Patents by Inventor Takashi Yonekawa

Takashi Yonekawa 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: 8666716
    Abstract: The present invention provides a traffic simulator which can simulate traffic conditions with high accuracy. Cautionary object searching portion searches for cautionary objects which a driver should heed when driving a vehicle model; recognized cautionary object selection portion and driver-recognized cautionary object selection portion, based on driver ability information set by data creation portion, select cautionary objects recognized by a driver from the found cautionary objects; and movement determination portion determines the movement of a vehicle model based on the selected cautionary objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Yonekawa, Kazuya Sasaki, Masaaki Uechi, Masumi Kobana, Hironobu Kitaoka, Hiroko Mori, Tatsuya Iwase, Tetsuo Kurahashi
  • Publication number: 20100030541
    Abstract: The present invention provides a traffic simulator which can simulate traffic conditions with high accuracy. Cautionary object searching portion searches for cautionary objects which a driver should heed when driving a vehicle model; recognized cautionary object selection portion and driver-recognized cautionary object selection portion, based on driver ability information set by data creation portion, select cautionary objects recognized by a driver from the found cautionary objects; and movement determination portion determines the movement of a vehicle model based on the selected cautionary objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Yonekawa, Kazuya Sasaki, Masaaki Uechi, Masumi Kobana, Hironobu Kitaoka, Hiroko Mori, Tatsuya Iwase, Tetsuo Kurahashi
  • Patent number: 6729697
    Abstract: A braking force control device, wherein wheel speed is detected and a slope of a braking force with respect to slip speed of the wheel is estimated on the basis of the detected wheel speed, a braking operation by which a brake pedal is depressed is detected and, on the basis of the detected braking operation conditions and estimated slope of the braking force, braking of the braking device to brake the wheels by a braking force generated in response to the braking operation by which the brake pedal is depressed is assisted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yasui, Takashi Yonekawa, Akira Tanaka, Hideyuki Suzuki, Mamoru Sawada
  • Publication number: 20020005662
    Abstract: A braking force control device, wherein wheel speed is detected and a slope of a braking force with respect to slip speed of the wheel is estimated on the basis of the detected wheel speed, a braking operation by which a brake pedal is depressed is detected and, on the basis of the detected braking operation conditions and estimated slope of the braking force, braking of the braking device to brake the wheels by a braking force generated in response to the braking operation by which the brake pedal is depressed is assisted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2001
    Publication date: January 17, 2002
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yasui, Takashi Yonekawa, Akira Tanaka, Hideyuki Suzuki, Mamoru Sawada
  • Patent number: 5162995
    Abstract: In a hydraulic active suspension system, a plurality of actuators having working fluid chambers are provided corresponding to the vehicle wheels. Each actuator is adapted to increase and decrease vehicle height in response to the pressure within its working chamber, which is controlled by a pressure control device. Vehicle speed and vehicle heights at the locations corresponding to the vehicle wheels are detected by corresponding sensors. A control device is further provided for controlling the pressure control device so that the pressures within the working fluid chambers are driven to substantially the desired pressures, the desired pressures determined by, at least, the sum of the first control parameters corresponding to the differences between the actual vehicle heights detected and the associated desired vehicle heights and the second control parameters corresponding to the changing amounts of the vehicle height differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1992
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ikemoto, Shuuichi Buma, Toshio Aburaya, Takashi Yonekawa, Toshio Onuma, Tsukasa Watanabe, Toshiaki Hamada
  • Patent number: 5130926
    Abstract: A suspension pressure control system applies a pressure which is proportional to a current level supplied to a solenoid of a pressure control valve to a shock absorber associated with a suspension from the valve. A height and a lateral acceleration of a car body as well as a steering angular velocity are detected. A deviation of the height from a target height is calculated. The suspension pressure is adjusted responding to the deviation and a change rate thereof. Also a correction value is calculated on the basis of the lateral acceleration for adjusting the suspension pressure responding to the correction value and a change rate thereof. Proportional coefficients for converting the change rate of the deviation and the change rate of the correction value to pressures to be corrected are corresponding to the steering angular velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1992
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsukasa Watanabe, Satoshi Naganawa, Shuuichi Buma, Toshio Aburaya, Takashi Yonekawa, Toshio Onuma
  • Patent number: 5119297
    Abstract: In a hydraulic active suspension system, a plurality of actuators having working fluid chambers are provided corresponding to vehicle wheels. Each actuator is adapted to increase or decrease vehicle height in response to the hydraulic pressure within its working fluid chamber. The hydraulic pressures within the working fluid chambers are controlled to their desired pressure by associated pressure control devices. A desired pressure computing device is further provided. The computing device calculates the actual values of roll, pitch, heave and warp of a vehicle body from the vehicle heights detected by detecting devices and calculates the differences between the actual values and the associated values of roll, pitch, heave and warp determined by a desired attitude of the vehicle body to compute the desired pressures for the actuators. The degrees of the roll and/or pitch differences are set to be higher than that of the warp difference in contributing to the determination of the desired pressures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1992
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuuichi Buma, Hiroyuki Ikemoto, Toshio Aburaya, Takashi Yonekawa, Kunihito Sato, Toshio Onuma, Kaoru Ohashi
  • Patent number: 5104143
    Abstract: In a vehicle suspension system, the fluid pressure type actuators provided between a vehicle body and wheels are so controlled that a ratio of the load to be born by the front wheels to the load to be born by the rear wheels determined based upon the rate of change of lateral acceleration is modified to be increased along with increase of vehicle speed, and in case of the four wheel steering, the roll stiffness in the rear wheels is decreased along with increase of vehicle speed, both for the purpose of improving the stability in steering at high vehicle speed while ensuring the high steerability at low vehicle speed. The roll stiffness in the rear wheels may also be modified to be higher in a transitional state than in a constant state in a turning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1992
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Yonekawa
  • Patent number: 5103397
    Abstract: In a hydraulic active suspension system, a plurality of actuators having working fluid chambers are provided corresponding to vehicle wheels. Each actuator is adapted to increase and decrease vehicle height in response to the pressure within its working chamber, which is controlled by a pressure control device. Vehicle speed and lateral acceleration are detected by corresponding sensors. A control device is further provided for controlling the pressure control device by compensating values determined base upon the lateral acceleration detected. The control device is adapted to reduce the compensating values in magnitude when the vehicle speed is lower than a predetermined value under which the lateral acceleration sensor sometimes detects a false lateral acceleration, thereby reducing the possibility that the vehicle body may generate an unpleasant roll due to the erroneous control on the pressures within the working fluid chambers based upon a false lateral acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1992
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ikemoto, Shuuichi Buma, Toshio Aburaya, Takashi Yonekawa, Toshio Onuma, Tsukasa Watanabe, Toshiaki Hamada
  • Patent number: 5078421
    Abstract: A suspension pressure control system on a vehicle applies a pressure which is proportional to a current level supplied to a solenoid of a pressure control valve to a shock absorber associated with respective one of suspensions from the valve. An electronic controller controls the current level to maintain an attitude of a vehicle substantially constant in spite of any change of longitudinal and lateral acceleration, which are detected by acceleration sensors. If a driver on the vehicle closes test indication switches TSW1 and TSW2, indicates "high" by a height indication switch HSW and rotates a steering wheel on the vehicle by B toward right, the vehicle laterally inclines such that a height of the left side of the vehicle rises up and a right side falls down responding to the rotation of the steering wheel. The inclination increases as the rotation of the steering wheel increases. The inclination decreases when the steering wheel rotates inverse direction toward the neutral position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1992
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kouichi Kokubo, Yutaka Iguchi, Toshio Aburaya, Masaki Kawanishi, Kunihito Sato, Takashi Yonekawa, Shuuichi Buma
  • Patent number: 5071158
    Abstract: In a fluid pressure type active suspension in a vehicle such as an automobile in which a fluid pressure type actuator supporting a vehicle body from a wheel so as to be able to vary a vehicle height of the vehicle body relative to the wheel in accordance with a fluid pressure supplied in its fluid chamber is operated by a pressure control means which controls the fluid pressure supplied in the fluid chamber of the actuator according to certain control parameters including at least a rate of change of the vehicle height or an acceleration of the vehicle body, the control means is adapted to modify an actual value of the rate of change of the vehicle height or the acceleration of the vehicle body for use in the control of the fluid pressure to be less than the actual value thereof when the rate of change of the vehicle height or the acceleration of the vehicle body is greater than a threshold value therefor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1991
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Yonekawa, Shuuichi Buma, Toshio Aburaya, Kunihito Sato, Masaki Kawanishi, Kouichi Kokubo, Takami Sugiyama, Toshiaki Hamada
  • Patent number: 5069475
    Abstract: A fluid pressure type active suspension in a vehicle such as an automobile having a four wheel steering means, including a fluid pressure type actuator provided between the vehicle body and each wheel, working fluid supply and exhaust means for supplying and exhausting a working fluid to and from each actuator, vehicle height detection means for detecting vehicle height of a portion of the vehicle body corresponding to each wheel relative to the wheel, and a control means for controlling the working fluid supply and exhaust means according to control parameters including a vehicle height detected by the vehicle height detection means, wherein the control means is adapted to modify the control of the working fluid supply and exhaust means in accordance with whether a front to rear wheel steering angle ratio of the four wheel steering means is in a same phase region or an opposite phase region so that the vehicle height is controlled to be higher or lower or the rolling control is suppressed less or more accord
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1991
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Yonekawa, Shuuichi Buma, Toshio Aburaya, Kunihito Sato, Masaki Kawanishi, Toshiaki Hamada, Shinichi Tagawa
  • Patent number: 5067743
    Abstract: A suspension pressure control system applies a pressure which is proportional to a current level supplied to a solenoid of a pressure control valve to a shock absorber associated with a suspension from the valve through a cut valve, which cuts off a fluid path from the pressure control valve to the shock absorber when a line pressure is below a predetermined value and communicates the fluid path when the line pressure exceeds the predetermined value. An electronic controller controls the current level to maintain an attitude of a vehicle substantially constant in spite of any change of longitudinal and lateral acceleration, which are detected by acceleration sensors. In order to prevent an abrupt or abnormal change of the pressure of the shock absorber at an initiation of the pressure control of the controller when the vehicle is parking on a slope, the controller initiates the pressure control before the cut valve communicates the fluid path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1991
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kouichi Kokubo, Shinichi Tagawa, Masaki Kawanishi, Kunihito Sato, Shuuichi Buma, Takashi Yonekawa, Toshio Aburaya
  • Patent number: 5042834
    Abstract: In a fluid pressure type active suspension in a vehicle such as an automobile, having a fluid pressure type actuator supporting a vehicle body from a wheel so as to be able to vary a height of the vehicle body relative to the wheel in accordance with a fluid pressure supplied to its fluid chamber, a fluid supply passage for supplying a working fluid to the fluid chamber of the actuator, a fluid exhaust passage for exhausting the working fluid from the fluid chamber of the actuator, and a pressure control circuit including a switching-over valve traversing the fluid supply passage and the fluid exhaust passage so as to be operated by a pilot pressure to selectively connect the fluid chamber of the actuator with either the fluid supply passage or the fluid exhaust passage for controlling the fluid pressure supplied to the fluid chamber of the actuator, a variable throttle valve for generating the pilot pressure for operating the switching-over valve from the pressure of the working fluid in the fluid supply pas
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1991
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisen Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Yonekawa, Shuuichi Buma, Toshio Aburaya, Kunihito Sato, Masaki Kawanishi, Kouichi Kokubo, Yutaka Iguchi
  • Patent number: 5043893
    Abstract: In a hydraulic active suspension system, a plurality of actuators having working fluid chambers are provided corresponding to vehicle wheels. Each actuator is adapted to increase and decrease vehicle height as the results of the supply and the discharge of working fluid to and from its working fluid chamber, respectively. Supplying and discharging devices supply working fluid to and discharge from the working fluid chamber. Vehicle height sensors detect the vehicle heights at the locations corresponding to the vehicle wheels. A control device is further provided. The control device controls the supplying and discharging devices so that the pressure within the working fluid chamber in each actuator may be a value corresponding to the sum of a basic pressure determined according to the running conditions of the vehicle and a compensating pressure determined based upon the integral value of the difference between a standard vehicle height and an actual vehicle height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1991
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshio Aburaya, Shuuichi Buma, Takashi Yonekawa, Kunihito Sato, Masaki Kawanishi, Toshio Onuma, Hiroyuki Ikemoto, Kaoru Ohashi, Toshiaki Hamada, Takami Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 5024459
    Abstract: A suspension pressure control system applies a pressure which is proportional to a current level supplied to a solenoid of a pressure control valve to a shock absorber associated with a suspension from the valve. When a pressure in a high pressure line which feeds a high pressure to the pressure control valve falls (rises), the pressure applied to the suspension is decreased (increased). Accordingly, the pressure in the high pressure line is detected by a sensor, and if it is low (high), the current level of the pressure control valve is corrected to a high value (low value). In order to prevent an abnormal pressure rise in the suspension which may be caused by an excessive pressure rise in the high pressure line during an idling operation of an engine, a correction which responds to the pressure of the high pressure line is chosen large when a vehicle speed is equal to zero or very low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1991
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kouichi Kokubo, Toshiaki Hamada, Shinichi Tagawa, Nobuyasu Suzumura, Shuuichi Buma, Toshio Aburaya, Toshio Onuma, Kunihito Sato, Takashi Yonekawa, Masaki Kawanishi, Hiroyuki Ikemoto, Kaoru Ohashi
  • Patent number: 5013062
    Abstract: In a system for controlling the US-OS characteristic of a vehicle having front and rear suspensions, a device for changing the US-OS characteristic is provided which is adapted to alter the roll stiffness distribution between the front and the rear suspensions. A turning state quantity is detected and the changing rate of a turning state quantity is determined. A control device is further provided which is adapted to respond to the turning state quantity and the changing rate of the turning state quantity, and to control the US-OS characteristic changing device so that the higher the changing rate of the turning state quantity is, the more the US-OS characteristic may be shifted toward higher over-steer, and for the same changing rate the higher the turning state quantity is, the more the US-OS characteristic may be shifted toward higher under-steer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1991
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Yonekawa, Toshio Onuma, Shuuichi Buma, Hiroyuki Ikemoto, Kaoru Ohashi, Toshio Aburaya, Kinihito Sato
  • Patent number: 4973080
    Abstract: In a hydraulic suspension system, a plurality of actuators having working fluid chambers are provided. Each actuator is adapted to increase and decrease vehicle height as the results of the supply and the discharge of working fluid to and from its working fluid chamber, respectively. Working fluid supply passages supply working fluid at supply pressure to the working fluid chambers and working fluid discharge passages discharge working fluid from the working fluid chambers. Cut-off valves and pressure control devices are provided in the supply passages and the discharge passages. Each cut-off valve is adapted to remain in its closed position whenever the supply pressure is not more than a predetermined value. Each pressure control device is adapted to control the supply of the working fluid to and the discharge from the associated working fluid chamber to adjust the pressure within the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1990
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ikemoto, Shuuichi Buma, Kaoru Ohashi, Toshio Aburaya, Takashi Yonekawa, Toshio Oonuma, Kunihito Sato, Masaki Kawanishi, Toshiaki Hamada, Kouichi Kokubo, Shinichi Tagawa
  • Patent number: 4971353
    Abstract: In a hydraulic suspension system, a plurality of actuators having working fluid chambers are provided. Each actuator is adapted to increase and decrease vehicle height as the results of the supply and the discharge of working fluid into and from its working fluid chamber, respectively. A plurality of accumulators are connected with associated working fluid chambers. Working fluid supply passages supply working fluid into the working fluid chambers and working fluid discharge passages discharge working fluid from the working fluid chambers. Pressure control devices are provided in the supply passages and the discharge passages. Each pressure control device means is adapted to control the supply of the working fluid into and the discharge from the associated working fluid chamber to adjust the pressure within the chamber. The suspension system further comprises flow resistance control devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1990
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuuichi Buma, Takashi Yonekawa, Toshio Onuma, Katsuhiko Hattori, Osamu Komazawa, Sigetaka Isogai, Hiroyuki Ikemoto
  • Patent number: 4957309
    Abstract: A pressure control system for suspension delivers a pressure which is proportional to a current level chosen to energize a solenoid of a pressure control valve to a shock absorber of a suspension. A change in the pressure of a return path which supplies a low pressure to the pressure control valve causes the pressure which is applied to the suspension to change. In order to suppress such change, a junction of the pressure control valve with the return path has an orifice interposed therein or is connected to a low pressure accumulator. On the other hand, in the event a depression occurs in the output of the high pressure piping, a cut valve which functions to isolate the suspension from the pressure control valve may be temporarily cut off in response to a pressure fluctuation in the high pressure piping. In order to prevent this, an orifice is interposed between the high pressure piping and a pilot chamber of the cut valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 18, 1990
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Osamu Komazawa, Shigetaka Isogai, Shuuichi Buma, Toshio Onuma, Takashi Yonekawa, Katsuhiko Hattori