Patents by Inventor Shintaro Matsutani

Shintaro Matsutani 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).

  • Publication number: 20140195086
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle is provided with an engine, an electric motor, a clutch disposed in a power transmitting path between the engine and the electric motor, and a transmission of a step-variable type disposed in a power transmitting path between said electric motor and drive wheels, a shift position of said transmission to be established after a shift-down action thereof performed in a vehicle drive mode using said electric motor as a drive power source being selected on the basis of an output-related value after starting of said engine, and according to a predetermined relationship, when the starting of said engine is required together with said shift-down action.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2014
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Inventors: Masato YOSHIKAWA, Shintaro MATSUTANI
  • Publication number: 20140195087
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle is provided with an engine, an electric motor, and a clutch disposed in a power transmitting path between the engine and the electric motor, a drive mode of the hybrid vehicle being switched on the basis of a required drive force of the hybrid vehicle, between a first drive mode in which said engine is placed in an operated state while said clutch is placed in an engaged state, and a second drive mode in which said electric motor is exclusively used as a drive power source to run the hybrid vehicle while said engine is placed in a rest state and while said clutch is placed in a released state; and a range in which said second drive mode is established being narrower when a temperature of said clutch is comparatively high, than when said temperature is comparatively low.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2014
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yukihiko IDESHIO, Koji MIYAZAKI, Yuji INOUE, Shintaro MATSUTANI, Yousuke MICHIKOSHI
  • Publication number: 20140148986
    Abstract: A control system for a hybrid vehicle includes an engine and a motor as driving sources, and a controller. The controller reduces at least one of the engine driving force and the motor driving force in response to a request for deceleration of the vehicle, such that the proportion of the amount of reduction of the engine driving force and the amount of reduction of the motor driving force is changed, according to a request for re-acceleration of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masato YOSHIKAWA, Shintaro MATSUTANI
  • Publication number: 20140094340
    Abstract: A controller of a vehicle control device, at the time of shifting from a motor drive mode to an engine drive mode by starting an engine in the motor drive mode, starts the engine by slipping an engine separating clutch and igniting the engine in a state where a lockup clutch of a fluid transmission device is slipped. The fluid transmission device is interposed between an electric motor and a drive wheel. The engine separating clutch selectively couples the engine to the electric motor. Only the electric motor is a drive source in the motor drive mode. The engine is a drive source in the engine drive mode. The controller, at the time of the shifting, reduces a slip amount of the lockup clutch as a period of time from slip initiation timing of the engine separating clutch to ignition initiation timing of the engine extends.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masato YOSHIKAWA, Naoki NAKANISHI, Shintaro MATSUTANI
  • Publication number: 20140080663
    Abstract: When an engine is started in a motor running mode, a control unit performs engine starting control by raising the engine speed through slip engagement of an engine coupling/decoupling clutch, temporarily reducing engaging force of the engine coupling/decoupling clutch after the engine becomes able to rotate by itself, and then fully engaging the engine coupling/decoupling clutch. The control unit advances the intake valve opening/closing timing at an earlier point in time as the motor speed is higher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoki NAKANISHI, Shintaro Matsutani