Patents by Inventor Shinsuke Higuchi

Shinsuke Higuchi 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: 11584353
    Abstract: A control method for a hybrid vehicle includes a generator and an electric motor, the generator being configured to charge a battery by use of power of an engine, the electric motor being configured to drive driving wheels by electric power of the battery. The control method having driving the engine at a first rotation speed when a charging amount of the battery decreases to a first charging threshold; changing the engine to driving at a second rotation speed larger than the first rotation speed when the engine is driven at the first rotation speed and the charging amount decreases to a second charging threshold smaller than the first charging threshold; and continuing driving of the engine until the charging amount becomes equal to or more than a charging end threshold larger than the first charging threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Tomohiro Ariyoshi, Satomi Eto, Kazuma Sengoku, Junji Miyachi, Tetsuya Shinohara
  • Patent number: 11577713
    Abstract: A method for controlling a hybrid vehicle including a battery charged with electric power generated by an engine, including a motor as a drive source, and having multiple running modes that can be selected through a mode operation, the running modes including a normal mode configured to perform charging of the battery according to a running state, and a charge mode configured to perform electric power generation by the engine according to a mode operation, the method comprising: setting a range of charge amount that allows for charging of the battery based on the electric power generated; and setting an upper limit of the range of charge amount in the charge mode to be lower than an upper limit of the range of charge amount in the normal mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Azusa Kobayashi, Keisuke Kawai
  • Patent number: 11535230
    Abstract: A fuel economy display control method for a hybrid vehicle includes driving electric power supplied to a travel motor from a battery is generated by an electric power generation device that generates electric power by consuming fuel. The fuel economy display control method includes an electric power economy computation step in which instantaneous electric power economy according to an output of the travel motor is computed, a fuel economy computation step in which instantaneous fuel economy corresponding to the above instantaneous electric power economy is computed in accordance with an operating state set for the electric power generation device, and a display step in which the instantaneous fuel economy is displayed on a display device arranged inside a vehicle cabin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Kazuhiko Okino, Ryuzou Noguchi, Junji Miyachi, Tetsuya Shinohara
  • Patent number: 11529944
    Abstract: A control method for a hybrid vehicle including a generator and an electric motor, the generator being configured to charge a battery by use of power of an engine, the electric motor being configured to drive driving wheels by electric power of the battery, is provided, is provided. The control method having controlling the generator and the electric motor and accepting mode setting to set any of a normal mode, a regeneration driving mode, and a silent mode, the regeneration driving mode being a mode in which a regenerative braking force caused by the electric motor is larger than that in the normal mode, the silent mode being a mode in which charging by the engine is inhibited, wherein: when the normal mode is set, setting of the silent mode is not accepted; and when the regeneration driving mode is set, setting of the silent mode is accepted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Azusa Kobayashi, Keisuke Kawai
  • Patent number: 11518363
    Abstract: A method for controlling a hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a battery charged with electric power generated by the engine, and a motor as a drive source and having multiple running modes that can be selected through a mode operation. As the running mode, the method for controlling a hybrid vehicle includes a normal mode configured to perform charging of the battery according to a running state; and a charge mode configured to electric power generation by the engine according to a mode operation, the method comprising setting an upper limit of charging electric power based on the generated electric power in the charge mode to be lower than an upper limit of charging electric power based on the generated electric power in the normal mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Azusa Kobayashi, Keisuke Kawai
  • Patent number: 11505070
    Abstract: Provided is an operating state display method in an electric vehicle in which the drive electric power is supplied from a battery to a travel motor. The operating state display method includes an eco-level setting step of setting an eco-level with respect to an operating state of the electric vehicle based on a vehicle speed of the electric vehicle and an output of the travel motor, and a display step of displaying in a vehicle cabin an eco-level gauge configured to expand or contract according to the eco-level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Kazuma Sengoku, Junji Miyachi, Tetsuya Shinohara
  • Patent number: 11465500
    Abstract: A display method for a hybrid vehicle includes displaying an engine icon representing the engine, a battery icon representing the battery, and a flow icon representing an energy flow between the engine icon and the battery icon on a display unit in accordance with a driving state of the hybrid vehicle. The display method includes displaying the flow icon in a display mode indicating that there is the energy flow between the engine and the battery when the battery is charged. The display method includes displaying the engine icon in a first display mode when the engine is stopped, displaying the engine icon in a second display mode when the engine is operated at engine rotation speed equal to or lower than reference rotation speed, and displaying the engine icon in a third display mode when the engine rotation speed is higher than the reference rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Kazuma Sengoku, Keisuke Kawai, Ryuji Kurosaki
  • Patent number: 11434798
    Abstract: A catalyst warm-up control method for a hybrid vehicle includes a battery supplying electric power to an electric motor, the battery is charged by an engine for electric power generation, and exhaust gas discharged from the engine 1 is treated by a catalyst. By the catalyst warm-up control method, when temperature of the catalyst is lower than required warm-up temperature for activating the catalyst, target revolution speed and target torque of the engine are controlled based on a state of charge of the battery, and, when target revolution speed is lower than lower-limit revolution speed at which the catalyst can be heated to the required warm-up temperature, the target revolution speed is controlled so as to be required warm-up revolution speed that is equal to or higher than the lower-limit revolution speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Azusa Kobayashi, Tsuyoshi Ishikawa, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Shinsuke Higuchi
  • Patent number: 11285937
    Abstract: A catalyst warm-up control method for a hybrid vehicle supplies electric power to an electric motor by a battery, to charge the battery by a power generation engine, and to treat exhaust gas from the engine with a catalyst, the hybrid vehicle selecting a manner mode in which power generation using the engine is stopped. The catalyst warm-up control method performs catalyst warm-up control such that when the temperature of the catalyst becomes lower than a normal threshold temperature for activating the catalyst, the target rotation speed of the engine is controlled to a first warm-up required rotation speed at which the catalyst can be heated to a temperature that is higher than the normal threshold temperature. When the manner mode is selected, control is performed when temperature of the catalyst becomes lower than a manner mode threshold temperature that is equal to or less than the normal threshold temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Azusa Kobayashi, Keisuke Kawai, Takashi Kamijo, Tsuyoshi Ishikawa
  • Publication number: 20210213934
    Abstract: A method for controlling a hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a battery charged with electric power generated by the engine, and a motor as a drive source and having multiple running modes that can be selected through a mode operation. As the running mode, the method for controlling a hybrid vehicle includes a normal mode configured to perform charging of the battery according to a running state; and a charge mode configured to electric power generation by the engine according to a mode operation, the method comprising setting an upper limit of charging electric power based on the generated electric power in the charge mode to be lower than an upper limit of charging electric power based on the generated electric power in the normal mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Azusa Kobayashi, Keisuke Kawai
  • Publication number: 20210155218
    Abstract: A method for controlling a hybrid vehicle including a battery charged with electric power generated by an engine, including a motor as a drive source, and having multiple running modes that can be selected through a mode operation, the running modes including a normal mode configured to perform charging of the battery according to a running state, and a charge mode configured to perform electric power generation by the engine according to a mode operation, the method comprising: setting a range of charge amount that allows for charging of the battery based on the electric power generated; and setting an upper limit of the range of charge amount in the charge mode to be lower than an upper limit of the range of charge amount in the normal mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinsuke HIGUCHI, Hidekatsu AKIYAMA, Azusa KOBAYASHI, Keisuke KAWAI
  • Publication number: 20200398816
    Abstract: A control method for a hybrid vehicle includes a generator and an electric motor, the generator being configured to charge a battery by use of power of an engine, the electric motor being configured to drive driving wheels by electric power of the battery. The control method having driving the engine at a first rotation speed when a charging amount of the battery decreases to a first charging threshold; changing the engine to driving at a second rotation speed larger than the first rotation speed when the engine is driven at the first rotation speed and the charging amount decreases to a second charging threshold smaller than the first charging threshold; and continuing driving of the engine until the charging amount becomes equal to or more than a charging end threshold larger than the first charging threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Tomohiro Ariyoshi, Satomi Eto, Kazuma Sengoku, Junji Miyachi, Tetsuya Shinohara
  • Publication number: 20200398819
    Abstract: A catalyst warm-up control method for a hybrid vehicle supplies electric power to an electric motor by a battery, to charge the battery by a power generation engine, and to treat exhaust gas from the engine with a catalyst, the hybrid vehicle selecting a manner mode in which power generation using the engine is stopped. The catalyst warm-up control method performs catalyst warm-up control such that when the temperature of the catalyst becomes lower than a normal threshold temperature for activating the catalyst, the target rotation speed of the engine is controlled to a first warm-up required rotation speed at which the catalyst can be heated to a temperature that is higher than the normal threshold temperature. When the manner mode is selected, control is performed when temperature of the catalyst becomes lower than a manner mode threshold temperature that is equal to or less than the normal threshold temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Azusa Kobayashi, Keisuke Kawai, Takashi Kamijo, Tsuyoshi Ishikawa
  • Publication number: 20200398666
    Abstract: A display method for a hybrid vehicle includes displaying an engine icon representing the engine, a battery icon representing the battery, and a flow icon representing an energy flow between the engine icon and the battery icon on a display unit in accordance with a driving state of the hybrid vehicle. The display method includes displaying the flow icon in a display mode indicating that there is the energy flow between the engine and the battery when the battery is charged. The display method includes displaying the engine icon in a first display mode when the engine is stopped, displaying the engine icon in a second display mode when the engine is operated at engine rotation speed equal to or lower than reference rotation speed, and displaying the engine icon in a third display mode when the engine rotation speed is higher than the reference rotation speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Kazuma Sengoku, Keisuke Kawai, Ryuji Kurosaki
  • Publication number: 20200398814
    Abstract: A fuel economy display control method for a hybrid vehicle includes driving electric power supplied to a travel motor from a battery is generated by an electric power generation device that generates electric power by consuming fuel. The fuel economy display control method includes an electric power economy computation step in which instantaneous electric power economy according to an output of the travel motor is computed, a fuel economy computation step in which instantaneous fuel economy corresponding to the above instantaneous electric power economy is computed in accordance with an operating state set for the electric power generation device, and a display step in which the instantaneous fuel economy is displayed on a display device arranged inside a vehicle cabin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Kazuhiko Okino, Ryuzou Noguchi, Junji Miyachi, Tetsuya Shinohara
  • Publication number: 20200386135
    Abstract: A catalyst warm-up control method for a hybrid vehicle includes a battery supplying electric power to an electric motor, the battery is charged by an engine for electric power generation, and exhaust gas discharged from the engine 1 is treated by a catalyst. By the catalyst warm-up control method, when temperature of the catalyst is lower than required warm-up temperature for activating the catalyst, target revolution speed and target torque of the engine are controlled based on a state of charge of the battery, and, when target revolution speed is lower than lower-limit revolution speed at which the catalyst can be heated to the required warm-up temperature, the target revolution speed is controlled so as to be required warm-up revolution speed that is equal to or higher than the lower-limit revolution speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Azusa Kobayashi, Tsuyoshi Ishikawa, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Shinsuke Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20200384859
    Abstract: Provided is an operating state display method in an electric vehicle in which the drive electric power is supplied from a battery to a travel motor. The operating state display method includes an eco-level setting step of setting an eco-level with respect to an operating state of the electric vehicle based on a vehicle speed of the electric vehicle and an output of the travel motor, and a display step of displaying in a vehicle cabin an eco-level gauge configured to expand or contract according to the eco-level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Kazuma Sengoku, Junji Miyachi, Tetsuya Shinohara
  • Publication number: 20200384977
    Abstract: A control method for a hybrid vehicle including a generator and an electric motor, the generator being configured to charge a battery by use of power of an engine, the electric motor being configured to drive driving wheels by electric power of the battery, is provided, is provided. The control method having controlling the generator and the electric motor and accepting mode setting to set any of a normal mode, a regeneration driving mode, and a silent mode, the regeneration driving mode being a mode in which a regenerative braking force caused by the electric motor is larger than that in the normal mode, the silent mode being a mode in which charging by the engine is inhibited, wherein: when the normal mode is set, setting of the silent mode is not accepted; and when the regeneration driving mode is set, setting of the silent mode is accepted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Azusa Kobayashi, Keisuke Kawai
  • Patent number: 9496734
    Abstract: When completion of timer charge before elapse of a designated time is designated by a timer charge reservation means for allowing a user to designate a predetermined charge time zone and a target amount of electric power to be charged to the battery, a timer charge start time is determined. Upon carrying out the timer charge, when it is predicted that the timer charge and battery heating are simultaneously carried out, a required amount of extension of a charge time period is determined so as to complete charge of the battery by the designated time, and starts charge of the battery at a time advanced relative to the timer charge start time by the required amount of extension of a charge time period. With this control, charge of the battery can be completed at a predetermined time without unnecessary enhancement in a required capacity of a battery heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Yamamoto, Kazuhiko Okino, Hisashi Niioka, Shinsuke Higuchi, Takashi Iimori, Atsushi Takano
  • Patent number: 9136727
    Abstract: When warming-up of a battery is in progress (S12), a battery charge state at the warming-up start time of the battery is set to a battery hold capacity SOChold (S14, S15), and a charge power for the battery is controlled so that a battery charge state SOC is kept at SOChold. When a present time is in a timer charge reservation time (S11), the charge power for the battery is controlled so that SOC becomes a full charge state SOCfull (S17). Even if SOC has a tendency to temporarily decrease due to a rapid increase of heater consumption power just after start of warming-up of the battery, by keeping SOC at SOChold (SOC=SOChold), SOC can reach a full charge state as intended during the timer charge reservation time. A proportion of charge using low-priced midnight power is increased to a maximum then running cost can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Takano, Kazuhiko Okino, Naoki Yamamoto, Shinsuke Higuchi, Takashi Iimori, Tsutomu Soga, Hayato Nagakura