Patents by Inventor Shintaro Tsujii

Shintaro Tsujii 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: 10483841
    Abstract: In a process of cancelling shutdown of a second converter during transmission of electric power between a first power line and a second power line with voltage conversion by a first converter in a shutdown state of the second converter, a motor vehicle performs single element switching control that switches one switching element between third and fourth switching elements of the second converter while setting the other switching element off, such as to prevent an electric current in a reverse direction to an electric current flowing in a first reactor of the first converter from flowing in a second reactor of the second converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shintaro Tsujii
  • Patent number: 10348188
    Abstract: When an abnormality occurs in a first voltage sensor that detects a voltage of a power line on a high voltage side or a second voltage sensor that detects a voltage of a power line on a low voltage side, an estimated voltage of the power line on the high voltage side is calculated based on a detected current of a reactor that is detected by a current sensor that detects a current of the reactor as the detected current, and a step-up converter is controlled using the estimated voltage of the power line on the high voltage side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shintaro Tsujii
  • Patent number: 10291167
    Abstract: A controller is configured to, while the step-up converter is being controlled in a state where a duty ratio of an on state of an upper arm that is any one of the two switching elements is set to 100% such that the step-up converter does not perform a step-up operation, when a modulation factor of the inverter in voltage modulation exceeds a predetermined modulation factor lower than a step-up command issuance modulation factor at which a step-up command is issued to the step-up converter or when a target voltage at the side of the inverter based on a target operating point of the electric motor exceeds a predetermined voltage lower than the voltage at the side of the electrical storage device, reduce the duty ratio of the on state of the upper arm from 100%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shintaro Tsujii
  • Publication number: 20180337593
    Abstract: In a process of cancelling shutdown of a second converter during transmission of electric power between a first power line and a second power line with voltage conversion by a first converter in a shutdown state of the second converter, a motor vehicle performs single element switching control that switches one switching element between third and fourth switching elements of the second converter while setting the other switching element off, such as to prevent an electric current in a reverse direction to an electric current flowing in a first reactor of the first converter from flowing in a second reactor of the second converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shintaro TSUJII
  • Publication number: 20180316259
    Abstract: When an abnormality occurs in a first voltage sensor that detects a voltage of a power line on a high voltage side or a second voltage sensor that detects a voltage of a power line on a low voltage side, an estimated voltage of the power line on the high voltage side is calculated based on a detected current of a reactor that is detected by a current sensor that detects a current of the reactor as the detected current, and a step-up converter is controlled using the estimated voltage of the power line on the high voltage side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shintaro TSUJII
  • Patent number: 10103664
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is provided with: a modulator configured to generate modulation signals; a first corrector configured to perform a first correction process in which a center value of the modulation signals is corrected to reduce a loss in the inverter; a second corrector configured to perform a second correction process in which an amplitude shift and a phase shift of the third harmonic signal with respect to the voltage command signals are reduced; and a controller configured (i) to control the first corrector to perform the first correction process if the DC voltage is greater than or equal to first predetermined voltage and (ii) to control the second corrector to perform the second correction process if the DC voltage is less than the first predetermined voltage, when a number of revolutions of the AC motor is less than a predetermined number of revolutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yamakawa, Shintaro Tsujii, Masaki Okamura
  • Publication number: 20180175776
    Abstract: A controller is configured to, while the step-up converter is being controlled in a state where a duty ratio of an on state of an upper arm that is any one of the two switching elements is set to 100% such that the step-up converter does not perform a step-up operation, when a modulation factor of the inverter in voltage modulation exceeds a predetermined modulation factor lower than a step-up command issuance modulation factor at which a step-up command is issued to the step-up converter or when a target voltage at the side of the inverter based on a target operating point of the electric motor exceeds a predetermined voltage lower than the voltage at the side of the electrical storage device, reduce the duty ratio of the on state of the upper arm from 100%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shintaro TSUJII
  • Publication number: 20180097464
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is provided with: a modulator configured to generate modulation signals; a first corrector configured to perform a first correction process in which a center value of the modulation signals is corrected to reduce a loss in the inverter; a second corrector configured to perform a second correction process in which an amplitude shift and a phase shift of the third harmonic signal with respect to the voltage command signals are reduced; and a controller configured (i) to control the first corrector to perform the first correction process if the DC voltage is greater than or equal to first predetermined voltage and (ii) to control the second corrector to perform the second correction process if the DC voltage is less than the first predetermined voltage, when a number of revolutions of the AC motor is less than a predetermined number of revolutions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshifumi YAMAKAWA, Shintaro TSUJII, Masaki OKAMURA
  • Patent number: 9884568
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle including a three-phase AC motor and a power converter, the control apparatus includes an ECU. The ECU is configured to determine whether a rotation speed of the three-phase AC motor is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold and whether a stopping operation of the vehicle is performed, to determine that the vehicle stops when the rotation speed is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold and the stopping operation is performed, to determine whether the vehicle skids, and to switch a state of the power converter to a state where all on one side of the first and second switching elements are turned off and at least one on the other side of the first and second switching elements is turned on when the ECU determines that the vehicle stops and that the vehicle does not skid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Niimi, Wanleng Ang, Masaki Okamura, Shintaro Tsujii, Keisuke Morisaki, Hideaki Yaguchi
  • Patent number: 9873352
    Abstract: A control system for a vehicle including a three-phase AC motor, a first switching device, a second switching device, and a power converter, is provided. The control system includes a short-circuit detector, and an ECU. The ECU is configured to: (a) control the power converter, when it is determined that the vehicle is stopped, so as to place, the power converter in a predetermined condition in which one of the first switching device and the second switching device for all of the three phases is in an OFF state, and (b) control the power converter when the short-circuit detector detects a short circuit in one of the first switching devices and the second switching devices, so that said one of the first and second switching devices in which the short circuit is detected provides the ON state in the predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Niimi, Masaki Okamura, Shintaro Tsujii, Wanleng Ang
  • Publication number: 20160264001
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is provided with an upper controlling device and a lower controlling device. The upper controlling device has: a first determining device configured to determine whether or not the number of revolutions of a three-phase AC motor is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value and whether or not a stop operation which can stop the vehicle is performed; a second determining device configured to determine that the vehicle is stopped if it is determined that the number of revolutions of the three-phase AC motor is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold value and that the stop operation is performed; and a commanding device configured to output a particular control command for setting the state of a power converter to a particular state if it is determined that the vehicle is stopped. The lower controlling device controls the power converter to be in the particular state after a lapse of a predetermined period from the reception of the particular control command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro TSUJII, Yoshitaka NIIMI, Masaki OKAMURA, Wanleng ANG, Hideaki YAGUCHI, Keisuke MORISAKI, Hichirosai OYOBE
  • Publication number: 20160250946
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle including a three-phase AC motor and a power converter, the control apparatus includes an ECU. The ECU is configured to determine whether a rotation speed of the three-phase AC motor is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold and whether a stopping operation of the vehicle is performed, to determine that the vehicle stops when the rotation speed is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold and the stopping operation is performed, to determine whether the vehicle skids, and to switch a state of the power converter to a state where all on one side of the first and second switching elements are turned off and at least one on the other side of the first and second switching elements is turned on when the ECU determines that the vehicle stops and that the vehicle does not skid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2014
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshitaka NIIMI, Wanleng ANG, Masaki OKAMURA, Shintaro TSUJII, Keisuke MORISAKI, Hideaki YAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20160250947
    Abstract: A control system for a vehicle including a three-phase AC motor, a first switching device, a second switching device, and a power converter, is provided. The control system includes a short-circuit detector, and an ECU. The ECU is configured to: (a) control the power converter, when it is determined that the vehicle is stopped, so as to place, the power converter in a predetermined condition in which one of the first switching device and the second switching device for all of the three phases is in an OFF state, and (b) control the power converter when the short-circuit detector detects a short circuit in one of the first switching devices and the second switching devices, so that said one of IS UPPER ARM the first and second switching devices in which the short circuit is detected provides the ON state in the predetermined condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshitaka NIIMI, Masaki OKAMURA, Shintaro TSUJII, Wanleng ANG
  • Publication number: 20160176295
    Abstract: A vehicle control device that controls a vehicle including a first electric motor that is driven at a rotation speed synchronized with a rotation speed of a drive shaft of the vehicle includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to carry out first determination that determines whether the rotation speed of the first electric motor is lower than or equal to a first threshold and whether a stop operation that stops the vehicle is being carried out, and to carry out second determination that the vehicle is stopped when the electronic control unit has determined in the first determination that the rotation speed of the first electric motor is lower than or equal to the first threshold and the stop operation is being carried out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshitaka NIIMI, Masaki OKAMURA, Shintaro TSUJII, Wanleng ANG, Hideaki YAGUCHI, Keisuke MORISAKI
  • Patent number: 7800347
    Abstract: A control apparatus of a DC-DC converter includes a reactor and a switching element, repeats an accumulation and a discharge of energy of the reactor by a switching operation of the switching element, and converts a direct-current input voltage to acquire a direct-current output voltage. The control apparatus includes: a current value acquiring unit that acquires current values of the reactor in a current rising section and a current descending section of a current waveform of the reactor at a time interval of a half of a switching period of the switching element; and a center value estimating unit that estimates a center value of a current of the reactor based on the current values acquired in the current rising section and the current descending section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shintaro Tsujii, Hichirosai Oyobe, Kenji Yamada
  • Publication number: 20100007323
    Abstract: A control apparatus of a DC-DC converter includes a reactor and a switching element, repeats an accumulation and a discharge of energy of the reactor by a switching operation of the switching element, and converts a direct-current input voltage to acquire a direct-current output voltage. The control apparatus includes: a current value acquiring unit that acquires current values of the reactor in a current rising section and a current descending section of a current waveform of the reactor at a time interval of a half of a switching period of the switching element; and a center value estimating unit that estimates a center value of a current of the reactor based on the current values acquired in the current rising section and the current descending section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2009
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shintaro Tsujii, Hichirosai Oyobe, Kenji Yamada