Patents by Inventor Suguru Futamura

Suguru Futamura 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: 10823281
    Abstract: A speed control device includes: a vehicle information output unit that outputs at least two, as vehicle information, of measurement information on forward/backward acceleration of a vehicle measured by an acceleration sensor, forward/backward actual acceleration of the vehicle obtained from an output rotation of an automatic transmission, and a traveling driving force based on a driving force output by a driving source and an air resistance acting on the vehicle; and a setting unit that selects a shift mode by comparing the vehicle information with a predetermined selection threshold and sets a shift point for controlling the automatic transmission provided in the vehicle based on the shift mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Suguru Futamura
  • Publication number: 20190331214
    Abstract: A speed control device includes: a vehicle information output unit that outputs at least two, as vehicle information, of measurement information on forward/backward acceleration of a vehicle measured by an acceleration sensor, forward/backward actual acceleration of the vehicle obtained from an output rotation of an automatic transmission, and a traveling driving force based on a driving force output by a driving source and an air resistance acting on the vehicle; and a setting unit that selects a shift mode by comparing the vehicle information with a predetermined selection threshold and sets a shift point for controlling the automatic transmission provided in the vehicle based on the shift mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Suguru FUTAMURA
  • Patent number: 8473139
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle driving apparatus includes a clutch control device and an automatic transmission control device that are connected to mutually communicate. The clutch control device sends a request to wait gear shift to the automatic transmission control device while front clutch operation is in preparation. The automatic transmission control device that receives the request to wait gear shift determines whether priority is given to engaging or disengaging the front clutch or to shifting gears of the automatic transmission. The automatic transmission control device that is determined to give priority to the front clutch operation sends out a gear shift in stand-by state signal to the clutch control device while maintaining the automatic transmission in a gear shift prepared state. The clutch control device that receives the gear shift in progress signal restrains the front clutch from engaging or disengaging while maintaining the front clutch in an operation prepared state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Suguru Futamura
  • Patent number: 8277361
    Abstract: A control apparatus of a transmission for a vehicle, which includes an electric generator provided between an engine and the transmission and regenerating electricity when torque is transmitted from a drive shaft of the vehicle via the transmission in a braking condition, includes a releasing speed measuring unit, an up-shifting operation allowing unit and an up-shifting operation restraining unit. The releasing speed measuring unit measures a releasing speed of an accelerator pedal. The up-shifting operation allowing unit is applied to allow an up-shifting operation under the accelerator pedal being released when a releasing speed of the accelerator pedal is lower than a first threshold value. The up-shifting operation restraining unit is applied to restrain the up-shifting operation under the accelerator pedal being released when the releasing speed of the accelerator pedal is equal to or lower than the first threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Hino Motors, Ltd.
    Inventors: Suguru Futamura, Ryutaro Hosoya, Satoru Sibata
  • Publication number: 20090192020
    Abstract: A control apparatus of a transmission for a vehicle, which includes an electric generator provided between an engine and the transmission and regenerating electricity when torque is transmitted from a drive shaft of the vehicle via the transmission in a braking condition, includes a releasing speed measuring unit, an up-shifting operation allowing unit and an up-shifting operation restraining unit. The releasing speed measuring unit measures a releasing speed of an accelerator pedal. The up-shifting operation allowing unit is applied to allow an up-shifting operation under the accelerator pedal being released when a releasing speed of the accelerator pedal is lower than a first threshold value. The up-shifting operation restraining unit is applied to restrain the up-shifting operation under the accelerator pedal being released when the releasing speed of the accelerator pedal is equal to or lower than the first threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Applicants: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Hino Motors, Ltd.
    Inventors: Suguru Futamura, Ryutaro Hosoya, Satoru Sibata
  • Patent number: 6726595
    Abstract: An oil pressure control apparatus for an automatic transmission helps ensure sufficient oil pressure to be supplied to a friction engagement element for performing at least either a first shift stage or a reverse shift stage. Further, the oil pressure control apparatus for the automatic transmission effectively performs pressure adjustment of the oil pressure to be supplied to the friction engagement element upon shifting a neutral shift stage to either the first shift stage or the reverse shift stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Suguru Futamura
  • Patent number: 6616561
    Abstract: A hydraulic control apparatus includes a linear solenoid valve for outputting modulated pressure in response to electric current applied to the linear solenoid valve, a plurality of control valves outputting control pressure in response to the modulated pressure introduced from the linear solenoid valve, a shift valve for switching between the control valves to which is to be introduced the modulated pressure in response to hydraulic pressure supplied to the shift valve, and an ON-OFF solenoid valve for switching the supply of the hydraulic pressure to the shift valve in response to electric current applied to the ON-OFF solenoid valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Suguru Futamura
  • Patent number: 6565474
    Abstract: A hydraulic pressure control device for an automatic transmission in which a single control valve selectively applies control pressure to friction elements includes a control valve and a shift valve. The control valve has a control port from which control pressure is outputted after being adjusted by a linear solenoid valve, and first and second feedback ports to which the control pressure is fed back. The shift valve is positionable in a first position when the control pressure is applied to the first friction element and a second position when the control pressure is applied to the second friction element, and is adapted to lower the control pressure outputted by the control valve in the second position of the shift valve by controlling communication of the control port with the feedback ports. In addition, an ON-OFF solenoid valve switches the position of the shift valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Suguru Futamura, Noriyoshi Kondoh
  • Patent number: 6464611
    Abstract: To reliably establish a shift in a hydraulic pressure control device for an automatic transmission in which a control valve applies a control pressure, by way of a shift valve, to a plurality of friction engaging elements, the hydraulic pressure control device is designed to establish an intermediate shift pattern. The hydraulic pressure control device includes an electronic control unit that establishes shift pattern 3 to produce the second and third gear stages and shift pattern 5 to produce the third, fourth and fifth gear stages in which ON-OFF solenoid valves under energization are combined to produce both the second and third gear stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Suguru Futamura, Noriyoshi Kondoh
  • Publication number: 20020137594
    Abstract: An oil pressure control apparatus for an automatic transmission helps ensure sufficient oil pressure to be supplied to a friction engagement element for performing at least either a first shift stage or a reverse shift stage. Further, the oil pressure control apparatus for the automatic transmission effectively performs pressure adjustment of the oil pressure to be supplied to the friction engagement element upon shifting a neutral shift stage to either the first shift stage or the reverse shift stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Publication date: September 26, 2002
    Inventor: Suguru Futamura
  • Publication number: 20020137587
    Abstract: A hydraulic control apparatus includes a linear solenoid valve for outputting modulated pressure in response to electric current applied to the linear solenoid valve, a plurality of control valves outputting control pressure in response to the modulated pressure introduced from the linear solenoid valve, a shift valve for switching between the control valves to which is to be introduced the modulated pressure in response to hydraulic pressure supplied to the shift valve, and an ON-OFF solenoid valve for switching the supply of the hydraulic pressure to the shift valve in response to electric current applied to the ON-OFF solenoid valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Publication date: September 26, 2002
    Inventor: Suguru Futamura
  • Publication number: 20020002093
    Abstract: A hydraulic pressure control device for an automatic transmission in which a single control valve selectively applies control pressure to friction elements includes a control valve and a shift valve. The control valve has a control port from which control pressure is outputted after being adjusted by a linear solenoid valve, and first and second feedback ports to which the control pressure is fed back. The shift valve is positionable in a first position when the control pressure is applied to the first friction element and a second position when the control pressure is applied to the second friction element, and is adapted to lower the control pressure outputted by the control valve in the second position of the shift valve by controlling communication of the control port with the feedback ports. In addition, an ON-OFF solenoid valve switches the position of the shift valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Publication date: January 3, 2002
    Inventors: Suguru Futamura, Noriyoshi Kondoh
  • Publication number: 20010041639
    Abstract: To reliably establish a shift in a hydraulic pressure control device for an automatic transmission in which a control valve applies a control pressure, by way of a shift valve, to a plurality of friction engaging elements, the hydraulic pressure control device is designed to establish an intermediate shift pattern. The hydraulic pressure control device includes an electronic control unit that establishes shift pattern 3 to produce the second and third gear stages and shift pattern 5 to produce the third, fourth and fifth gear stages in which ON-OFF solenoid valves under energization are combined to produce both the second and third gear stages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2001
    Publication date: November 15, 2001
    Inventors: Suguru Futamura, Noriyoshi Kondoh
  • Patent number: 6077188
    Abstract: A lock-up control method of an automatic transmission for making the optimum lock-up control correspond to a shift control. In the lock-up control method of the automatic transmission in which the fastening force of a lock-up clutch is temporarily dropped to cause the lock-up clutch to slip in shifting the automatic transmission, the maximum value of a rate of change of speed of an input element is found while shifting the automatic transmission, the fastening force of the lock-up clutch is corrected so that a deviation between the maximum value and a target rate of change of speed of the input element is zeroed and the lock-up clutch is fastened by the corrected fastening force in the next shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Suguru Futamura, Masato Shimei
  • Patent number: 5860499
    Abstract: A power take off device for an automatic transmission for taking off auxiliary power has a power take off switch which turns on the power take off device. The automatic transmission includes a torque converter and a lock-up clutch. The torque converter is connected to the power take off device when the power take off switch is turned on. The automatic transmission includes a lock-up control valve operating the lock-up clutch and a 1-2 shift valve for changing gear speed from a first stage to a second stage. The 1-2 shift valve supplies line pressure to the lock-up control valve when the shift lever is in the neutral position or the parking position and cuts off line pressure supplied to the lock-up control valve when the 1-2 shift valve is in the first stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1999
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Onimaru, Suguru Futamura, Kokichi Kato
  • Patent number: 5707318
    Abstract: An automatic transmission control device for use in controlling an automatic transmission that includes a plurality of friction engaging devices disposed between the rotational shaft of the engine and the output shaft in order to control gear ratios includes a control device which controls the engaging operation and the disengaging operation of each of the friction engaging devices. The control device changes the time when the engagement side friction engaging device begins to engage based on the gear ratio from which the power-on down shift operation is being made and the gear ratio to which the power-on down shift operation is being made. Thus, in the case of a 4.fwdarw.2 power-on down shift operation the time when the engagement side friction engaging device begins to engage is longer than during a 3.fwdarw.2 power-on down shift operation. In this way, temporary increases in the engine rotational speed are prevented and shift shock is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1998
    Assignee: Aisin Sekiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Shimei, Suguru Futamura
  • Patent number: 5697860
    Abstract: An automatic transmission includes the transmission control device which sets a control time upon changeover from the second gear condition to the third gear condition during which the brake device is maintained in the engaged condition until changing to the disengaged condition. The transmission control device also adds a compensating time to the control time upon changeover from the second gear condition to the third gear condition in certain circumstances such as when changeover from the second gear condition to the third gear condition follows operation under the first gear condition, and when change over from the second gear condition to the third gear condition follows vehicle operation under the second gear condition for a period exceeding a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Shimei, Suguru Futamura