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).

  • Patent number: 6570266
    Abstract: A control apparatus provided in a hybrid vehicle with a combustion engine for outputting a driving force, an electric motor for generating a force for assisting the output from the engine, depending on the driving conditions, a power storage unit for storing electric energy generated by the motor acting as a generator using the output from the engine and electric energy generated by the motor when the vehicle decelerates. The control apparatus includes an output assistance determining device for determining whether to assist the output from the engine by the motor; a generation controller for setting the amount of generation by the motor and performing the generation by the motor when the output assistance determining device determines that the motor is not to assist the output from the engine; and a generation limiter for limiting the amount of generation set by the generation controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Shigetaka Kuroda, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Hideyuki Oki, Hideyuki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6568175
    Abstract: A control system for an internal combustion engine having an intake system and an exhaust system is disclosed. The exhaust system includes a catalyst, and the intake system includes a throttle valve. The engine is mounted on a vehicle having a brake booster to which an intake pressure at downstream of the throttle valve is introduced. The catalyst temperature rise control in which the intake air amount is increased after starting of the engine and the ignition timing is retarded according to a rotational speed of the engine is performed. When a pressure difference between the detected intake pressure and the atmospheric pressure during the catalyst temperature raising control is less than a predetermined pressure, the increased intake air amount and the retard amount of the ignition timing is gradually decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Izumiura, Katsuhiro Kumagai, Takashi Kiyomiya, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Kan Nakaune
  • Patent number: 6561295
    Abstract: A control system and method applied to a hybrid vehicle by which an excessive decrease of the remaining battery charge can be prevented while driving in a traffic jam. In the method, the remaining battery charge of the battery device is detected; and whether the vehicle is driving in a traffic jam is determined; and the charging device is made to charge the battery device if the detected remaining battery charge of the battery device is below a first predetermined value, and if it is determined that the vehicle is driving in a traffic jam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigetaka Kuroda, Teruo Wakashiro, Kazutomo Sawamura, Atsushi Izumiura, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima
  • Patent number: 6550557
    Abstract: A control apparatus provided in a hybrid vehicle having a combustion engine for outputting a driving force, an electric motor for generating a force for assisting the output from the engine, depending on the driving conditions, a power storage unit for storing electric energy generated by the motor acting as a generator using the output from the engine and electric energy regenerated by the motor when the vehicle decelerates. The control apparatus includes: a speed limiter for decreasing the driving force produced by the motor when the vehicle speed exceeds a first threshold value while the engine and the motor produce the driving force; a generation starter for starting generation by the motor when the vehicle speed exceeds a second threshold value which is higher than the first threshold value; and a generation amount setting device for setting the amount of generation, depending on the driving conditions of the vehicle, when the generation starter starts the generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Kazutomo Sawamura, Shinichi Kitajima, Hideyuki Takahashi, Katsuhiro Kumagai, Fumihiko Konno
  • Publication number: 20030041591
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying apparatus for an internal-combustion engine comprises an exhaust gas purifier including nitrogen oxide purifier for purifying nitrogen oxide contained in exhaust gases and an oxygen density sensor located downstream of the exhaust gas purifier. The apparatus further comprises sulfur oxide detector for detecting density of sulfur oxide in the exhaust gas purifier, sulfur-poisoning recovery means for recovering the exhaust gas purifier from sulfur poisoning when it has been determined by the sulfur oxide detector that the sulfur oxide density is high, and a lean operation limiter for limiting the lean operation of the engine to such operation region that is not influenced so much by the sulfur poisoning after the exhaust gas purifier has been recovered from the sulfur poisoning. Deterioration determining means is also provided for determining deterioration of the exhaust gas purifier based on the output of the oxygen density sensor during the lean operation of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2002
    Publication date: March 6, 2003
    Inventors: Shigetaka Kuroda, Shinichi Kitajima, Katsuhiro Kumagai, Futoshi Nishioka
  • Publication number: 20030041592
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying apparatus for an internal-combustion engine comprises 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. Means is provided for setting an abnormality determination criterion 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 turned over from lean to rich. Means is provided for determining that the nitrogen oxide purifier is abnormal when the output of the downstream oxygen density sensor has been changed to rich before the said time period represented by the criterion elapses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2002
    Publication date: March 6, 2003
    Applicant: HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Futoshi Nishioka, Atsushi Izumiura, Shinichi Kitajima, Shigetaka Kuroda
  • Publication number: 20030041590
    Abstract: The present invention provides an air-fuel ratio feedback control apparatus for an internal-combustion engine that can avoid an overshoot of the actual air-fuel ratio when the diagnostic device for diagnosing the NOx purifier changes the air-fuel ratio from lean to rich. The apparatus comprises 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2002
    Publication date: March 6, 2003
    Applicant: HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Asao Ukai, Shigetaka Kuroda, Futoshi Nishioka
  • Patent number: 6529818
    Abstract: There is provided a control device for an engine including an automatic stop and start function, wherein detected data taken prior to an engine stop or results of an operation carried out based on the detected data are retained in executing an engine automatic stop control. In particular, in a case where the technology is applied to an engine including a thermostat proper operation determination function, a thermostat proper operation determination process is constructed so as to continue to be executed in executing an engine automatic stop control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Atsushi Izumiura, Atsushi Matsubara, Kan Nakaune
  • Patent number: 6523626
    Abstract: A control device for a hybrid vehicle is provided, which executes charging of a capacitor when a depth-of-discharge of a capacitor exceeds a predetermined depth-of-discharge which is set based on a vehicle speed. The control device of the hybrid vehicle, provided with an engine, a motor for assisting the output of the engine, and a capacitor for supplying electric power to the motor and for storing regenerative energy, comprises a depth-of-discharge detecting device (S063) for detecting a depth-of-discharge DOD of the capacitor, wherein when the depth-of-discharge DOD of the capacitor falls below the depth-of-discharge limit value DODLMT (053), the capacitor is charged so as to recover the depth-of-discharge of the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Atsushi Izumiura, Shinichi Kitajima, Yasuo Nakamoto, Hideyuki Oki
  • Publication number: 20030034653
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2002
    Publication date: February 20, 2003
    Applicant: HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Atsushi Izumiura, Shigetaka Kuroda, Asao Ukai, Katsuhiro Kumagai
  • Patent number: 6522959
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle that can improve the fuel consumption ratio while providing a good drivability is provided. It is determined whether the temperature of a catalyst in an exhaust system is equal to or below a predetermined temperature, and if this condition is satisfied, a Wide Open Throttle determination degree of throttle opening value for determining whether to carry out the Wide Open Throttle control is looked up in a table. Next, it is determined whether a degree of throttle opening is above the Wide Open Throttle determination degree of throttle opening value, and if this condition is satisfied, it is determined whether a remaining battery charge is equal to or above one within the normal use region. If this condition is satisfied, it is determined whether an engine speed is equal to or above a degree of throttle opening Wide Open Throttle prohibiting upper limit engine speed value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazutomo Sawamura, Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Hideyuki Takahashi, Yasuo Nakamoto
  • Patent number: 6504259
    Abstract: An engine automatic start stop control apparatus controls an engine of a vehicle to be automatically stopped or started in response to driving conditions of a vehicle. Particularly, the apparatus is applied to the vehicle that performs idle stop control for reduction of discharge gas. Herein, the apparatus controls the engine to restart based upon determination for restarting the engine under an engine stop mode. Namely, the apparatus controls the engine to restart if a driver depresses a clutch pedal or if a driver does not depress a brake pedal during an engine stall in which engine speed becomes zero. Thus, it is possible to restart the engine by prescribed operations even if the driver mistakenly recognizes that the engine is stopped by automatic stop control although the engine actually stalls due to an error operation of the driver so that the engine speed becomes zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigetaka Kuroda, Takashi Kiyomiya, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima
  • Patent number: 6478015
    Abstract: In order to prevent an occurrence of dieseling phenomenon, and to prevent engine rotation speed from decreasing during idle operation or the idle operation from being stopped, in step S111, it is determined whether the flag value of an idle stop flag F_IDLSTP is “1” or not. If it is determined that the determination result is “YES”, that is, if it is determined that the internal combustion engine body is stopped, 0% is set to a target purge control valve drive duty value PGCMD (step S105), and 0 is set to the target purge flow rate QPGC (step S106). If it is determined that the determination result is “NO”, that is, when the internal combustion engine body is in operation, PGCMD calculation processing is executed (step S112).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideyuki Oki, Asao Ukai, Shinichi Kitajima, Hironao Fukuchi, Atsushi Matsubara, Teruo Wakashiro, Shigetaka Kuroda, Takashi Kiyomiya, Atsushi Izumiura
  • Publication number: 20020147070
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Publication date: October 10, 2002
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Izumiura, Asao Ukai, Shinichi Kitajima, Futoshi Nishioka, Fumihiko Konno
  • Publication number: 20020142884
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2002
    Publication date: October 3, 2002
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Shigetaka Kuroda, Atsushi Izumiura, Atsushi Matsubara, Takashi Kiyomiya
  • Publication number: 20020112902
    Abstract: A control device for a hybrid vehicle is provided which comprises an all cylinder deactivated operation execution flag F_ALCS for executing the all cylinders deactivated operation, when it is determined that the all cylinders deactivated operation is appropriate by the all cylinders deactivation standby flag F_ALCSSTB for determining the appropriateness of the all cylinders deactivated operation and the all cylinders deactivation release conditions realization flag F_F_ALCSSTP for determining the appropriateness of releasing the all cylinders deactivated operation, based on the all cylinders deactivation solenoid flag F_ALCSSOL for operating a spool valve, steps S110 and S117 for determining an appropriateness of the operation of the solenoid valve, the all cylinder deactivation standby flag F_ALCSSTB, the all cylinder deactivation conditions realization flag F_ALCSSTP, the all cylinder deactivation solenoid flag F_ALCSSOL, and steps S110 and S112.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2002
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Hideyuki Takahashi, Kan Nakaune, Shinichi Kitajima, Yasuo Nakamoto
  • Publication number: 20020115526
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Toshinari Shinohara, Yasuo Nakamoto, Shigeo Hidai
  • Publication number: 20020115532
    Abstract: The invention provides a control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle for generating an appropriate amount of regeneration energy during deceleration. A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle comprising an engine and electric motor for driving the hybrid vehicle wherein the engine comprises cylinders capable of deactivated operations and the motor executes regenerative braking when the vehicle is decelerating. The control apparatus of the present invention comprises a cylinder deactivation determination device for determining whether or not the vehicle speed is appropriate for executing the cylinder deactivated operation, a regeneration amount calculating device for detecting whether the vehicle state is appropriate for regeneration and calculates the amount of regeneration; and further comprises a compensation amount calculating device that compensates the amount of regeneration based on an all cylinder deactivated operation and the engine rotation speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2002
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Hideyuki Takahashi, Kan Nakaune, Toshinari Shinohara
  • Publication number: 20020116112
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2002
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Toshinari Shinohara, Yasuo Nakamoto, Shigeo Hidai
  • Patent number: 6435171
    Abstract: The present invention increases the frequency of the LAF sensor deterioration determination in the case that air-fuel ratio control is being carried out while the deterioration of the LAF sensor is being monitored. When the monitor conditions are no longer satisfied during the deterioration determination of the LAF sensor (as shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 6), the LAF prohibition timer is operated (as shown in (c) of FIG. 6), and switching to a lean burn is prohibited for a predetermined time interval (for example, 7 seconds), and in addition, after the LAF sensor deterioration determination has completed, after passage of a time interval shorter than this predetermined time interval (for example, 2 seconds) (as shown in figures (c) and (d) of FIG. 6), a lean burn is permitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Atsushi Matsubara, Asao Ukai, Hideyuki Takahashi