based on a result of comparison of magnitudes of a first estimated temperature of the conductive base estimated by the first estimating part and a second estimated temperature of the conductive base estimated by the second estimating part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigemasa HIROOKA, Shingo KORENAGA
  • Publication number: 20210215078
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying device for an internal combustion engine includes: an electrically heated catalyst (EHC) including an insulating member; an insulation resistance detector; and a processor. The processor is configured to: acquire an insulation resistance value of the insulating member using the insulation resistance detector each time a trip of the vehicle starts; and execute diagnostic processing to diagnose the state of the EHC when the acquired insulation resistance value is equal to or less than a reference value. In the diagnostic processing, the processor is configured to determine whether or not there is an insulation abnormality of the EHC, based on an index value indicating the degree of decrease in an insulation resistance value of the insulating member of the current trip with respect to an insulation resistance value of the insulating member of one or more past trips including the last trip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigemasa HIROOKA, Shingo KORENAGA
  • Publication number: 20210135483
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle is provided with a catalyst warmup control part supplying electric power to a conductive base to warm up a catalyst device if the temperature of the conductive base is less than a predetermined temperature and the state of charge of the battery is less than a second state of charge larger than a first state of charge when the state of charge of the battery is equal to or greater than the predetermined first state of charge and a driving mode of the vehicle is set to an EV mode in which at least the output of the rotary electric machine is controlled to make the vehicle run. The catalyst warmup control part sets the second state of charge so that the second state of charge becomes larger in the case where the resistance value of the conductive base is large compared to when it is small.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigemasa HIROOKA, Shingo KORENAGA
  • Patent number: 10934920
    Abstract: Disclosed is an exhaust purification system for an internal combustion engine applied to a hybrid vehicle that performs EV travel after system power is turned on. The exhaust purification system includes: an exhaust purification catalyst; a heating element configured to generate heat with reception of power to heat the exhaust purification catalyst; a battery configured to supply the power to a motor and the heating element; a sensing unit configured to sense riding of an occupant in the hybrid vehicle; and a controller configured to execute first control to control the supply of the power from the battery to the heating element so that the power of electric energy of a prescribed ratio among activation electric energy is supplied to the heating element when the riding of the occupant is sensed by the sensing unit and a storage amount of the battery is larger than a second storage amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shigemasa Hirooka
  • Patent number: 10895187
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to the present disclosure obtains an electric resistance value of the electrically heated catalyst after the lapse of a predetermined period of time which is a period of time required for condensed water adhered to the electrically heated catalyst to finish evaporating from the start of energization of the electrically heated catalyst, and calculates a heat energy shortage amount which is an amount of heat energy insufficient for raising the temperature of the electrically heated catalyst to a predetermined temperature or above, based on a difference between the electric resistance value thus obtained and a predetermined reference resistance value. Then, the exhaust gas purification apparatus supplies to the electrically heated catalyst an amount of energy required to compensate for the heat energy shortage amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shigemasa Hirooka
  • Publication number: 20200232370
    Abstract: The electrically heated catalyst to which the present disclosure is applied is provided in a hybrid vehicle capable of switching its running mode between EV mode and HC mode and supplied with electrical energy before the internal combustion engine is started. An abnormality detection apparatus calculates an electrical energy parameter relating to the integrated value of electrical power actually supplied to the electrically heated catalyst (actually supplied electrical power) over a specific period of time from the time when supply of electrical power to the electrically heated catalyst is started and detects an abnormality of the electrically heated catalyst by comparing the electrical energy parameter with a threshold. The threshold is set according to the rate of decrease of the charge level of a battery (charge level decrease rate) during a period in which electrical power is supplied to the electrically heated catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: Shigemasa HIROOKA, Tsuyoshi OBUCHI, Shingo KORENAGA
  • Publication number: 20200232372
    Abstract: The controller adjusts a voltage applied to the electrically heated catalyst in such a way as to make the electrical power as the product of the applied voltage and the catalyst current equal to a target electrical power and to apply a voltage substantially equal to a specific upper limit voltage to the electrically heated catalyst when the electrical power that can be supplied to the electrically heated catalyst by applying a voltage equal to or lower than the specific upper limit voltage is lower than the target electrical power. The controller calculates an actually supplied electrical energy defined as the integrated value of the electrical power actually supplied to the electrically heated catalyst over a specific period. The controller determines that the electrically heated catalyst is abnormal if the actually supplied electrical energy is smaller than a specific electrical energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi OBUCHI, Shigemasa HIROOKA, Shingo KORENAGA
  • Publication number: 20200232371
    Abstract: An abnormality detection apparatus calculates an actually supplied electrical energy defined as the integrated value of electrical power actually supplied to the electrically heated catalyst over a specific period from the time when the supply of electrical power to the electrically heated catalyst is started and a target electrical energy in the specific period, and further calculates, from these integrated values, an accomplishment parameter relating to the ratio of the actually supplied electrical energy to the target electrical energy. The abnormality detection apparatus detects an abnormality of the electrically heated catalyst by comparing the accomplishment parameter with a specific threshold. The abnormality detection apparatus is configured to set the specific threshold according to the temperature of the electrically heated catalyst at the time when the supply of electrical power is started.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi OBUCHI, Shigemasa HIROOKA, Shingo KORENAGA