Patents by Inventor Takahiko Tsutsumi

Takahiko Tsutsumi 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: 20220227350
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid electric vehicle includes: an engine control portion for controlling an operation state of an engine; and a driving-mode control portion for controlling the vehicle so as to realize selected at least one of driving modes. The driving modes include a low-gear all-wheel driving mode and a high-gear all-wheel driving mode. In a case in which the low-gear all-wheel driving mode is selected in the high-gear all-wheel driving mode when the engine is in a stopped state with a vehicle power transmission apparatus being in a non-driving position that disables transmission of a drive power, the engine control portion maintains the stopped state of the engine until completion of switching from the high-gear all-wheel driving mode to the low-gear all-wheel driving mode, and starts the engine after the completion of the switching from the high-gear all-wheel driving mode to the low-gear all-wheel driving mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hironobu ARATAKE, Yoshiaki TSURUTA, Yoshio HASEGAWA, Takahiko TSUTSUMI
  • Publication number: 20220227349
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid electric vehicle includes: an engine control portion configured to control an operation state of an engine in accordance with an engine operation condition; and a driving-mode control portion configured to control the vehicle so as to realize selected at least one of driving modes. The driving modes include a towing mode in which the vehicle tows a towed vehicle, a main-drive-wheel driving mode in which a drive power is distributed to main drive wheels, and an all-wheel driving mode in which the drive power is distributed to the main drive wheels and auxiliary drive wheels. The engine operation condition is determined such that an engine operation ratio is higher in a case in which the towing mode is selected, than in a case in which the all-wheel driving mode is selected without the towing mode being selected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hironobu ARATAKE, Yoshiaki TSURUTA, Yoshio HASEGAWA, Takahiko TSUTSUMI
  • Publication number: 20220227348
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid electric vehicle includes: an engine control portion for controlling an operation state of an engine; and a driving-mode control portion for controlling the vehicle so as to realize selected driving mode or modes. The driving modes include a main-drive-wheel driving mode in which a drive power is distributed to main drive wheels, and an all-wheel driving mode in which the drive power is distributed to the main and auxiliary drive wheels. When the all-wheel driving mode is selected in the main-drive-wheel driving mode with the engine being in a stopped state, the engine control portion is configured to maintain the stopped state of the engine until completion of switching from the main-drive-wheel driving mode to the all-wheel driving mode, and to start the engine after a predetermined operation is executed by the driver of the vehicle to drive the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hironobu ARATAKE, Yoshiaki TSURUTA, Yoshio HASEGAWA, Takahiko TSUTSUMI
  • Patent number: 10232845
    Abstract: In a vehicle that includes an engine including a starter, an automatic transmission unit having an input shaft coupled to an output shaft of the engine via a first clutch, and a motor generator (hereinafter, referred to as “MG”) coupled to the input shaft of the automatic transmission unit via a second clutch, an electronic control unit starts up the engine with the use of the starter in a state where the MG is disconnected from the engine by releasing at least one of the first clutch or the second clutch when an IG-on operation has been made in an IG-off state (a state where the vehicle is stopped in a P range) and a power control unit that supplies electric power to the MG has a failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yukihiko Ideshio, Takahiko Tsutsumi
  • Patent number: 10180184
    Abstract: A detecting device includes a shift selector, a magnet disposed in the shift selector, four or more sensors arranged at positions facing the magnet and an ECU. The ECU is configured to (i) determine a shift position based on signals output from the four or more sensors when the magnet is relatively displaced with respect to the four or more sensors in response to an operation of the shift selector, (ii) determine the shift position based on signals output from three or more of the four or more sensors determined to be normal when any one of the four or more sensors is abnormal, and (iii) determine the abnormality based on whether or not the three or more sensors output, during the traveling of the vehicle, a signal to a shift position pertaining to a case of traveling in the direction opposite to a traveling direction of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiko Tsutsumi, Masato Tateno, Koki Ueno, Hiroshi Shibata
  • Patent number: 10166953
    Abstract: When a P lock state is set on the basis of a predetermined request signal for setting the P lock state, a P position indicator lamp (62) is turned on or off on the basis of the status of power supplied to the vehicle (10). For example, when the P lock state is set, the P position indicator lamp (62) is turned off when the power status is an ALL-OFF status where a combination meter (56), or the like, is not turned on or is raised to an ACC-ON status; whereas, when the P lock state is set, the P position indicator lamp (62) is turned on when the power status is an IG-ON status, when the power status is changed from the IG-ON status during vehicle driving to the ACC-ON status, or within a predetermined period of time from when the power status is changed from the IG-ON status to the ALL-OFF status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahiko Tsutsumi, Keisuke Sekiya, Koki Ueno, Ichiro Kitaori, Toshinari Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10150469
    Abstract: An electronic control unit is configured to calculate an amount of divergence of an actual MG rotational speed with respect to a reference rotational speed at the start-up of an internal combustion engine, and correct a generation timing of a compensation torque at the next start-up of the internal combustion engine based on the amount of divergence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoki Nakanishi, Takahiko Tsutsumi, Youji Takanami
  • Patent number: 10046751
    Abstract: An electromotive vehicle includes: an electrical storage device; a rotary electric machine; a transmission device; an engine; and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to, when decelerating force acts on the vehicle due to engine brake force of the engine and upshift control is executed in the transmission device and when an upper limit value of input electric power that is allowed at the time of charging the electrical storage device is smaller than a threshold, control the rotary electric machine such that torque of the rotary electric machine gradually increases by the time the upshift control completes, at which the decelerating force that acts on the vehicle becomes decelerating force reduced as a result of the upshift control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shun Sato, Takahiko Tsutsumi, Toshio Sugimura
  • Publication number: 20170297561
    Abstract: An electronic control unit is configured to calculate an amount of divergence of an actual MG rotational speed with respect to a reference rotational speed at the start-up of an internal combustion engine, and correct a generation timing of a compensation torque at the next start-up of the internal combustion engine based on the amount of divergence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoki NAKANISHI, Takahiko TSUTSUMI, Youji TAKANAMI
  • Patent number: 9776620
    Abstract: An upper limit charging rate is limited when a speed position of an automatic transmission is high as compared to when the speed position is low, so an engine is hard to enter a high torque state even when the speed position is high. Thus, it is possible to suppress vibrations and noise that tend to occur at the time when the engine is driven at a low rotation speed and high torque. On the other hand, the upper limit charging rate increases when the speed position is low as compared to when the speed position is high, with the result that a charging rate increases, so it is possible to keep a state of charge of a battery within an appropriate range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koki Minamikawa, Toshio Sugimura, Seiji Kuwahara, Takahiko Tsutsumi, Masato Yoshikawa
  • Publication number: 20170219089
    Abstract: A detecting device includes a shift selector, a magnet disposed in the shift selector, four or more sensors arranged at positions facing the magnet and an ECU. The ECU is configured to (i) determine a shift position based on signals output from the four or more sensors when the magnet is relatively displaced with respect to the four or more sensors in response to an operation of the shift selector, (ii) determine the shift position based on signals output from three or more of the four or more sensors determined to be normal when any one of the four or more sensors is abnormal, and (iii) determine the abnormality based on whether or not the three or more sensors output, during the traveling of the vehicle, a signal to a shift position pertaining to a case of traveling in the direction opposite to a traveling direction of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiko TSUTSUMI, Masato TATENO, Koki UENO, Hiroshi SHIBATA
  • Publication number: 20170129477
    Abstract: In a vehicle that includes an engine including a starter, an automatic transmission unit having an input shaft coupled to an output shaft of the engine via a first clutch, and a motor generator (hereinafter, referred to as “MG”) coupled to the input shaft of the automatic transmission unit via a second clutch, an electronic control unit starts up the engine with the use of the starter in a state where the MG is disconnected from the engine by releasing at least one of the first clutch or the second clutch when an IG-on operation has been made in an IG-off state (a state where the vehicle is stopped in a P range) and a power control unit that supplies electric power to the MG has a failure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yukihiko IDESHIO, Takahiko TSUTSUMI
  • Patent number: 9637113
    Abstract: In a vehicle including an engine and a motor generator that are connected to a drive wheel, when a predetermined condition is satisfied during a motor creep mode in which creep torque is generated by the motor generator, an ECU performs motor creep cutoff for decreasing torque of the motor generator. When an engine start request has been issued during the motor creep cutoff, the ECU increases the torque of the motor generator to a target creep torque at a predetermined rate of increase. After the MG torque has reached the target creep torque, the ECU starts the engine. The predetermined rate of increase is set to a rate lower than a rate of increase in engine torque at the start of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shun Sato, Takahiko Tsutsumi, Toshio Sugimura
  • Patent number: 9611932
    Abstract: When initial drive control for an actuator driving a shift switch mechanism is completed, a P-ECU determines whether an IG signal is received. In the case where the P-ECU has not received the IG signal at the time when the initial drive control is completed, the P-ECU temporarily keeps the actuator in a state where the initial drive control is completed. In the case where the P-ECU receives the IG signal in the period from completion of the initial drive control to the time when a predetermined time T2 has elapsed since completion of the initial drive control, the P-ECU executes P wall press control when the P-ECU receives the IG signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiko Tsutsumi, Ichiro Kitaori, Koki Ueno, Keisuke Sekiya, Toshinari Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9555798
    Abstract: A drive apparatus for a vehicle includes an engine, an MG, a first rotary shaft, a second rotary shaft, a transmission disposed between the first rotating shaft and the second rotary shaft, a driving wheel, a first clutch capable of interrupting power transmission between the engine and the first rotary shaft, a second clutch capable of interrupting power transmission between the MG and the first rotary shaft, and an ECU for controlling the engine, the MG, the transmission, the first clutch and the second clutch. The ECU releases the second clutch as a rotation speed of the first rotary shaft becomes higher than a threshold value, and sets the threshold value lower in the case where an acceleration request is issued from the driver than in the case where no acceleration request is issued to reduce the operation times for the clutch to engage or disengage the MG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masayuki Baba, Takahiko Tsutsumi, Shun Sato
  • Publication number: 20160368488
    Abstract: An electromotive vehicle includes: an electrical storage device; a rotary electric machine; a transmission device; an engine; and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to, when decelerating force acts on the vehicle due to engine brake force of the engine and upshift control is executed in the transmission device and when an upper limit value of input electric power that is allowed at the time of charging the electrical storage device is smaller than a threshold, control the rotary electric machine such that torque of the rotary electric machine gradually increases by the time the upshift control completes, at which the decelerating force that acts on the vehicle becomes decelerating force reduced as a result of the upshift control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Inventors: Shun Sato, Takahiko Tsutsumi, Toshio Sugimura
  • Patent number: 9511763
    Abstract: A drive system for a hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a motor, a rotary shaft, an engine disconnect clutch, a motor disconnect clutch, an automatic transmission, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to, while either one of an engagement control and a rotation change control is being executed, when a request to execute the other one of the engagement control and the rotation change control has been issued, (a) delay a start timing of the other one of the engagement control and the rotation change control until execution of the one of the engagement control and the rotation change control is completed, and then (b) start execution of the other one of the engagement control and the rotation change control after execution of the one of the engagement control and the rotation change control has been completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shun Sato, Takahiko Tsutsumi, Masayuki Baba, Toshio Sugimura
  • Publication number: 20160297292
    Abstract: A motor disconnect clutch is configured to be set to an engaged state when a hydraulic pressure that is supplied from a mechanical oil pump (MOP) is lower than a predetermined release hydraulic pressure, and be set to a released state when the hydraulic pressure that is supplied from the MOP is higher than or equal to the release hydraulic pressure. When the hydraulic pressure output from the MOP is likely to decrease to a hydraulic pressure lower than the release hydraulic pressure in an engine mode in which the vehicle travels by using power of the engine while the motor disconnect clutch is placed in the released state, an ECU executes synchronization control for synchronizing a rotation speed of a motor generator with a rotation speed of a rotary shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventors: Shun Sato, Toshio Sugimura, Takahiko Tsutsumi
  • Publication number: 20160297425
    Abstract: In a vehicle including an engine and a motor generator that are connected to a drive wheel, when a predetermined condition is satisfied during a motor creep mode in which creep torque is generated by the motor generator, an ECU performs motor creep cutoff for decreasing torque of the motor generator. When an engine start request has been issued during the motor creep cutoff, the ECU increases the torque of the motor generator to a target creep torque at a predetermined rate of increase. After the MG torque has reached the target creep torque, the ECU starts the engine. The predetermined rate of increase is set to a rate lower than a rate of increase in engine torque at the start of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventors: Shun Sato, Takahiko Tsutsumi, Toshio Sugimura
  • Publication number: 20160280217
    Abstract: A drive system for a hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a motor, a rotary shaft, an engine disconnect clutch, a motor disconnect clutch, an automatic transmission, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to, while either one of an engagement control and a rotation change control is being executed, when a request to execute the other one of the engagement control and the rotation change control has been issued, (a) delay a start timing of the other one of the engagement control and the rotation change control until execution of the one of the engagement control and the rotation change control is completed, and then (b) start execution of the other one of the engagement control and the rotation change control after execution of the one of the engagement control and the rotation change control has been completed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shun SATO, Takahiko TSUTSUMI, Masayuki BABA, Toshio SUGIMURA