Patents by Inventor Tomohiro Utagawa

Tomohiro Utagawa 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: 20240102552
    Abstract: A continuously variable transmission includes: a first pulley and a second pulley each including a fixed pulley and a movable pulley; and an endless member wound around the first pulley and the second pulley, wherein the continuously variable transmission continuously changes a speed ratio by controlling a thrust of the movable pulley with a hydraulic pressure, the thrust of the movable pulley is made smaller as a rotation speed of the first pulley decreases, and when the rotation speed of the first pulley is lower than a predetermined rotation speed, the thrust of the movable pulley in a case where the speed ratio is on a Low side of the predetermined speed ratio is not made smaller than the thrust of the movable pulley in a case where the speed ratio is on a High side of the predetermined speed ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicants: JATCO Ltd, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shou OKUTANI, Masahiro KUSUDA, Tomohiro UTAGAWA, Hironori MIYAISHI, Seiichirou TAKAHASHI, Yusuke NAKANO, Hiromu SOYA, Jumpei HAYAKAWA, Makoto OGURI
  • Patent number: 11548507
    Abstract: A controller includes a control unit which is configured to execute a coast stop control. The coast stop control is configured to perform automatic stopping of the drive source while the vehicle is traveling, when a permitting condition is satisfied, the permitting condition including a condition that a speed ratio R of the variator is lower than a first threshold R1 while the lock-up clutch is in an engaged phase. The control unit is configured to prohibit execution of the coast stop control in a case in which an input-output rotation speed difference of the torque converter is equal to or more than a predetermined value when the lock-up clutch is in the engaged phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignees: JATCO LTD, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jonghwan Lee, Tomohiro Utagawa, Chadol Kim
  • Publication number: 20220032915
    Abstract: A controller includes a control unit which is configured to execute a coast stop control. The coast stop control is configured to perform automatic stopping of the drive source while the vehicle is traveling, when a permitting condition is satisfied, the permitting condition including a condition that a speed ratio R of the variator is lower than a first threshold R1 while the lock-up clutch is in an engaged phase. The control unit is configured to prohibit execution of the coast stop control in a case in which an input-output rotation speed difference of the torque converter is equal to or more than a predetermined value when the lock-up clutch is in the engaged phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Applicants: JATCO Ltd, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jonghwan LEE, Tomohiro UTAGAWA, Chadol KIM
  • Patent number: 10377367
    Abstract: A control device for hybrid vehicle is configured to transmit a torque generated by an engine and a motor to a power transmission member according to a driving power request from a driver. The control device for hybrid vehicle includes motor control means and transmission capacity control means. The motor control means is configured to control an output from the motor according to the driving power request. The transmission capacity control means is configured to control a transmission capacity of the power transmission member. The transmission capacity control means is configured to increase the transmission capacity in consideration of a variation of the output from the motor when the output from the motor is increased based on the driving power request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: JATCO LTD
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Kawamoto, Tomohiro Utagawa, Masayuki Miyazono
  • Patent number: 9945478
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a continuously variable transmission with a sub transmission includes a primary solenoid valve installed at an oil passage in a midway position between a mechanical oil pump and a primary pulley and configured to control a hydraulic pressure to be supplied to the primary pulley. The control apparatus further includes a transmission controller which outputs a primary current command value to a primary solenoid valve. The transmission controller outputs the primary current command value which previously closed the oil passage between the mechanical oil pump and the primary pulley to the primary solenoid valve before a rise in an engine revolution number due to at least a re-start of the engine, when a coast stop control/an idle stop control is carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: JATCO Ltd
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Kawamoto, Tomohiro Utagawa, Takashi Eguchi
  • Publication number: 20170203750
    Abstract: A control device for hybrid vehicle is configured to transmit a torque generated by an engine and a motor to a power transmission member according to a driving power request from a driver. The control device for hybrid vehicle includes motor control means and transmission capacity control means. The motor control means is configured to control an output from the motor according to the driving power request. The transmission capacity control means is configured to control a transmission capacity of the power transmission member. The transmission capacity control means is configured to increase the transmission capacity in consideration of a variation of the output from the motor when the output from the motor is increased based on the driving power request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Applicant: JATCO Ltd
    Inventors: Yoshinobu KAWAMOTO, Tomohiro UTAGAWA, Masayuki MIYAZONO
  • Patent number: 9562546
    Abstract: In a hydraulic control circuit including a solenoid valve, whose change responsiveness in an actual pressure with respect to a change in an instructional pressure deteriorates when the instructional pressure enters a dead band region on a lower pressure side than a dead band threshold, for adjusting a hydraulic pressure supplied to a hydraulic device operated by the hydraulic pressure based on the instructional pressure, the instructional pressure is increased in a stepwise manner to a charge pressure higher than the dead band threshold, when the instructional pressure is set in the dead band region and the instructional pressure increases within the dead band region to such an extent that a speed ratio does not change. Then, a lower limit of the instructional pressure is set to the dead band threshold, and use of the dead band region is prohibited for a certain period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: JATCO LTD
    Inventors: Seiichiro Takahashi, Takashi Eguchi, Tomohiro Utagawa, Hisao Nobu, Kenji Sakakibara, Takahiro Ikeda, Masayuki Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20160290503
    Abstract: In a control apparatus for a continuously variable transmission with a sub transmission, a primary solenoid valve (118) installed at an oil passage midway position from a mechanical oil pump (10) to a primary pulley (21) and configured to control a hydraulic pressure to the primary pulley (21) and a transmission controller (12) which outputs a primary current command value (PriSOL/I*) to primary solenoid valve (118) are provided. The transmission controller (12) outputs primary current command value (PriSOL/I*) which previously closes an oil passage from the mechanical oil pump (10) to the primary pulley (21) to the primary solenoid valve (118) before a rise in engine revolution number (Ne) due to at least a re-start of the engine, when a coast stop control/an idle stop control is carried out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Applicant: JATCO Ltd
    Inventors: Yoshinobu KAWAMOTO, Tomohiro UTAGAWA, Takashi EGUCHI
  • Patent number: 9441733
    Abstract: A transmission controller determines whether a shift is a kickdown, and when the shift is determined as the kickdown, the target line pressure is increased to a first target pressure corresponding to an input torque to a continuously variable transmission increased by the kickdown; the transmission controller then determines whether the line pressure has reached the first target pressure, and if determined that the line pressure has reached the first target pressure, the target line pressure is increased to a second target pressure higher than the first target pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignees: JATCO LTD, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seiichiro Takahashi, Takashi Eguchi, Tomohiro Utagawa, Tomoyuki Mizuochi, Hisao Nobu, Kenji Sakakibara, Takahiro Ikeda, Masayuki Shimizu
  • Patent number: 9212732
    Abstract: A target primary pressure and a target secondary pressure are set based on a speed ratio, a target line pressure as a target value of a line pressure is set to be a value obtained by adding an offset amount, as a positive value, to either one having a higher value out of the target primary pressure and the target secondary pressure, in at least a cross-point region as a region where an absolute value of a deviation, obtained by subtracting the target primary pressure from the target secondary pressure, is smaller than a predetermined deviation, and a primary pressure, a secondary pressure, and the line pressure are controlled to be the target primary pressure, the target secondary pressure, and the target line pressure, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignees: JATCO LTD, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seiichiro Takahashi, Takashi Eguchi, Tomohiro Utagawa, Tomoyuki Mizuochi, Hisao Nobu, Kenji Sakakibara, Takahiro Ikeda, Masayuki Shimizu, Masami Sakai
  • Patent number: 9133930
    Abstract: A transmission controller determines whether a shift returning to low, changing a speed ratio of a continuously variable transmission to the lowest when a vehicle decelerates, is being performed or not, calculates a primary pressure measured lower limit value at which a belt begins to slip actually, based on a deceleration of the vehicle and the speed ratio of the continuously variable transmission, and sets a lower limit value of a target value of the primary pressure during the shift returning to low as the primary pressure measured lower limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignees: JATCO LTD, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seiichiro Takahashi, Takashi Eguchi, Tomohiro Utagawa, Yuta Ishinabe, Tetsuya Izumi, Takahiro Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20150148157
    Abstract: A transmission controller determines whether a shift is a kickdown, and when the shift is determined as the kickdown, the target line pressure is increased to a first target pressure corresponding to an input torque to a continuously variable transmission increased by the kickdown; the transmission controller then determines whether the line pressure has reached the first target pressure, and if determined that the line pressure has reached the first target pressure, the target line pressure is increased to a second target pressure higher than the first target pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicants: JATCO LTD, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seiichiro Takahashi, Takashi Eguchi, Tomohiro Utagawa, Tomoyuki Mizuochi, Hisao Nobu, Kenji Sakakibara, Takahiro Ikeda, Masayuki Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20150081181
    Abstract: A transmission controller determines whether a shift returning to low, changing a speed ratio of a continuously variable transmission to the lowest when a vehicle decelerates, is being performed or not, calculates a primary pressure measured lower limit value at which a belt begins to slip actually, based on a deceleration of the vehicle and the speed ratio of the continuously variable transmission, and sets a lower limit value of a target value of the primary pressure during the shift returning to low as the primary pressure measured lower limit value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Seiichiro Takahashi, Takashi Eguchi, Tomohiro Utagawa, Yuta Ishinabe, Tetsuya Izumi, Takahiro Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20150075360
    Abstract: In a hydraulic control circuit including a solenoid valve, whose change responsiveness in an actual pressure with respect to a change in an instructional pressure deteriorates when the instructional pressure enters a dead band region on a lower pressure side than a dead band threshold, for adjusting a hydraulic pressure supplied to a hydraulic device operated by the hydraulic pressure based on the instructional pressure, the instructional pressure is increased in a stepwise manner to a charge pressure higher than the dead band threshold, when the instructional pressure is set in the dead band region and the instructional pressure increases within the dead band region to such an extent that a speed ratio does not change. Then, a lower limit of the instructional pressure is set to the dead band threshold, and use of the dead band region is prohibited for a certain period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Seiichiro Takahashi, Takashi Eguchi, Tomohiro Utagawa, Hisao Nobu, Kenji Sakakibara, Takahiro Ikeda, Masayuki Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20150080156
    Abstract: A target primary pressure and a target secondary pressure are set based on a speed ratio, a target line pressure as a target value of a line pressure is set to be a value obtained by adding an offset amount, as a positive value, to either one having a higher value out of the target primary pressure and the target secondary pressure, in at least a cross-point region as a region where an absolute value of a deviation, obtained by subtracting the target primary pressure from the target secondary pressure, is smaller than a predetermined deviation, and a primary pressure, a secondary pressure, and the line pressure are controlled to be the target primary pressure, the target secondary pressure, and the target line pressure, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicants: JATCO LTD., NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seiichiro Takahashi, Takashi Eguchi, Tomohiro Utagawa, Tomoyuki Mizuochi, Hisao Nobu, Kenji Sakakibara, Takahiro Ikeda, Masayuki Shimizu, Masami Sakai
  • Patent number: 8414453
    Abstract: An inertia torque input into the continuously variable speed change mechanism from the subtransmission mechanism is estimated during the shift in the subtransmission mechanism. During the shift in the subtransmission mechanism, a required oil pressure, which is an oil pressure required to maintain a contact frictional force between the respective pulleys and the wrapped member, is calculated on the basis of an input torque into the continuously variable speed change mechanism and the inertia torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Jatco Ltd
    Inventors: Ryousuke Nonomura, Takashi Eguchi, Tomohiro Utagawa, Keita Okudaira
  • Publication number: 20110053718
    Abstract: An inertia torque input into the continuously variable speed change mechanism from the subtransmission mechanism is estimated during the shift in the subtransmission mechanism. During the shift in the subtransmission mechanism, a required oil pressure, which is an oil pressure required to maintain a contact frictional force between the respective pulleys and the wrapped member, is calculated on the basis of an input torque into the continuously variable speed change mechanism and the inertia torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Inventors: Ryousuke NONOMURA, Takashi Eguchi, Tomohiro Utagawa, Keita Okudaira