Patents by Inventor Takashi Tsunooka

Takashi Tsunooka 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: 20160251995
    Abstract: An abnormality in an exhaust system component disposed at the downstream side of a particulate filter is determined by using a differential pressure sensor for measuring a differential pressure between a pressure of exhaust gas at the upstream side of the particulate filter and an atmospheric pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi TSUNOOKA, Takayuki OTSUKA, Hiromasa HASHIMOTO, Noriyasu KOBASHI
  • Publication number: 20160115887
    Abstract: A control method for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders and a filter provided in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine in order to collect particulate matter. The control method includes a partial cylinder stoppage step, in which a supply of fuel is stopped in a part of a plurality of cylinders while continuing to supply fuel to the other cylinders such that combustion is performed therein, is implemented after a request to stop an internal combustion engine is issued but before the internal combustion engine is stopped, and after the partial cylinder stoppage step, an all cylinder stoppage step is implemented to stop the internal combustion engine by stopping the supply of fuel in all of the cylinders.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi TSUNOOKA, Takayuki OTSUKA, Noriyasu KOBASHI
  • Publication number: 20150369153
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to increase opportunities that a filter is regenerated. Provided is an exhaust purification apparatus for a spark ignition type internal combustion engine, the apparatus including a catalyst and a filter in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine, and a control device that prohibits fuel cut when thermal degradation of the catalyst is predicted to advance in the case of implementing a fuel cut. The control device executes the fuel cut even where thermal degradation of the catalyst is predicted to advance, when regeneration of the filter, which is processing of removing particulate matter trapped in the filter, is needed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi TSUNOOKA, Taisuke YOSHIDA
  • Patent number: 9175592
    Abstract: In a control device for an internal combustion engine according to the present embodiment, the control device includes: cooling units arranged on a path where a coolant is circulated, and cooling an exhaust gas of an engine with the coolant flowing through the cooling units; an atmospheric pressure sensor detecting an atmosphere pressure; and ECUs deciding whether or not to perform an exhaust gas temperature control for suppressing a temperature of the exhaust gas based on whether or not a heat quantity is more than a decision value, and correcting the decision value to be lower as the atmosphere pressure is lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Tsunooka, Shigemasa Hirooka, Shinichi Mitani, Akira Satou, Shigeyuki Urano
  • Publication number: 20150292422
    Abstract: An apparatus for detecting inter-cylinder air-fuel ratio imbalance in an engine is provided. The apparatus includes a turbocharger, a bypass passage configured to bypass a turbine of the turbocharger, a waste gate valve configured to selectively close the bypass passage, an air-fuel ratio sensor installed in a portion of an exhaust passage which portion is located on a downstream side of a junction between a downstream side of the turbine and a downstream side of the bypass passage, and a determination unit programmed to compare a value of a degree of fluctuation in an output from the air-fuel ratio sensor or a parameter correlated therewith with a predetermined threshold to perform inter-cylinder air-fuel ratio imbalance determination. The determination unit is programmed not to perform the imbalance determination when an opening degree of the waste gate valve is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Tsunooka, Wataru Fukui
  • Patent number: 9103270
    Abstract: An electronic control unit (ECU) is equipped with a turbine passing path constant that corresponds to a time required for exhaust gas to flow to an air-fuel ratio sensor via a turbine of a turbosupercharger, and a bypass path constant that corresponds to a time required for exhaust gas to flow to the air-fuel ratio sensor via a bypass passage. The ECU calculates first and second fuel injection correction amounts and in which the path constants and are reflected, respectively. The ECU selects one of the fuel injection correction amounts and based on at least an open or closed state of the waste gate valve (WGV), corrects a fuel injection amount using the selected fuel injection correction amount. It is thus possible to appropriately compensate for differences in exhaust path lengths and air-fuel ratio fluctuations that arise due to opening or closing of the WGV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takashi Tsunooka
  • Patent number: 8967121
    Abstract: In a control of an internal combustion engine control apparatus, the control apparatus includes: a fuel tank that stores a fuel; a vaporized fuel tank that is connected to an intermediate portion of an intake passageway of an internal combustion engine and that stores a vaporized fuel that is formed by vaporization of the fuel; an in-tank fuel supply device that supplies the fuel from the fuel tank into the vaporized fuel tank; and a normally-closed vaporized fuel supply valve that opens and closes a connecting portion between the vaporized fuel tank and the intake passageway. The control apparatus estimates air/fuel ratio in the vaporized fuel tank, and produces the vaporized fuel in the vaporized fuel tank by driving the in-tank fuel supply device, with the vaporized fuel supply valve closed, until the estimated air/fuel ratio becomes substantially zero, during operation of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Sato, Yasuyuki Irisawa, Sinichi Mitani, Takashi Tsunooka, Shigeyuki Urano, Satoshi Yoshizaki
  • Patent number: 8935079
    Abstract: An engine includes a normal fuel tank, fuel gas tank, an in-tank injection valve and a fuel gas supply valve. During operation of the engine, in a state where the fuel gas supply valve is closed, a fuel is injected into the fuel gas tank through the in-tank injection valve to generate a fuel gas by vaporizing the fuel. The fuel gas is stored in the fuel gas tank and is maintained in the gas phase due to the natural decompression even after the engine is stopped. To start the engine, the fuel gas supply valve is opened to supply the fuel gas in the fuel gas tank to a surge tank. Thus, compared with the case where the fuel gas is generated at the start of the engine, the fuel gas can be quickly supplied into the cylinder, so that the ability to start the engine is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Tsunooka, Yasuyuki Irisawa, Shinichi Mitani, Satoshi Yoshizaki, Akira Satou, Shigeyuki Urano
  • Publication number: 20140325983
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine of this invention includes: a turbo-supercharger; an exhaust gas purifying catalyst disposed in an exhaust passage on the downstream side of a turbine; and a WGV capable of opening and closing an exhaust bypass passage that bypasses the turbine. At the time of a catalyst warm-up request, catalyst warm-up control that opens the WGV and retards the ignition timing is executed. If the sensitivity of control of an intake air amount by a throttle valve is high, the intake air amount is controlled using the throttle valve during execution of the catalyst warm-up control. If the control sensitivity is low, the intake air amount is controlled using the WGV during execution of the catalyst warm-up control. When the WGV degree of opening is controlled toward a closed side during execution of the intake air amount control using the WGV, a retard amount of the ignition timing is increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takashi Tsunooka
  • Publication number: 20130340423
    Abstract: An object of this invention is to accurately control an exhaust air-fuel ratio, even when a WGV (waste gate valve) is operating. An ECU 60 is equipped with a turbine passing path constant At that corresponds to a time required for exhaust gas to flow to an air-fuel ratio sensor 56 via a turbine 36a of a turbosupercharger 36, and a bypass path constant Ab that corresponds to a time required for exhaust gas to flow to the air-fuel ratio sensor 56 via a bypass passage 38. The ECU 60 calculates first and second fuel injection correction amounts ?t and ?b in which the path constants At and Ab are reflected, respectively. When executing air-fuel ratio feedback control, the ECU 60 selects one of the fuel injection correction amounts ?t and ?b based on at least an open or closed state of the WGV 40, and corrects a fuel injection amount using the selected fuel injection correction amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takashi Tsunooka
  • Patent number: 8474437
    Abstract: A fuel injection controlling apparatus (electronic control unit) of an internal combustion engine, which can cause first to fourth fuel injection valves of respective cylinders connected to a fuel delivery pipe to inject a fuel, which is heated after fed from a fuel pump (feed pump), is provided with a fuel pump control unit that stops a drive of the fuel pump (feed pump) until the heated fuel in the fuel delivery pipe is reduced to a predetermined amount or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Tsunooka
  • Patent number: 8434452
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine according to the present embodiment, includes: cooling units 40L and 40R arranged on a path where a coolant is circulated, and cooling an exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine with the coolant flowing through the cooling units 40L and 40R; and ECUs 7L and 7R estimating a heat quantity of the exhaust gas, and deciding whether or not to prohibit an idle reduction control in response to the estimated heat quantity of the exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Mitani, Shigemasa Hirooka, Takashi Tsunooka, Akira Satou, Shigeyuki Urano
  • Patent number: 8417438
    Abstract: An apparatus for detecting dispersion abnormality in air-fuel ratio between cylinders of a multiple-cylinder engine, including a waste gate passage which bypasses a turbine of a turbocharger, a waste gate valve which opens/closes the passage, an air-fuel ratio sensor installed in an exhaust passage on the downstream of an outlet of the passage, an abnormality detecting unit for detecting dispersion abnormality in air-fuel ratio between cylinders by comparing a parameter value correlating with a fluctuation of the sensor value with a predetermined threshold, and an exhaust speed increasing unit for increasing exhaust gas speed. The apparatus further includes a controller which controls the valve and the exhaust speed increasing unit, and the controller opens, when dispersion abnormality in the air-fuel ratio between cylinders is detected, the valve and increases exhaust speed by the exhaust speed increasing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Tsunooka
  • Patent number: 8408182
    Abstract: When an automobile is traveling on a road surface with a low friction coefficient upon a shift of an engine to idle operation in the process of stopping the automobile from traveling, a target engine speed of the engine is reduced by a value equivalent to a reduction in a drive request value for any auxiliary at a time point corresponding to start of reduction of the drive request value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Tsunooka, Yoshiyuki Shogenji
  • Patent number: 8396647
    Abstract: When an engine shifts to idle operation in a process of stopping an automobile, a target engine speed of an engine idle speed control is reduced and a threshold engine speed of an engine speed reduction prevention control is also reduced accordingly, provided that the automobile is traveling on a road surface with low friction coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Tsunooka, Yoshiyuki Shogenji
  • Patent number: 8393313
    Abstract: A control apparatus and control method is provided for an internal combustion engine that includes a vaporized fuel tank in which vaporized fuel is stored, and a normally-closed vaporized fuel supply valve that opens and closes a connecting portion between the vaporized fuel tank and a surge tank. This apparatus and method produce vaporized fuel by injecting fuel into the tank while the vaporized fuel supply valve is closed while the engine is operating, then open the vaporized fuel supply valve at engine startup and supply the vaporized fuel stored in the tank to the surge tank. If there is no vaporized fuel remaining in the vaporized fuel tank when the engine stops, vacuum is generated in the vaporized fuel tank by temporarily opening the vaporized fuel supply valve before the engine stops. Vaporized fuel is then produced by injecting fuel into the vaporized fuel tank in this vacuum state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Sato, Yasuyuki Irisawa, Shinichi Mitani, Takashi Tsunooka, Shigeyuki Urano, Satoshi Yoshizaki
  • Publication number: 20130013173
    Abstract: An engine includes a normal fuel tank, fuel gas tank, an in-tank injection valve and a fuel gas supply valve. During operation of the engine, in a state where the fuel gas supply valve is closed, a fuel is injected into the fuel gas tank through the in-tank injection valve to generate a fuel gas by vaporizing the fuel. The fuel gas is stored in the fuel gas tank and is maintained in the gas phase due to the natural decompression even after the engine is stopped. To start the engine, the fuel gas supply valve is opened to supply the fuel gas in the fuel gas tank to a surge tank. Thus, compared with the case where the fuel gas is generated at the start of the engine, the fuel gas can be quickly supplied into the cylinder, so that the ability to start the engine is improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Tsunooka, Yasuyuki Irisawa, Shinichi Mitani, Satoshi Yoshizaki, Akira Satou, Shigeyuki Urano
  • Publication number: 20120185157
    Abstract: An apparatus for detecting dispersion abnormality in air-fuel ratio between cylinders of a multiple-cylinder engine, including a waste gate passage (26) which bypasses a turbine (25b) of a turbocharger (25), a waste gate valve (27) which opens/closes the passage (26), an air-fuel ratio sensor (17) installed in an exhaust passage on the downstream of an outlet of the passage (26), an abnormality detecting unit for detecting dispersion abnormality in air-fuel ratio between cylinders by comparing a parameter value correlating with a fluctuation of the sensor (17) value with a predetermined threshold, and an exhaust speed increasing unit for increasing exhaust gas speed. The apparatus further includes a controller (22) which controls the valve (27) and the exhaust speed increasing unit, and the controller (22) opens, when dispersion abnormality in the air-fuel ratio between cylinders is detected, the valve (27) and increases exhaust speed by the exhaust speed increasing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takashi Tsunooka
  • Publication number: 20120059566
    Abstract: In a control device for an internal combustion engine according to the present embodiment, the control device includes: cooling units arranged on a path where a coolant is circulated, and cooling an exhaust gas of an engine with the coolant flowing through the cooling units; an atmospheric pressure sensor detecting an atmosphere pressure; and ECUs deciding whether or not to perform an exhaust gas temperature control for suppressing a temperature of the exhaust gas based on whether or not a heat quantity is more than a decision value, and correcting the decision value to be lower as the atmosphere pressure is lower.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Tsunooka, Shigemasa Hirooka, Shinichi Mitani, Akira Satou, Shigeyuki Urano
  • Patent number: 8113186
    Abstract: A multifuel internal combustion engine in which single low boiling point component fuel and at least one kind of fuel having properties different from those of the single low boiling point component fuel are introduced into a combustion chamber CC separately or together thereby operating the multifuel internal combustion engine, includes lubricant-oil temperature detecting unit means (temperature sensor 91) that detects a temperature of lubricant oil, or lubricant-oil temperature estimating unit means that estimates the temperature, and purge control unit means (electronic control unit 1) that prohibits purge control by an evaporation gas purge apparatus (evaporation gas passage 42, check valve 43, canister 44, on-off valve 45) or reduces a purge flow rate of evaporation gas in the purge control, when the detected or estimated temperature of the lubricant oil is near a boiling point temperature of the single low boiling point component fuel at which it is necessary to reduce a fuel injection amount from a fue
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Tsunooka, Takashi Watanabe, Yohei Hosokawa