Patents by Inventor Tomohiro Nakano

Tomohiro Nakano 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: 10156199
    Abstract: A drive control circuitry and an electronic control circuitry for controlling energization of a plurality of fuel injection valves. The plurality of fuel injection valves including a second fuel injection valve currently injecting fuel and a first fuel injection valve which, of the plurality of fuel injection valves, was last energized before the second fuel injection valve. When an energization start interval between a start of energization of the first fuel injection valve and a start of energization of the second fuel injection valve is longer than or equal to a peak reaching time of the first fuel injection valve, an energization time of the second fuel injection valve is extended as the energization start interval reduces. When the energization start interval is shorter than the peak reaching time, the energization time of the second fuel injection valve is reduced as the energization start interval reduces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohiro Nakano, Eiji Murase, Rihito Kaneko, Masanao Idogawa
  • Publication number: 20180313291
    Abstract: After start-up of an internal combustion engine, a CPU divides a request injection amount, which is used to control the air-fuel ratio to a target value, into an amount of fuel injected by a port injection valve and an amount of fuel injected by a direct injection valve based on rotation speed and a load ratio. When the amount of fuel injected by the port injection valve changes from zero to greater than zero, the CPU decreases the actual fuel injection amount from the divided fuel injection amount then gradually increases to the divided fuel injection amount. When the amount of fuel injected by the port injection valve is gradually increased, the amount of fuel injected by the direct injection valve is increased from the divided fuel injection amount so that the request injection amount of fuel is injected by the port injection valve and the direct injection valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihiko Higuchi, Tomohiro Nakano, Eiji Murase
  • Publication number: 20180313281
    Abstract: An intermittent combustion mode is executed while cyclically switching an intermittent firing pattern in such a manner that the skipped-cylinder interval is changed by one cylinder at a time. Furthermore, the intermittent firing pattern is switched in such a manner that the fired cylinder ratio in one cycle of switching of the intermittent firing pattern becomes equal to a target fired cylinder ratio. This suppresses the occurrence of vibration and noise having low frequencies that tend to disturb the occupant while limiting an increase in the rotational fluctuation of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomohiro NAKANO
  • Publication number: 20180223766
    Abstract: During rapid warm-up operation, a CPU executes full lift injection processing, in which a nozzle needle reaches a maximum lift amount, in an intake stroke of each cylinder of a four-cylinder internal combustion engine, and then executes partial lift injection processing, in which the nozzle needle does not reach the maximum lift amount, in a compression stroke. On the other hand, during learning of injection characteristics of partial lift injection processing, the CPU executes full lift injection processing after executing partial lift injection processing, both of which are executed within a predetermined period in an intake stroke. The CPU learns the injection characteristics based on an inflection point in the temporal change of the induced electromotive force in a coil following the end of the partial lift injection processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomohiro Nakano
  • Patent number: 10012172
    Abstract: A controller for an internal combustion engine including a fuel pressure control processor that controls a fuel pressure at a target fuel pressure, an instruction value calculating processor that calculates a peak instruction value, an upper limit guard processor that executes a guard process on the peak instruction value, an energizing processor that energizes the coil based on the peak instruction value that has undergone the guard process, a convergence determination processor that determines whether or not the detected fuel pressure has converged on the target fuel pressure, and a decreasing processor that decreases the upper limit guard value to a lower value when the fuel pressure has converged on the target fuel pressure than when the fuel pressure has not converged on the target fuel pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomohiro Nakano
  • Patent number: 10012168
    Abstract: An abnormality flag is set when a first abnormality determination condition is established in an abnormality diagnosis of a fuel pressure sensor and it is determined that an abnormality occurs. In a case where the abnormality flag is kept cleared, when a fuel pressure detection value of the fuel pressure sensor is kept fixed for a prescribed time T2 or more and a second abnormality determination condition is established, a partial lift injection is prohibited, such that an injection control of a fuel injection valve is performed so as to perform a fuel injection without performing the partial lift injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomohiro Nakano
  • Publication number: 20180171880
    Abstract: A variable combustion cylinder ratio control method variably controls a combustion cylinder ratio of an engine during an intermittent deactivation operation, in which cylinder deactivation is intermittently performed. The method includes, when setting N to an integer greater than or equal to 1, repeatedly performing a cylinder deactivation in a pattern in which combustion is consecutively performed in N cylinders in the order of cylinders entering a combustion stroke, and then a subsequent cylinder is deactivated. The method further includes changing the combustion cylinder ratio by changing the pattern such that the value of N is changed by one at a time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomohiro NAKANO
  • Patent number: 9938924
    Abstract: A control device for a fuel injection valve includes a drive circuit that controls open/close operation of the fuel injection valve by passing an exciting current through a solenoid of the fuel injection valve and an ECU that reduces a peak current value as a fuel pressure in a delivery pipe at timing of a start of energization of the fuel injection valve decreases. The ECU reduces the peak current value as an amount of fuel discharged from a high-pressure fuel pump to the delivery pipe reduces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohiro Nakano, Eiji Murase, Rihito Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20180097254
    Abstract: In an electrode body for use in non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, a first end of a separator is located more interiorly than one positive electrode end of a positive electrode plate in a width direction, located more exteriorly than one end of a coated positive electrode portion of the positive electrode plate, and located more exteriorly than one end of a coated negative electrode portion of a negative electrode plate. The first end of the separator is thicker than an intermediate portion. A second end of the separator is located more interiorly than an other negative electrode end of the negative electrode plate in the width direction, located more exteriorly than the other end of the coated positive electrode portion of the positive electrode plate, and located more exteriorly than an other end of the coated negative electrode portion of the negative electrode plate. The second end of the separator is thicker than the intermediate portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohiro Nakano, Hideaki Fujita
  • Patent number: 9926879
    Abstract: An electronic control unit that calculates an injection standby period, which is a period from an energization start point of the solenoid to a point at which the fuel injection valve opens, and adjusts an energization period of the solenoid in accordance with the calculated injection standby period. The electronic control unit of the control apparatus for a fuel injection valve then measures a reference fall detection period, which is a period from the energization start point to a reference fall detection point, and sets the injection standby period to be longer as the reference fall detection period is longer. Here, the reference fall detection point is a point at which the excitation current detected by the current detection circuit falls below a reference current value, which is smaller than a peak current value, while the excitation current decreases after reaching the peak current value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohiro Nakano, Eiji Murase, Rihito Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20180030919
    Abstract: A fuel injection control device divides an amount of fuel corresponding to an injection amount required for a single combustion into portions corresponding to multiple fuel injections, causes the direct injector to inject the fuel in the multiple times, and causes the direct injector to execute a partial-lift injection as a final fuel injection. The device includes a total injection amount calculation section, an individual injection amount calculation section, and an injection amount changing section. The injection amount changing section executes, as a first changing process, a process for increasing the injection amount at the final fuel injection to a value between a partial-lift injection lower limit value and a partial-lift injection upper limit value and reducing the injection amount at a fuel injection other than the final fuel injection by the increased amount of the injection amount at the final fuel injection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihiko HIGUCHI, Tomohiro NAKANO, Eiji MURASE
  • Patent number: 9869288
    Abstract: An ECU outputs an ignition signal Si to an ignition apparatus through an ignition communication line. The ignition apparatus performs the closing operation of an ignition switching element, in a period during which the ignition signal Si is input. The ECU outputs a discharge waveform control signal Sc to a waveform control communication line, at a timing that is delayed by a predetermined delay time relative to an output timing of the ignition signal Si. In an input period of the discharge waveform control signal Sc after the stop of the input of the ignition signal Si, the ignition apparatus controls the electric current to flow through a primary coil, to a discharge current command value that is decided depending on the above delay time, by the opening-closing operation of a control switching element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakamura, Tomohiro Nakano, Shunichi Takeda
  • Publication number: 20180003120
    Abstract: A controller for an internal combustion engine is configured to control the fuel injection valve so that the fuel injection valve selectively performs partial lift injection, which does not open a valve member at a fully open position, and full lift injection, which opens the valve member at the fully open position. The internal combustion engine includes the fuel injection valve and a fuel supply system. The controller includes an energizing time setting unit, a fuel pressure calculation unit, and a smoothening process unit. The energizing time setting unit is configured to set an energizing time for the full lift injection based on graded fuel pressure calculated by the smoothening process unit and set an energizing time for the partial lift injection based on fuel pressure calculated by the fuel pressure calculation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomohiro NAKANO
  • Publication number: 20170342937
    Abstract: A controller for an internal combustion engine including a fuel pressure control processor that controls a fuel pressure at a target fuel pressure, an instruction value calculating processor that calculates a peak instruction value, an upper limit guard processor that executes a guard process on the peak instruction value, an energizing processor that energizes the coil based on the peak instruction value that has undergone the guard process, a convergence determination processor that determines whether or not the detected fuel pressure has converged on the target fuel pressure, and a decreasing processor that decreases the upper limit guard value to a lower value when the fuel pressure has converged on the target fuel pressure than when the fuel pressure has not converged on the target fuel pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomohiro NAKANO
  • Patent number: 9797332
    Abstract: A control device for an engine includes an ECU. The ECU is configured to: control an actual fuel pressure supplied to a fuel injector to a target fuel pressure; calculate a required energization time required for fuel injection equivalent in amount to a required injection quantity; set a energization time for each injection based on the required energization time; execute a switching processing for switching a manner in which the energization time is set when the required energization time is shorter than a predetermined time; set the required energization time as a set value of the energization time through the switching processing when a deviation between the actual fuel pressure and the target fuel pressure is equal to or larger than a predetermined value; and set the predetermined time as the set value of the energization time when the deviation is less than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomohiro Nakano
  • Patent number: 9777687
    Abstract: A fuel supply device includes an injector, a fuel pressurization device and an ECU. The fuel pressurization device includes an electromagnetic valve. The fuel pressurization device is configured to pressurize a fuel in accordance with opening/closing of the electromagnetic valve and discharge the fuel toward the injector. The ECU is configured: to control the opening/closing of the electromagnetic valve to adjust the fuel amount discharged toward the injector; to execute an operation sound suppression control during a low-load operation of an engine by reducing an opening/closing frequency of the electromagnetic valve and increasing the fuel amount discharged for each opening/closing of the electromagnetic valve; not to execute the operation sound suppression control when a partial lift injection is in progress; and to execute the operation sound suppression control when the partial lift injection is not in progress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomohiro Nakano
  • Patent number: 9765722
    Abstract: A fuel injection system for an engine, the fuel injection system includes injectors and an electronic control unit. The injectors include needle valves; and the ECU is configured to: (i) execute partial lift injection and full lift injection with the injectors, the partial lift injection being injection during which the needle valve does not reach a fully-open state and the full lift injection being injection during which the needle valve reaches the fully-open state; (ii) operate the engine in a partial lift injection region where the injection of a required injection amount of a fuel is shared by the partial lift injection and the full lift injection; and (iii) perform the amount of correction of the required injection amount with respect to the injection amount shared by the full lift injection when the required injection amount is corrected while the engine is operated in the partial lift injection region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihiko Higuchi, Tomohiro Nakano, Rihito Kaneko, Eiji Murase
  • Patent number: 9755238
    Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to the present invention includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte solution. The negative electrode includes a coating derived from lithium bis(oxalate)borate. The coating derived from lithium bis(oxalate)borate includes a coating containing boron element and a coating containing oxalate ion. A ratio of the boron element contained in the coating derived from lithium bis(oxalate)borate to the oxalate ion is equal to or more than 5. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery capable of reliably obtaining the effect due to the formation of a coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Onizuka, Tomohiro Nakano, Kyoko Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 9631574
    Abstract: When injecting fuel from a direct injector and a port injector such that a requested fuel injection amount is obtained in an internal combustion engine, the direct injector is driven in the following manner. After a target fuel injection amount for the fuel injection with the higher priority among fuel injection in the late stage of a compression stroke and fuel injection in the early stage of an intake stroke in the direct injector has been set on the basis of the engine operating condition, the target fuel injection amount for the fuel injection with the lower priority is set on the basis of the engine operating condition. Moreover, the direct injector is driven in such a manner that the target fuel injection amount for each of the abovementioned fuel injections set in this manner is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomohiro Nakano
  • Patent number: 9631593
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine is provided. The internal combustion engine includes an in-cylinder injector. The control device includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to: control energizing time for the in-cylinder injector when a partial lift injection is performed such that the partial lift injection becomes maximum partial lift injection with a longest energizing time in the partial lift injection; and control the number of energizations for performing the maximum partial lift injection during a single injection stroke such that a total of injection amounts of the maximum partial lift injection by the number of the energizations is equal to or less than a required injection amount as a target amount for the injection amount of a single injection stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuta Nakajima, Tomohiro Nakano, Eiji Murase