Patents by Inventor Takuro KUMADA

Takuro KUMADA 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: 11130495
    Abstract: A power control ECU controls electric power and engine power of a hybrid vehicle. The power control ECU includes a request driving force calculating portion that calculates a request driving force calculated in accordance with an accelerator operation amount, a travel driving force calculating portion that calculates a travel driving force as a value that belatedly follows the request driving force, and a dashpot control processing portion. The dashpot control processing portion sets a value of the request driving force as a value of a final request driving force used to calculate request engine power when a difference of the request driving force with respect to the travel driving force is less than a predetermined positive value, and sets a value that belatedly follows the request driving force when the difference is greater than or equal to the predetermined positive value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunya Kato, Yasutaka Tsuchida, Kenji Uchida, Takuro Kumada
  • Patent number: 10539085
    Abstract: A pre-stoppage ignition control unit defines, as a stoppage transition air amount, an intake air amount of the engine with which the engine torque becomes the stoppage transition torque in a state in which an ignition timing of the engine is set to a predetermined self-sustaining operation ignition timing, defines, as an intermediate timing, a predetermined timing earlier than timing at which the intake air amount converges to the stoppage transition air amount during an execution period of the pre-stoppage self-sustaining operation control, sets the ignition timing of the engine in a period from the start of the pre-stoppage self-sustaining operation control to the intermediate timing to timing earlier than the self-sustaining operation ignition timing, and sets the ignition timing of the engine in the period after the intermediate timing to the self-sustaining operation ignition timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasutaka Tsuchida, Shunya Kato, Takuro Kumada
  • Patent number: 10266170
    Abstract: A controller controls an electric motor such that a pulsation compensation torque corresponding to a pulsation component of a torque of an internal combustion engine, which appears in a drive shaft, is supplied to the drive shaft as a damping torque for suppressing vibrations of a hybrid vehicle. A determination is made as to whether a torque of the electric motor, excluding the pulsation compensation torque, is smaller than a predetermined value. When it is determined that the torque excluding the pulsation compensation torque is smaller than the predetermined value, the controller selects one mode having a highest energy efficiency of the hybrid vehicle from among a plurality of modes, and controls the internal combustion engine and the electric motor based on the selected mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Kawai, Takuro Kumada
  • Publication number: 20190100214
    Abstract: A power control ECU controls electric power and engine power of a hybrid vehicle. The power control ECU includes a request driving force calculating portion that calculates a request driving force calculated in accordance with an accelerator operation amount, a travel driving force calculating portion that calculates a travel driving force as a value that belatedly follows the request driving force, and a dashpot control processing portion. The dashpot control processing portion sets a value of the request driving force as a value of a final request driving force used to calculate request engine power when a difference of the request driving force with respect to the travel driving force is less than a predetermined positive value, and sets a value that belatedly follows the request driving force when the difference is greater than or equal to the predetermined positive value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shunya KATO, Yasutaka TSUCHIDA, Kenji UCHIDA, Takuro KUMADA
  • Publication number: 20190101074
    Abstract: A pre-stoppage ignition control unit defines, as a stoppage transition air amount, an intake air amount of the engine with which the engine torque becomes the stoppage transition torque in a state in which an ignition timing of the engine is set to a predetermined self-sustaining operation ignition timing, defines, as an intermediate timing, a predetermined timing earlier than timing at which the intake air amount converges to the stoppage transition air amount during an execution period of the pre-stoppage self-sustaining operation control, sets the ignition timing of the engine in a period from the start of the pre-stoppage self-sustaining operation control to the intermediate timing to timing earlier than the self-sustaining operation ignition timing, and sets the ignition timing of the engine in the period after the intermediate timing to the self-sustaining operation ignition timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasutaka TSUCHIDA, Shunya KATO, Takuro KUMADA
  • Patent number: 10035505
    Abstract: A controller includes control means for controlling an electric motor such that a pulsation compensation torque corresponding to a pulsation component of a torque of an internal combustion engine, which appears in a drive shaft, is supplied to the drive shaft as a damping torque for suppressing vibrations of the hybrid vehicle, and determination means for determining whether a torque of the electric motor, excluding the pulsation compensation torque, is smaller than a predetermined value. When it is determined that the torque excluding the pulsation compensation torque is smaller than the predetermined value, the control means controls the electric motor such that the sum of the pulsation compensation torque and a pressing torque corresponding to the predetermined value is supplied to the drive shaft as the damping torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Kawai, Takuro Kumada
  • Publication number: 20170334432
    Abstract: A controller controls an electric motor such that a pulsation compensation torque corresponding to a pulsation component of a torque of an internal combustion engine, which appears in a drive shaft, is supplied to the drive shaft as a damping torque for suppressing vibrations of a hybrid vehicle. A determination is made as to whether a torque of the electric motor, excluding the pulsation compensation torque, is smaller than a predetermined value. When it is determined that the torque excluding the pulsation compensation torque is smaller than the predetermined value, the controller selects one mode having a highest energy efficiency of the hybrid vehicle from among a plurality of modes, and controls the internal combustion engine and the electric motor based on the selected mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi KAWAI, Takuro KUMADA
  • Patent number: 9718460
    Abstract: An electronic control unit is mounted on a vehicle including an internal combustion engine and electric motors, each of which is connected to a driving shaft to be capable of transmitting power. The electronic control unit is configured to compute compensation torque reducing a pulsation component of engine torque of the internal combustion engine and command a value in which required torque of the electric motor is combined with the computed compensation torque to the electric motor as a torque command value of the electric motor. The electronic control unit is configured to correct the torque command value so that the value opposite in sign to an average torque command value is not commanded to the electric motor when the average torque command value is smaller than an amplitude of the torque command value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Kawai, Takuro Kumada
  • Patent number: 9637025
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle motor is provided with: a characteristic switching device configured to switch a characteristic of a motor between a first characteristic in which the output upper limit is first predetermined torque and a second characteristic in which the output upper limit is second predetermined torque, which is smaller than the first predetermined torque; a characteristic determining device configured to determine whether the characteristic of the motor is the first characteristic or the second characteristic; and a characteristic controlling device configured to control the characteristic switching device to switch the characteristic of the motor to the first characteristic and to start the motor with the first characteristic at a next start of the driven body if it is determined that the characteristic of the motor is not the first characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Kawai, Takuro Kumada
  • Patent number: 9598066
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle motor is a control apparatus for a vehicle motor configured to control a motor that can realize a plurality of characteristics in which output upper limits of torque are different from each other. The control apparatus for the vehicle motor is provided with: a characteristic switching device configured to switch a characteristic of the motor between a first characteristic in which the output upper limit is first predetermined torque and a second characteristic in which the output upper limit is second predetermined torque, which is lower than the first predetermined torque; a characteristic switching abnormality determining device configured to determine whether or not there is an abnormality in switching of the characteristic of the motor; and a fail-safe performing device configured to perform a fail-safe process according to the characteristic of the motor if it is determined that there is the abnormality in the switching of the characteristic of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Kawai, Takuro Kumada
  • Publication number: 20160375894
    Abstract: An electronic control unit is mounted on a vehicle including an internal combustion engine and electric motors, each of which is connected to a driving shaft to be capable of transmitting power. The electronic control unit is configured to compute compensation torque reducing a pulsation component of engine torque of the internal combustion engine and command a value in which required torque of the electric motor is combined with the computed compensation torque to the electric motor as a torque command value of the electric motor. The electronic control unit is configured to correct the torque command value so that the value opposite in sign to an average torque command value is not commanded to the electric motor when the average torque command value is smaller than an amplitude of the torque command value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi KAWAI, Takuro KUMADA
  • Publication number: 20160304084
    Abstract: A controller includes control means for controlling an electric motor such that a pulsation compensation torque corresponding to a pulsation component of a torque of an internal combustion engine, which appears in a drive shaft, is supplied to the drive shaft as a damping torque for suppressing vibrations of the hybrid vehicle, and determination means for determining whether a torque of the electric motor, excluding the pulsation compensation torque, is smaller than a predetermined value. When it is determined that the torque excluding the pulsation compensation torque is smaller than the predetermined value, the control means controls the electric motor such that the sum of the pulsation compensation torque and a pressing torque corresponding to the predetermined value is supplied to the drive shaft as the damping torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Publication date: October 20, 2016
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi KAWAI, Takuro KUMADA
  • Publication number: 20160001761
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle motor is a control apparatus for a vehicle motor configured to control a motor that can realize a plurality of characteristics in which output upper limits of torque are different from each other. The control apparatus for the vehicle motor is provided with: a characteristic switching device configured to switch a characteristic of the motor between a first characteristic in which the output upper limit is first predetermined torque and a second characteristic in which the output upper limit is second predetermined torque, which is lower than the first predetermined torque; a characteristic switching abnormality determining device configured to determine whether or not there is an abnormality in switching of the characteristic of the motor; and a fail-safe performing device configured to perform a fail-safe process according to the characteristic of the motor if it is determined that there is the abnormality in the switching of the characteristic of the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi KAWAI, Takuro KUMADA
  • Publication number: 20150360583
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle motor is provided with: a characteristic switching device configured to switch a characteristic of a motor between a first characteristic in which the output upper limit is first predetermined torque and a second characteristic in which the output upper limit is second predetermined torque, which is smaller than the first predetermined torque; a characteristic determining device configured to determine whether the characteristic of the motor is the first characteristic or the second characteristic; and a characteristic controlling device configured to control the characteristic switching device to switch the characteristic of the motor to the first characteristic and to start the motor with the first characteristic at a next start of the driven body if it is determined that the characteristic of the motor is not the first characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi KAWAI, Takuro KUMADA