Patents by Inventor Taizo TODA

Taizo TODA 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: 11891136
    Abstract: A steering control device includes a transverse gradient estimator configured to estimate a transverse gradient of a road surface on which a vehicle travels; an assisting amount calculator configured to calculate a first assisting amount based on the transverse gradient; a low pass filter configured to perform a low pass filter processing for the first assisting amount, and output the processed first assisting amount subjected to the low pass filter processing, as a second assisting amount; and a motor controller configured to control a motor that generates a steering assist torque, using the second assisting amount. The low pass filter switches a cut-off frequency of the low pass filter between a first cut-off frequency and a second cut-off frequency that is set to a value higher than the first cut-off frequency, depending on whether the second assisting amount increases with time or the second assisting amount decreases with time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Taizo Toda, Masaya Endo
  • Patent number: 11529962
    Abstract: Provided is an autonomous driving assistance system for vehicles that has redundancy without posing any problem in diversity. The autonomous driving assistance system includes: a sensor configured to acquire surroundings information; a downstream device including an actuator configured to control a vehicle; and a driving assistance device configured to calculate a control amount for the downstream device on the basis of the surroundings information. The downstream device further includes a diagnosis unit configured to: perform comparison between at least two control amounts that include the control amount calculated in the driving assistance device and a control amount calculated in the downstream device on the basis of the surroundings information; and determine, if the control amounts are equal to each other, that the control amounts are normal, and determine, if the control amounts are different from each other, that the control amounts are abnormal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Taizo Toda, Akio Numakura, Jiro Okada
  • Publication number: 20210261190
    Abstract: A steering control device includes a transverse gradient estimator configured to estimate a transverse gradient of a road surface on which a vehicle travels; an assisting amount calculator configured to calculate a first assisting amount based on the transverse gradient; a low pass filter configured to perform a low pass filter processing for the first assisting amount, and output the processed first assisting amount subjected to the low pass filter processing, as a second assisting amount; and a motor controller configured to control a motor that generates a steering assist torque, using the second assisting amount. The low pass filter switches a cut-off frequency of the low pass filter between a first cut-off frequency and a second cut-off frequency that is set to a value higher than the first cut-off frequency, depending on whether the second assisting amount increases with time or the second assisting amount decreases with time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Taizo TODA, Masaya ENDO
  • Publication number: 20210122384
    Abstract: Provided is an autonomous driving assistance system for vehicles that has redundancy without posing any problem in diversity. The autonomous driving assistance system includes: a sensor configured to acquire surroundings information; a downstream device including an actuator configured to control a vehicle; and a driving assistance device configured to calculate a control amount for the downstream device on the basis of the surroundings information. The downstream device further includes a diagnosis unit configured to: perform comparison between at least two control amounts that include the control amount calculated in the driving assistance device and a control amount calculated in the downstream device on the basis of the surroundings information; and determine, if the control amounts are equal to each other, that the control amounts are normal, and determine, if the control amounts are different from each other, that the control amounts are abnormal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Taizo TODA, Akio NUMAKURA, Jiro OKADA
  • Patent number: 10913485
    Abstract: Based on the result of determination by a friction transition state determination unit, an assist command value correction unit corrects a basic assist command value in such a way that the hysteresis width of steering torque at a time of turning steering increases; then, a current driving unit controls a motor current in such a way that the motor current coincides with a current command value obtained by correcting the basic assist command value by use of an assist command correction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Taizo Toda, Masaya Endo, Kenji Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20190039641
    Abstract: Based on the result of determination by a friction transition state determination unit, an assist command value correction unit corrects a basic assist command value in such a way that the hysteresis width of steering torque at a time of turning steering increases; then, a current driving unit controls a motor current in such a way that the motor current coincides with a current command value obtained by correcting the basic assist command value by use of an assist command correction value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Taizo TODA, Masaya ENDO, Kenji OGAWA
  • Patent number: 10000235
    Abstract: The steering control device includes: current command value 1 calculation unit 11 which determines current command value 1 based on a vehicle speed and a steering torque; current command value 2 calculation unit 14 which determines current command value 2 based on a filtered differential value of the steering torque; and current drive unit 10 which drives motor 5 so that the value of the motor current matches the sum of current command values 1 and 2. When a first crossover frequency represents the crossover frequency of control open loop characteristics in the steering control device as obtained when current command value 2 is determined using a differential value of the steering torque which has not been filtered, the notch frequency of the notch filter is set to be greater than the mechanical resonance frequency of the steering control device and smaller than the first crossover frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Taizo Toda, Kenji Ogawa, Masaya Endo
  • Patent number: 9896124
    Abstract: A steering control apparatus is obtained which includes an assist instruction-value correction device for calculating, based on a result of a friction transition-state determination device, an assist correction value in order to obtain an assist instruction-value after its correction being made by correcting a basic assist instruction-value so that a hysteresis width of steering torque increases at the time of turn-back steering, and an electric current driving device for driving a motor so that an electric current of the motor is coincident with an electric current instruction-value therefor after its correction being made on the basis of the assist instruction-value after its correction being made; and the friction transition-state determination device determines the friction transition-state by integrating a differential value of steering-shaft reaction torque using an integrator having a limiting function to an upper or lower limit value defined in advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Taizo Toda, Masaya Endo, Yoshihiko Kimpara, Kenji Ogawa
  • Patent number: 9896122
    Abstract: Provided is a steering control device, including: an actuator for applying a steering assist torque to a steering system of a vehicle; a vehicle turning state detection section for detecting a state amount representing a turning state of the vehicle; a steering-holding determination section for determining a steering-holding state of the steering system; a storing section for storing, when the steering-holding determination section determines that the steering system is in the steering-holding state, the state amount detected by the vehicle turning state detection section as a steering-holding determination state amount; a steering assist torque calculation section for calculating the steering assist torque based on an absolute value of the steering-holding determination state amount; and an actuator control section for controlling the actuator based on the calculated steering assist torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masaya Endo, Yoshihiko Kimpara, Kenji Ogawa, Taizo Toda
  • Patent number: 9862406
    Abstract: An initial check is executed individually on each group of a plurality of groups constituted by a plurality of multiphase windings (3a, 3b) of a motor (3) and a plurality of inverter circuits (9a, 9b) corresponding respectively thereto, opening/closing control is executed on a plurality of relays (6a, 6b) in accordance with an implementation result of the initial check so that respective timings at which power is supplied to the plurality of inverter circuits are offset, and drive control is executed on the plurality of inverter circuits in accordance with the implementation result of the initial check so that respective currents passed through the plurality of multiphase windings are offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Taizo Toda, Jiro Okada
  • Patent number: 9738307
    Abstract: Provided are a steering control device and the like, including the steps of: calculating a steering assist torque to be applied to an actuator for applying the steering assist torque to a steering system of a vehicle in order to improve return characteristics of the steering system; determining a steering state of a driver; correcting the steering assist torque depending on a result of the steering state determination; and controlling the actuator depending on the corrected steering assist torque, in which the step of determining a steering state of a driver includes determining the steering state of the driver based on a combination of at least two of the following: a manually-operating steering state determination; an abrupt steering wheel return determination; a high-acceleration steering wheel return determination; a manual return steering determination; and an additional-steering determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masaya Endo, Hidetoshi Ikeda, Isao Kezobo, Kenji Ogawa, Taizo Toda
  • Publication number: 20170217484
    Abstract: The steering control device includes: current command value 1 calculation unit 11 which determines current command value 1 based on a vehicle speed and a steering torque; current command value 2 calculation unit 14 which determines current command value 2 based on a filtered differential value of the steering torque; and current drive unit 10 which drives motor 5 so that the value of the motor current matches the sum of current command values 1 and 2. When a first crossover frequency represents the crossover frequency of control open loop characteristics in the steering control device as obtained when current command value 2 is determined using a differential value of the steering torque which has not been filtered, the notch frequency of the notch filter is set to be greater than the mechanical resonance frequency of the steering control device and smaller than the first crossover frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Taizo TODA, Kenji OGAWA, Masaya ENDO
  • Publication number: 20170066474
    Abstract: A steering control apparatus is obtained which includes an assist instruction-value correction device for calculating, based on a result of a friction transition-state determination device, an assist correction value in order to obtain an assist instruction-value after its correction being made by correcting a basic assist instruction-value so that a hysteresis width of steering torque increases at the time of turn-back steering, and an electric current driving device for driving a motor so that an electric current of the motor is coincident with an electric current instruction-value therefor after its correction being made on the basis of the assist instruction-value after its correction being made; and the friction transition-state determination device determines the friction transition-state by integrating a differential value of steering-shaft reaction torque using an integrator having a limiting function to an upper or lower limit value defined in advance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Taizo TODA, Masaya ENDO, Yoshihiko KIMPARA, Kenji OGAWA
  • Patent number: 9522695
    Abstract: Provided are a steering control device and a steering control method therefor, which reduce a steering feeling of discomfort due to a pulsed change (short abrupt change) in steering assist torque caused when control such as steering wheel return control is turned on/off, and which acquire a sufficient control effect even when high control response is required, by reducing a fluctuation in steering assist torque caused when one steering assist torque is selected from two or more steering assist torques by low-pass filtering, and by correcting the low-pass filtering depending on a change amount of the selected steering assist torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masaya Endo, Yoshihiko Kimpara, Hidetoshi Ikeda, Kenji Ogawa, Taizo Toda
  • Publication number: 20160229444
    Abstract: An initial check is executed individually on each group of a plurality of groups constituted by a plurality of multiphase windings (3a, 3b) of a motor (3) and a plurality of inverter circuits (9a, 9b) corresponding respectively thereto, opening/closing control is executed on a plurality of relays (6a, 6b) in accordance with an implementation result of the initial check so that respective timings at which power is supplied to the plurality of inverter circuits are offset, and drive control is executed on the plurality of inverter circuits in accordance with the implementation result of the initial check. so that respective currents passed through the plurality of multiphase windings are offset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taizo TODA, Jiro OKADA
  • Publication number: 20160001814
    Abstract: Provided are a steering control device and the like, including the steps of: calculating a steering assist torque to be applied to an actuator for applying the steering assist torque to a steering system of a vehicle in order to improve return characteristics of the steering system; determining a steering state of a driver; correcting the steering assist torque depending on a result of the steering state determination; and controlling the actuator depending on the corrected steering assist torque, in which the step of determining a steering state of a driver includes determining the steering state of the driver based on a combination of at least two of the following: a manually-operating steering state determination; an abrupt steering wheel return determination; a high-acceleration steering wheel return determination; a manual return steering determination; and an additional-steering determination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaya ENDO, Hidetoshi IKEDA, Isao KEZOBO, Kenji OGAWA, Taizo TODA
  • Publication number: 20160001811
    Abstract: Provided are a steering control device and a steering control method therefor, which reduce a steering feeling of discomfort due to a pulsed change (short abrupt change) in steering assist torque caused when control such as steering wheel return control is turned on/off, and which acquire a sufficient control effect even when high control response is required, by reducing a fluctuation in steering assist torque caused when one steering assist torque is selected from two or more steering assist torques by low-pass filtering, and by correcting the low-pass filtering depending on a change amount of the selected steering assist torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masaya ENDO, Yoshihiko KIMPARA, Hidetoshi IKEDA, Kenji OGAWA, Taizo TODA
  • Publication number: 20150375777
    Abstract: Provided is a steering control device, including: an actuator for applying a steering assist torque to a steering system of a vehicle; a vehicle turning state detection section for detecting a state amount representing a turning state of the vehicle; a steering-holding determination section for determining a steering-holding state of the steering system; a storing section for storing, when the steering-holding determination section determines that the steering system is in the steering-holding state, the state amount detected by the vehicle turning state detection section as a steering-holding determination state amount; a steering assist torque calculation section for calculating the steering assist torque based on an absolute value of the steering-holding determination state amount; and an actuator control section for controlling the actuator based on the calculated steering assist torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaya ENDO, Yoshihiko KIMPARA, Kenji OGAWA, Taizo TODA