Patents by Inventor Takanobu SAWADA

Takanobu SAWADA 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: 11794719
    Abstract: When an estimation state of a road noise value based on an angular acceleration of a wheel is a proper estimation state, it is determined whether a background noise of the vehicle is in the high background or the low background noise state according to magnitudes of the road noise value and a predetermined threshold value. When the estimation state is not the proper estimation state, it is determined that the background noise of the vehicle is in the low background noise state regardless of road noise value. When the background noise is in the high background noise state, an output of the in-vehicle actuator is set so noise accompanying an operation of the in-vehicle actuator becomes relatively large. When the background noise is in the low background noise state, an output of the in-vehicle actuator is set so that noise accompanying an operation of the in-vehicle actuator becomes relatively small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Azusa Ito, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Takanobu Sawada
  • Patent number: 11453396
    Abstract: A vehicle control method for controlling a vehicle in which a sailing control for traveling under inertia is executed when a vehicle is traveling. Each time the sailing control is executed, a history of sailing control is stored as history information classified according to situations in which sailing control was canceled. Also, a current travel situation is specified, history information corresponding to a current travel situation is specified from the stored history information, and whether to allow or disallow sailing control is determined based on the specified history information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Nakane, Takeshi Hirata, Takanobu Sawada
  • Publication number: 20220266816
    Abstract: When an estimation state of a road noise value based on an angular acceleration of a wheel is a proper estimation state, it is determined whether a background noise of the vehicle is in the high background or the low background noise state according to magnitudes of the road noise value and a predetermined threshold value. When the estimation state is not the proper estimation state, it is determined that the background noise of the vehicle is in the low background noise state regardless of road noise value. When the background noise is in the high background noise state, an output of the in-vehicle actuator is set so noise accompanying an operation of the in-vehicle actuator becomes relatively large. When the background noise is in the low background noise state, an output of the in-vehicle actuator is set so that noise accompanying an operation of the in-vehicle actuator becomes relatively small.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Azusa Ito, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Takanobu Sawada
  • Publication number: 20220242395
    Abstract: By the vehicle control method, in a vehicle provided with wheel, a sensor that acquires rotation speed of the wheel, and a sound generation device that generates sound as the sound generation device is driven, the angular acceleration of wheel is obtained from the rotation speed acquired by a sensor, and a sound generation device is controlled such that the generated sound becomes louder when conditions are met. Cases in which the angular acceleration is high are included in the conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2019
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Takanobu SAWADA, Yasuhiro YAMAUCHI, Hisayoshi MATSUOKA
  • Patent number: 11192539
    Abstract: A vehicle control method for executing a sailing stop control when a drive source stop condition is established while a vehicle is traveling. The sailing stop control stops a drive source of the vehicle and releases an engaging element provided between the drive source and a drive wheel such that the vehicle travels under inertia. The vehicle control method acquires information on a road on which the vehicle will travel, and then determines whether there is a section on a route where the sailing stop control can be executed based on the information. Upon determining a section exist capable of the sailing stop control, the vehicle control method estimates a power shortage amount, which is a shortage amount of power during sailing stop control, based on the information, and charges a battery with power required to cover the power shortage amount prior to starting the sailing stop control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Hirata, Yusuke Nakane, Takanobu Sawada
  • Publication number: 20200262432
    Abstract: A vehicle control method for controlling a vehicle in which a sailing control for traveling under inertia is executed when a vehicle is traveling. Each time the sailing control is executed, a history of sailing control is stored as history information classified according to situations in which sailing control was canceled. Also, a current travel situation is specified, history information corresponding to a current travel situation is specified from the stored history information, and whether to allow or disallow sailing control is determined based on the specified history information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventors: Yusuke NAKANE, Takeshi HIRATA, Takanobu SAWADA
  • Publication number: 20200238971
    Abstract: A vehicle control method for executing a sailing stop control when a drive source stop condition is established while a vehicle is traveling. The sailing stop control stops a drive source of the vehicle and releases an engaging element provided between the drive source and a drive wheel such that the vehicle travels under inertia. The vehicle control method acquires information on a road on which the vehicle will travel, and then determines whether there is a section on a route where the sailing stop control can be executed based on the information. Upon determining a section exist capable of the sailing stop control, the vehicle control method estimates a power shortage amount, which is a shortage amount of power during sailing stop control, based on the information, and charges a battery with power required to cover the power shortage amount prior to starting the sailing stop control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2017
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Takeshi HIRATA, Yusuke NAKANE, Takanobu SAWADA
  • Patent number: 10099695
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control device is provided that is capable of controlling a drive source according to a travel plan. The hybrid vehicle control device is configured to be mounted in a hybrid vehicle including a drive source having an engine and a motor/generator, and a navigation system that acquires travel environment information of a planned travel route. The control device is configured such that, upon selection of a “travel plan mode”, which controls the drive source according to a travel plan set for low fuel travel based on travel environment information acquired from the navigation system in the absence of the selection of an “eco-mode”, which controls the drive source to prioritize fuel efficiency over power performance, the selection of the “travel plan mode” is linked with a setting operation for the “eco-mode”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takanobu Sawada, Kiyotaka Mihara, Masayuki Tani
  • Publication number: 20170240174
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control device is provided that is capable of controlling a drive source according to a travel plan. The hybrid vehicle control device is configured to be mounted in a hybrid vehicle including a drive source having an engine and a motor/generator, and a navigation system that acquires travel environment information of a planned travel route. The control device is configured such that, upon selection of a “travel plan mode”, which controls the drive source according to a travel plan set for low fuel travel based on travel environment information acquired from the navigation system in the absence of the selection of an “eco-mode”, which controls the drive source to prioritize fuel efficiency over power performance, the selection of the “travel plan mode” is linked with a setting operation for the “eco-mode”.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Inventors: Takanobu SAWADA, Kiyotaka MIHARA, Masayuki TANI