Patents by Inventor Shinichi Kitajima
Shinichi Kitajima 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).
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Publication number: 20040176211Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle includes an engine and a motor as power sources of the hybrid vehicle, an energy storage device for storing electrical energy converted, by the motor, from the output power of the engine or the kinetic energy of the hybrid vehicle, and a control device which is adapted to obtain, at every stop of the hybrid vehicle, a first difference between the state of charge of the energy storage device at the immediately previous stop of the hybrid vehicle and the current state of charge, and to change an amount of power generation by the motor depending on the first difference when driving of the hybrid vehicle is not performed by the motor or when a regenerative deceleration operation is not performed by the motor.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2003Publication date: September 9, 2004Inventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Tomohiro Shibata, Asao Ukai, Yasuo Nakamoto
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Patent number: 6763707Abstract: A failure determination system and method for an internal combustion engine and an engine control unit are provided which are capable of properly determining a failure of a variable valve mechanism for inactivating a valve system associated with at least one of cylinders during a predetermined operation of the engine, by discriminating a misfire caused by the failure of the mechanism from a normal misfire. Fuel injection valves inject fuel for each cylinder and oxygen concentration of exhaust gases is detected. A misfire condition is detected on a cylinder-by-cylinder basis. Fuel injection to a misfiring cylinder is stopped. A failure of the mechanism is determined, when a parameter based on the oxygen concentration detection indicates a richer value of an actual air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gases than a predetermined reference value does, under a condition of the fuel injection being stopped.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2002Date of Patent: July 20, 2004Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Katsuhiro Kumagai, Shinichi Kitajima, Futoshi Nishioka, Toshinari Shinohara, Kan Nakaune, Atsushi Matsubara
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Patent number: 6740987Abstract: A control device for a hybrid vehicle provided with an engine and a motor as driving sources, and a storage battery device which stores regenerative energy obtained by output from the engine or by regenerative operation of the motor during deceleration of the vehicle. The control device includes: a vehicle speed detection unit which detects speed of the vehicle; a deceleration fuel cut determination unit which determines whether supply of fuel to the engine is stopped during deceleration of the vehicle; and a brake detection unit which detects operation of a brake, wherein regenerative braking is stopped when operation of the brake is detected by the brake detection unit if the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection unit is lower than a predetermined speed and if it is determined by the deceleration fuel cut determination unit that the supply of fuel to the engine is not stopped.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2002Date of Patent: May 25, 2004Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Atsushi Izumiura, Katsuhiro Kumagai, Asao Ukai, Shigetaka Kuroda
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Patent number: 6739122Abstract: The present invention provides an air-fuel ratio feedback control apparatus for an internal-combustion engine. The apparatus includes an air-fuel ratio detector that is disposed in an exhaust system of the engine so as to detect an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas, NOx purifier for purifying NOx contained in the exhaust gas during a lean operation and feedback controller for making a feedback control upon an air-fuel ratio of air-fuel mixture to be supplied to the engine based on an output of the air-fuel ratio detector. A diagnostic system diagnoses the NOx purifier based on an output of an O2 sensor disposed downstream of the NOx purifier when the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture to be supplied to the engine has been changed from lean to rich and gain changer for making a feedback control gain of the feedback controller smaller when the air-fuel ratio is changed from lean to rich.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2002Date of Patent: May 25, 2004Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Asao Ukai, Shigetaka Kuroda, Futoshi Nishioka
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Patent number: 6717378Abstract: A control system for preventing a sudden change in the passengers' feeling for the acceleration. After determining whether the assistance using the motor is permitted with respect to each of different control modes, an amount of assistance for each mode is calculated. If the output assistance is permitted in any mode, the maximum amount of assistance is selected, and a previous value of the maximum amount of assistance is compared with the current value of the maximum amount of assistance. A shift value is obtained by subtracting a predetermined assistance value from the previous value when the current value is less than the previous value, and the amount of assistance is set to the shift value until the shift value becomes equal to or less than the current value, so as to gradually shift the amount of assistance from the previous value to the current value.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2002Date of Patent: April 6, 2004Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Atsushi Matsubara, Teruo Wakashiro, Toshinari Shinohara
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Patent number: 6702052Abstract: A control apparatus of a hybrid vehicle is provided, capable of charging the battery device when the state of charge of the battery device tends to decrease and the initial state of charge of the battery device is reduced by a predetermined amount. The present device comprises a lower limit threshold value setting device S060, an upper limit threshold value setting device for setting the lower limit and upper limit threshold values, respectively, of the discharge amount of the battery device, a mode setting device S054 for increasing the state of charge when the state of charge is reduced to the lower limit threshold value, a mode setting release device S062 for releasing the mode setting changed by the mode setting device, and a discharge depth detecting device S063 for detecting the discharge amount of the present state of charge by comparison with the initial state of charge.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2000Date of Patent: March 9, 2004Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Shigetaka Kuroda, Shinichi Kitajima, Kazutomo Sawamura, Atsushi Izumiura, Yasuo Nakamoto, Hideyuki Oki, Kan Nakaune
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Patent number: 6698187Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying apparatus for an internal-combustion engine, including a three-way catalyst, nitrogen oxide purifier that is disposed downstream of the three-way catalyst, an upstream oxygen sensor that is disposed between the three-way catalyst and the nitrogen oxide purifier, and a downstream oxygen sensor that is disposed downstream of the nitrogen oxide purifier. An abnormality determination criterion is set in accordance with the exhaust gas amount of the internal-combustion engine wherein the criterion is equivalent to a time period until the output of the downstream oxygen density sensor is read since the output of the upstream oxygen density sensor is changed to rich after the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas was over from lean to rich. Any abnormality of the nitrogen oxide purifier is determined when the output of the downstream oxygen density sensor has been changed to rich before the time period represented by the criterion elapses.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2002Date of Patent: March 2, 2004Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Futoshi Nishioka, Atsushi Izumiura, Shinichi Kitajima, Shigetaka Kuroda
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Patent number: 6687603Abstract: In an assist control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle comprising an engine as a drive source of the vehicle, and a motor assisting drive of the engine in accordance with driving conditions of the vehicle, the engine is a cylinder deactivating engine switchable between a normal operation and a cylinder deactivating operation, and there is provided a cylinder resumption assist judgment device which judges whether the drive of the engine should be assisted by the motor, when the engine shifts from the cylinder deactivating operation to the normal operation, and when the cylinder resumption assist judgment device judges a resumption from the cylinder deactivated condition, and judges that a throttle opening is larger than a predetermined value, drive of the engine is assisted by the motor.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2002Date of Patent: February 3, 2004Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Toshinari Shinohara, Yasuo Nakamoto, Shigeo Hidai
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Patent number: 6651436Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle of the present invention determines whether a brake switch flag F_BKSW is “1” or not (step S101), and in the case where the brake is on (“yes”), obtains a deceleration regeneration computation value DECRGN by table retrieval from a #REGENBR table. In the case where the brake is off (“no”), it is determined whether a fuel supply cut delay time regeneration flag F_RGNFCD is “1” or not (step S104). In the case where regeneration is not performed in the fuel supply cut delay time (“no”), a deceleration regeneration computation value DECRGN is obtained by table retrieval from a #REGEN table (step S105). On the other hand, in the case where regeneration is performed in the fuel supply cut delay time (“yes”), a deceleration regeneration computation value DECRGN is obtained by table retrieval from a #RGNNFCD table (step S106).Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2002Date of Patent: November 25, 2003Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Atsushi Izumiura, Asao Ukai, Shinichi Kitajima, Futoshi Nishioka, Fumihiko Konno
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Patent number: 6641501Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control apparatus is provided, wherein an unpleasant sensation is not imparted to a driver depressing an accelerator pedal at the time of departure. In a hybrid vehicle control apparatus with an engine and a motor as the drive sources, and a battery for storing electrical energy from the engine or the kinetic energy of the vehicle converted by the motor, the vehicle is provided with an automatic transmission. Moreover, there is provided a discharge suppression mode which suppresses discharge from the remaining battery charge detected by a battery ECU, and a charge/discharge permit mode which permits charge/discharge of the battery. At a time of vehicle departure, departure assistance is performed only when a degree of throttle opening showing an acceleration intention of the driver exceeds a determination threshold which is larger than a determination threshold for at the time of the discharge/charge permit mode.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2002Date of Patent: November 4, 2003Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Shigetaka Kuroda, Atsushi Izumiura, Atsushi Matsubara, Takashi Kiyomiya
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Patent number: 6622697Abstract: An engine idling control device includes a secondary air supply device, an intake gauge pressure detecting unit and a secondary air supply control unit. The secondary air supply device is disposed on a bypass intake passage communicating with an intake pipe and bypassing a throttle valve. The intake gauge pressure detecting unit detects an intake gauge pressure on the intake pipe side. The secondary air supply control unit controls the secondary air supply device so as to open and close the bypass intake passage when an engine is in an idling state. The secondary air supply device is controlled to obtain the optional opening value. The secondary air supply control unit controls such that the secondary air supply device increases the opening value when the intake gauge pressure becomes higher than a predetermined low load condition in an idling state.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2000Date of Patent: September 23, 2003Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hideyuki Oki, Atsushi Izumiura, Asao Ukai, Shinichi Kitajima, Atsushi Matsubara, Yasuo Nakamoto
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Patent number: 6621244Abstract: Conditions for permitting operation of vibration control are that; a stored charge of a battery 17 for an electric motor detected by storage state monitoring devices 15 and 24 is larger than a predetermined storage charge threshold, a vehicle's engine is idling, engine speed is within a prescribed range, and engine load is within a prescribed range. When all these conditions are satisfied, vibration damping control by a vibration damping control device is performed.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2002Date of Patent: September 16, 2003Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takashi Kiyomiya, Atsushi Izumiura, Shinichi Kitajima, Shigetaka Kuroda, Kazutomo Sawamura, Atsushi Matsubara, Hideyuki Oki, Kan Nakaune
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Patent number: 6621175Abstract: An engine control system for a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and an electric motor as driving force sources, for permitting stopping and starting of the engine in accordance with predetermined drive conditions. The system includes a booster for receiving a negative pressure supplied by an operation of the engine, a pressure detector for detecting a pressure supplied to the brake booster, a throttle-opening state detector for detecting a throttle opening state and an engine-operation enable/disable determining device for determining whether or not to operate the engine when the engine is stopped, based on the throttle opening state detected by the throttle-opening-state detector and the pressure detected by the pressure detector.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2000Date of Patent: September 16, 2003Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shigetaka Kuroda, Atsushi Izumiura, Shinichi Kitajima, Atsushi Matsubara
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Patent number: 6616570Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control apparatus is provided which can improve fuel consumption. There is provided: a cylinder cut-off determination section for determining whether all cylinders should be cut off; a cylinder cut-off cancellation determination section for determining whether cylinder cut-off cancellation conditions have been satisfied; a cylinder cut-off execution section for operating a spool valve when the cylinder cut-off determination section determines that cylinder cut-off is possible; and a cylinder cut-off control section for cutting off the cylinders of the engine based on the operating conditions of the cylinder cut-off determination section, the cylinder cut-off cancellation determination section and the cylinder cut-off execution section.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2002Date of Patent: September 9, 2003Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Toshinari Shinohara, Yasuo Nakamoto, Shigeo Hidai
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Patent number: 6611115Abstract: In order to effectively prevent generation of a counter electromotive voltage during cruising, the present invention provides a control system of a hybrid vehicle comprising an engine, motor, and a capacitor, including an engine rotational speed sensor for detecting the engine rotational speed NE, a target voltage setting device for setting a charge target voltage (target capacitor voltage), and a motor ECU for controlling the charge of said power storage unit. A target capacitor voltage VCAPCMD is set based on the detected engine rotational speed NE (step S300), and when the capacitor voltage VCAP<the target capacitor voltage VCAPCMD (step S311 is “YES”), a charging operation is executed until the target capacitor voltage VCAPCMD≦the capacitor voltage VCAP. Thereby, it is possible to maintain the counter electromotive voltage<the capacitor voltage.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2001Date of Patent: August 26, 2003Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Izumiura, Atsushi Matsubara, Hideyuki Oki, Shinichi Kitajima, Yasuo Nakamoto
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Publication number: 20030110845Abstract: A failure determination system and method for an internal combustion engine and an engine control unit are provided which are capable of properly determining a failure of a variable valve mechanism for inactivating a valve system associated with at least one of cylinders during a predetermined operation of the engine, by discriminating a misfire caused by the failure of the mechanism from a normal misfire. Fuel injection valves inject fuel for each cylinder and oxygen concentration of exhaust gases is detected. A misfire condition is detected on a cylinder-by-cylinder basis. Fuel injection to a misfiring cylinder is stopped. A failure of the mechanism is determined, when a parameter based on the oxygen concentration detection indicates a richer value of an actual air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gases than a predetermined reference value does, under a condition of the fuel injection being stopped.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2002Publication date: June 19, 2003Applicant: HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Katsuhiro Kumagai, Shinichi Kitajima, Futoshi Nishioka, Toshinari Shinohara, Kan Nakaune, Atsushi Matsubara
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Publication number: 20030107335Abstract: A control system for preventing a sudden change in the passengers' feeling for the acceleration. After determining whether the assistance using the motor is permitted with respect to each of different control modes, an amount of assistance for each mode is calculated. If the output assistance is permitted in any mode, the maximum amount of assistance is selected, and a previous value of the maximum amount of assistance is compared with the current value of the maximum amount of assistance. A shift value is obtained by subtracting a predetermined assistance value from the previous value when the current value is less than the previous value, and the amount of assistance is set to the shift value until the shift value becomes equal to or less than the current value, so as to gradually shift the amount of assistance from the previous value to the current value.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 6, 2002Publication date: June 12, 2003Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Atsushi Matsubara, Teruo Wakashiro, Toshinari Shinohara
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Publication number: 20030106530Abstract: A control system for an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The engine has an exhaust gas recirculation passage for recirculating a portion of exhaust gases from the engine to an intake system and an exhaust gas recirculation control valve for controlling an amount of exhaust gases recirculated through the exhaust gas recirculation passage. A valve opening amount of the exhaust gas recirculation control valve is detected. A fuel amount to be supplied to the engine is calculated according to the valve opening amount of the exhaust gas recirculation control valve. An average valve opening value, a change rate of which is smaller than that of the detected valve opening amount is used to calculate a correction value for correcting the fuel supply amount. The fuel supply amount is corrected according to the calculated correction value from a time at which an opening of the exhaust gas recirculation control valve is detected.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2002Publication date: June 12, 2003Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Hironao Fukuchi, Atsushi Matsubara
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Publication number: 20030106728Abstract: A method for detecting an abnormality in a hybrid vehicle. The hybrid vehicle includes an engine that can run in a cylinder cut-off state where intake and exhaust valve lifts are made zero, and a motor/generator that functions as both a motor and a generator. The vehicle travels by means of the power of at least one of the engine and the motor/generator and carries out regenerative braking by the motor/generator while running the engine in a cylinder cut-off state during deceleration. When detecting an abnormality in a negative intake pressure sensor or an EGR control valve based on the negative intake pressure of the engine, the engine is prohibited from running in a cylinder cut-off state even during deceleration, thus generating a negative intake pressure and thereby enabling the abnormality detection to be carried out without any problems.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2002Publication date: June 12, 2003Applicant: HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Katsuhiro Kumagai, Futoshi Nishioka, Atsushi Izumiura
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Publication number: 20030102175Abstract: A control device for a hybrid vehicle is provided that can prevent fuel consumption from deteriorating by preventing a battery from tending to discharge if a failure such as being unable to operate a deceleration cylinder deactivation system occurs.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2002Publication date: June 5, 2003Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Shigetaka Kuroda, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Atsushi Izumiura, Yasuo Nakamoto