Patents by Inventor Tomokuni Kusunoki
Tomokuni Kusunoki 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: 11560856Abstract: An engine system is provided, which includes a supercharger driven by a crankshaft of an engine, an electromagnetic clutch disconnectably connecting the crankshaft to the supercharger, and a controller configured to output a control signal to the electromagnetic clutch. The controller includes a processor configured to execute an uphill-angle detecting module to detect an uphill angle during traveling of a vehicle, an uphill determining module to determine whether the detected uphill angle is above a given first uphill angle, and a boost controlling module to, when the detected uphill angle is above the first uphill angle, control the electromagnetic clutch to connect the crankshaft to the supercharger even when a target torque of the engine is within a not-boosting range.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2021Date of Patent: January 24, 2023Assignee: Mazda Motor CorporationInventors: Hironori Kokubu, Kenji Sasaki, Atsushi Yagi, Tomokuni Kusunoki
-
Publication number: 20220195951Abstract: An engine system is provided, which includes a supercharger driven by a crankshaft of an engine, an electromagnetic clutch disconnectably connecting the crankshaft to the supercharger, and a controller configured to output a control signal to the electromagnetic clutch. The controller includes a processor configured to execute an uphill-angle detecting module to detect an uphill angle during traveling of a vehicle, an uphill determining module to determine whether the detected uphill angle is above a given first uphill angle, and a boost controlling module to, when the detected uphill angle is above the first uphill angle, control the electromagnetic clutch to connect the crankshaft to the supercharger even when a target torque of the engine is within a not-boosting range.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2021Publication date: June 23, 2022Inventors: Hironori Kokubu, Kenji Sasaki, Atsushi Yagi, Tomokuni Kusunoki
-
Publication number: 20220195950Abstract: An engine system provided to a vehicle having an accelerator pedal is provided. When an engine operation range is determined to shift to a first range (where an electromagnetic clutch is disengaged) from a second range (where the clutch is engaged) after an opening of the accelerator pedal increases at a rate below a given reference rate, the clutch is switched from ON to OFF after a given basic stand-by period passes from the shift. When the engine operation range is determined to shift from the second range to the first range after the accelerator pedal opening increases at the given reference rate or above, the clutch is switched from ON to OFF after a given acceleration stand-by period (longer than the basic stand-by period by a given added period) passes from the shift.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2021Publication date: June 23, 2022Inventors: Hironori Kokubu, Kenji Sasaki, Atsushi Yagi, Tomokuni Kusunoki
-
Patent number: 11181054Abstract: An intake-air temperature controlling device for an engine is provided, which includes an engine body, an intake passage, an air intake part, an intake air temperature adjuster configured to adjust air temperature taken in through the air intake part to the passage, and a controller. An operating range in which the CI combustion is performed has a lean operating range in which A/F of mixture gas formed inside the cylinder, or G/F that is a relationship between the total weight G of gas inside the cylinder and a weight F of fuel fed to the cylinder is relatively low, and a rich operating range in which the A/F or G/F is relatively high. When the engine is in the lean operating range, the controller outputs a control signal to the intake air temperature adjuster so that the air temperature is increased, as compared in the rich operating range.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2019Date of Patent: November 23, 2021Assignee: Mazda Motor CorporationInventors: Shinichi Hikitani, Hajime Umehara, Naoki Nagano, Kenji Sugasaki, Shin Kodama, Hiromasa Nakagawa, Tomokuni Kusunoki, Taiga Kamiji, Masanobu Koutoku, Toshinori Ueno, Katsuya Murakami
-
Patent number: 11111870Abstract: A method of determining an abnormality of a differential pressure sensor which is configured to detect a pressure differential between an upstream side and a downstream side of an EGR valve provided to an EGR passage of an engine, is provided. The method includes the steps of controlling an opening of the EGR valve based on an output value of the differential pressure sensor, determining the abnormality of the differential pressure sensor based on the output value of the differential pressure sensor, controlling at least a throttle valve of the engine toward a closed side so that the pressure differential is maintained at a given pressure or higher when determining, and prohibiting the execution of the abnormality determination when an engine speed is a given engine speed or higher, and permitting the execution of the abnormality determination when the engine speed is less than the given engine speed.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2020Date of Patent: September 7, 2021Assignee: Mazda Motor CorporationInventor: Tomokuni Kusunoki
-
Patent number: 11111865Abstract: A compression ignition engine with a supercharger is provided, which includes one or more valves configured to switch a state between a first state where intake air is boosted by the supercharger and a second state where it is not boosted, a fluid temperature adjuster configured to adjust a temperature of engine coolant to be supplied to a radiator from an engine body, and a controller. When the engine operates in a high-load range, the controller controls the combustion mode to be in a compression ignition combustion mode, and causes the valve(s) to be in the first state, and in a low-load range, the controller causes the valve(s) to be in the second state. In the high-load range, the controller outputs a control signal to the fluid temperature adjuster so that a target temperature of the engine coolant is lowered than that in the low-load range.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2019Date of Patent: September 7, 2021Assignee: Mazda Motor CorporationInventors: Shinichi Hikitani, Hajime Umehara, Naoki Nagano, Tomokuni Kusunoki, Tatsuya Takahata, Shinji Watanabe, Masanobu Koutoku, Toshinori Ueno, Katsuya Murakami, Nobuhiko Yokoyama
-
Patent number: 11002209Abstract: An engine control device is provided, which includes an engine body where a cylinder is formed, an exhaust passage through which exhaust gas discharged from the engine body circulates, a NOx sensor disposed in the exhaust passage and configured to detect a concentration of NOx in the exhaust gas, an injector configured to change an air-fuel ratio inside the cylinder, an in-cylinder temperature changer configured to change a temperature inside the cylinder, and a controller configured to control the injector and the exhaust shutter valve. The controller controls the injector based on a detection value of the NOx sensor to variably set the air-fuel ratio inside the cylinder, and when a particular condition that the air-fuel ratio inside the cylinder is leaner than a preset upper limit is satisfied, and causes the in-cylinder temperature changer to raise the temperature inside the cylinder.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2019Date of Patent: May 11, 2021Assignee: Mazda Motor CorporationInventors: Kota Maekawa, Takeatsu Ito, Tomokuni Kusunoki, Keitaro Ezumi
-
Patent number: 10982610Abstract: A controller for an engine estimates a temperature of the exhaust gas and controls the engine according to the estimated exhaust temperature. The controller changes the air-fuel ratio to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio or leaner. The controller calculates the progress of combustion on the basis of signals of sensors, and estimates an exhaust temperature. In the case where the air-fuel ratio is the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, the controller estimates the exhaust temperature on the basis of the progress of the combustion, the engine temperature, and a first relationship that is at least defined between the progress of the combustion and the exhaust temperature, . In the case where the air-fuel ratio is lean, the controller estimates the exhaust temperature on the basis of the progress of the combustion, the engine temperature, and a second relationship that differs from the first relationship.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2020Date of Patent: April 20, 2021Assignee: Mazda Motor CorporationInventors: Keisuke Ohtsuka, Kentaro Kimura, Takeatsu Ito, Tomokuni Kusunoki
-
Patent number: 10876465Abstract: An intake-air temperature controlling device is provided, which includes an engine body, an intake passage, a supercharger, a first passage, a second passage, an intake air flow rate adjuster, an intercooler, a pump, and a controller. The controller outputs a control signal to the pump so that coolant is supplied to the intercooler in a first operating range in which the intake air flow rate adjuster at least partially opens the first passage to supply intake air boosted by the supercharger to the engine body, and outputs a control signal to the pump so that the coolant is supplied to the intercooler also in a second operating range in which an engine load is below a given load, and the intake air flow rate adjuster opens the second passage and closes the first passage to supply the intake air to the engine body in a non-boosted state.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2019Date of Patent: December 29, 2020Assignee: Mazda Motor CorporationInventors: Shinichi Hikitani, Hajime Umehara, Naoki Nagano, Tomokuni Kusunoki, Shinji Takayama, Masanobu Koutoku, Toshinori Ueno, Katsuya Murakami
-
Publication number: 20200355136Abstract: A controller for an engine estimates a temperature of the exhaust gas and controls the engine according to the estimated exhaust temperature. The controller changes the air-fuel ratio to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio or leaner. The controller calculates the progress of combustion on the basis of signals of sensors, and estimates an exhaust temperature. In the case where the air-fuel ratio is the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, the controller estimates the exhaust temperature on the basis of the progress of the combustion, the engine temperature, and a first relationship that is at least defined between the progress of the combustion and the exhaust temperature, . In the case where the air-fuel ratio is lean, the controller estimates the exhaust temperature on the basis of the progress of the combustion, the engine temperature, and a second relationship that differs from the first relationship.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 6, 2020Publication date: November 12, 2020Inventors: Keisuke Ohtsuka, Kentaro Kimura, Takeatsu Ito, Tomokuni Kusunoki
-
Publication number: 20200332738Abstract: A method of determining an abnormality of a differential pressure sensor which is configured to detect a pressure differential between an upstream side and a downstream side of an EGR valve provided to an EGR passage of an engine, is provided. The method includes the steps of controlling an opening of the EGR valve based on an output value of the differential pressure sensor, determining the abnormality of the differential pressure sensor based on the output value of the differential pressure sensor, controlling at least a throttle valve of the engine toward a closed side so that the pressure differential is maintained at a given pressure or higher when determining, and prohibiting the execution of the abnormality determination when an engine speed is a given engine speed or higher, and permitting the execution of the abnormality determination when the engine speed is less than the given engine speed.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2020Publication date: October 22, 2020Inventor: Tomokuni Kusunoki
-
Publication number: 20200208579Abstract: An intake-air temperature controlling device for an engine is provided, which includes an engine body, an intake passage, an air intake part, an intake air temperature adjuster configured to adjust air temperature taken in through the air intake part to the passage, and a controller. An operating range in which the CI combustion is performed has a lean operating range in which A/F of mixture gas formed inside the cylinder, or G/F that is a relationship between the total weight G of gas inside the cylinder and a weight F of fuel fed to the cylinder is relatively low, and a rich operating range in which the A/F or G/F is relatively high. When the engine is in the lean operating range, the controller outputs a control signal to the intake air temperature adjuster so that the air temperature is increased, as compared in the rich operating range.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2019Publication date: July 2, 2020Inventors: Shinichi Hikitani, Hajime Umehara, Naoki Nagano, Kenji Sugasaki, Shin Kodama, Hiromasa Nakagawa, Tomokuni Kusunoki, Taiga Kamiji, Masanobu Koutoku, Toshinori Ueno, Katsuya Murakami
-
Publication number: 20200208582Abstract: A compression ignition engine with a supercharger is provided, which includes one or more valves configured to switch a state between a first state where intake air is boosted by the supercharger and a second state where it is not boosted, a fluid temperature adjuster configured to adjust a temperature of engine coolant to be supplied to a radiator from an engine body, and a controller. When the engine operates in a high-load range, the controller controls the combustion mode to be in a compression ignition combustion mode, and causes the valve(s) to be in the first state, and in a low-load range, the controller causes the valve(s) to be in the second state. In the high-load range, the controller outputs a control signal to the fluid temperature adjuster so that a target temperature of the engine coolant is lowered than that in the low-load range.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2019Publication date: July 2, 2020Inventors: Shinichi Hikitani, Hajime Umehara, Naoki Nagano, Tomokuni Kusunoki, Tatsuya Takahata, Shinji Watanabe, Masanobu Koutoku, Toshinori Ueno, Katsuya Murakami, Nobuhiko Yokoyama
-
Publication number: 20200208567Abstract: An intake-air temperature controlling device is provided, which includes an engine body, an intake passage, a supercharger, a first passage, a second passage, an intake air flow rate adjuster, an intercooler, a pump, and a controller. The controller outputs a control signal to the pump so that coolant is supplied to the intercooler in a first operating range in which the intake air flow rate adjuster at least partially opens the first passage to supply intake air boosted by the supercharger to the engine body, and outputs a control signal to the pump so that the coolant is supplied to the intercooler also in a second operating range in which an engine load is below a given load, and the intake air flow rate adjuster opens the second passage and closes the first passage to supply the intake air to the engine body in a non-boosted state.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2019Publication date: July 2, 2020Inventors: Shinichi Hikitani, Hajime Umehara, Naoki Nagano, Tomokuni Kusunoki, Shinji Takayama, Masanobu Koutoku, Toshinori Ueno, Katsuya Murakami
-
Publication number: 20200141345Abstract: An engine control device is provided, which includes an engine body where a cylinder is formed, an exhaust passage through which exhaust gas discharged from the engine body circulates, a NOx sensor disposed in the exhaust passage and configured to detect a concentration of NOx in the exhaust gas, an injector configured to change an air-fuel ratio inside the cylinder, an in-cylinder temperature changer configured to change a temperature inside the cylinder, and a controller configured to control the injector and the exhaust shutter valve. The controller controls the injector based on a detection value of the NOx sensor to variably set the air-fuel ratio inside the cylinder, and when a particular condition that the air-fuel ratio inside the cylinder is leaner than a preset upper limit is satisfied, and causes the in-cylinder temperature changer to raise the temperature inside the cylinder.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2019Publication date: May 7, 2020Inventors: Kota Maekawa, Takeatsu Ito, Tomokuni Kusunoki, Keitaro Ezumi
-
Patent number: 10612474Abstract: Disclosed is a control device for a multi-cylinder engine having a combustion chamber (19) to which an intake port (16) and an exhaust port (17) are connected. The control device comprises: an intake-side variable valve operating mechanism (71) for controlling a lift timing of two intake valves (21a, 21b) of the intake port (16); an exhaust-side variable valve operating mechanism (72) for controlling a lift timing of an exhaust valve (22a); and an exhaust-side valve operating mechanism (73) for driving an exhaust valve (22b) at a fixed timing. The control device is operable, when executing cylinder deactivation in a low engine load and low engine speed operating range, to cause the exhaust-side variable valve operating mechanism (72) to open the exhaust valve (22a) during downward movement of a piston (14) in a cylinder (18) being subjected to the cylinder deactivation.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2017Date of Patent: April 7, 2020Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Keitaro Ezumi, Kazuhiro Takemoto, Tomokuni Kusunoki, Atsushi Inoue, Akitomo Takagi, Masanari Sueoka, Masami Nishida, Kazufumi Kumakura, Kota Matsumoto, Tomohiro Hasegawa, Tadasu Hashiguchi, Toshiaki Takahashi, Masatoshi Hidaka
-
Publication number: 20190101064Abstract: Disclosed is a control device for a multi-cylinder engine having a combustion chamber (19) to which an intake port (16) and an exhaust port (17) are connected. The control device comprises: an intake-side variable valve operating mechanism (71) for controlling a lift timing of two intake valves (21a, 21b) of the intake port (16); an exhaust-side variable valve operating mechanism (72) for controlling a lift timing of an exhaust valve (22a); and an exhaust-side valve operating mechanism (73) for driving an exhaust valve (22b) at a fixed timing. The control device is operable, when executing cylinder deactivation in a low engine load and low engine speed operating range, to cause the exhaust-side variable valve operating mechanism (72) to open the exhaust valve (22a) during downward movement of a piston (14) in a cylinder (18) being subjected to the cylinder deactivation.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2017Publication date: April 4, 2019Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Keitaro EZUMI, Kazuhiro TAKEMOTO, Tomokuni KUSUNOKI, Atsushi INOUE, Akitomo TAKAGI, Masanari SUEOKA, Masami NISHIDA, Kazufumi KUMAKURA, Kota MATSUMOTO, Tomohiro HASEGAWA, Tadasu HASHIGUCHI, Toshiaki TAKAHASHI, Masatoshi HIDAKA
-
Patent number: 10197036Abstract: An operation status value detection unit detects two or more operation status values indicating an operation status of an internal combustion engine. A filtering processing unit applies filtering processing to the detected operation status values, and an operation status value difference calculation unit calculates the difference between the filter-processed operation status value and the corresponding non-filter-processed operation status value so as to calculate two or more operation status value differences. An operation status value difference normalization unit normalizes the two or more operation status value differences, based on predetermined reference values for the two or more operation status values, so as to calculate two or more normalized operation status value differences; and a transient correction unit corrects a control amount for controlling output of the internal combustion engine, based thereon, when the engine is in a transient-operation mode.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2011Date of Patent: February 5, 2019Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Hideki Hagari, Yuhei Matsushima, Keitaro Ezumi, Tomokuni Kusunoki
-
Patent number: 9394836Abstract: An internal combustion engine control apparatus includes a pseudo knock determination unit that determines whether or not a pseudo knock has been produced in a knock detection window, based on at least one of the frequency, a status amount indicating a rotation speed of the internal combustion engine, a status amount indicating a load of the internal combustion engine, and a status amount indicating an air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine; and a moving-average processing unit that sets a second period to a period that is approximately the same as a first period, in the case where it has been determined that the pseudo knock was not produced, and that does not implement moving-averaging or sets the second period to a period that is narrower than the first period, in the case where it has been determined that a pseudo knock was produced.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2012Date of Patent: July 19, 2016Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Mazda Motor CorporationInventors: Toshikatsu Saito, Takahiko Ono, Keitaro Ezumi, Tomokuni Kusunoki, Atsushi Inoue, Hiroki Morimoto
-
Patent number: 8965666Abstract: A knock control device is provided in which erroneous knock detection can be reduced by suppressing sudden knock signal changes due to noise, without causing any increase in the number of matching steps, deterioration in the S/N in knock detection and decrease in detection performing frequency. In the knock control device, an open gain is applied to the detected signal only during a knock detection window set in advance by a knock window setting means. The window corresponds to a period in which vibration due to knock arises. During other periods, either a closed gain or an interpolated gain value is applied to the detected signal.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2011Date of Patent: February 24, 2015Assignees: Mazda Motor Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Yuhei Matsushima, Keitaro Ezumi, Tomokuni Kusunoki