Patents by Inventor Toshihisa Nihei

Toshihisa Nihei 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: 9128816
    Abstract: A control state of the vehicle is switched upon operation of a control switch. Besides, a mode of travel for a travel of a vehicle is selected by operation of a travel mode selection portion. Then, it is determined whether the recommended control state recommended for the selected mode of travel and the actual control state are the same. If it is determined that they are not the same, that is, that there is a deviation between the recommended control state and the actual control state, an operation method for a control switch for realizing the control state recommended for the selected mode of travel is presented to a driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshihisa Nihei, Yasushi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8751130
    Abstract: A vehicle travel control apparatus executes turning facilitation control that controls wheel longitudinal force such that the longitudinal force of a turning path inner side wheel becomes smaller than the longitudinal force of a turning path outer side wheel, and vehicle dynamics control that controls wheel longitudinal force so as to stabilize the turning motion of the vehicle. The vehicle speed range in which to permit the turning facilitation control is lower than the vehicle speed range in which to permit the vehicle dynamics control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihisa Nihei, Takashi Nonaka
  • Publication number: 20130179004
    Abstract: A vehicle travel control apparatus executes turning facilitation control that controls wheel longitudinal force such that the longitudinal force of a turning path inner side wheel becomes smaller than the longitudinal force of a turning path outer side wheel, and vehicle dynamics control that controls wheel longitudinal force so as to stabilize the turning motion of the vehicle. The vehicle speed range in which to permit the turning facilitation control is lower than the vehicle speed range in which to permit the vehicle dynamics control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicants: ADVICS CO., Ltd, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihisa Nihei, Takashi Nonaka
  • Patent number: 8447460
    Abstract: A control state of the vehicle is switched upon operation of a control switch. Besides, a mode of travel for a travel of a vehicle is selected by operation of a travel mode selection portion. Then, it is determined whether the recommended control state recommended for the selected mode of travel and the actual control state are the same. If it is determined that they are not the same, that is, that there is a deviation between the recommended control state and the actual control state, an operation method for a control switch for realizing the control state recommended for the selected mode of travel is presented to a driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihisa Nihei, Yasushi Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20120083981
    Abstract: A vehicle running control apparatus for executing a turn assist control which controls longitudinal forces of wheels so that longitudinal force of a turning inner wheel is lower than longitudinal force of a turning outer wheel by lowering the longitudinal force of the turning inner wheel. The lowering of the longitudinal force of the turning inner wheel is made more difficult to be started and a lowering amount of the longitudinal force of the turning inner wheel is set smaller when difficulty in driving vehicle by wheel drive forces is high as compared with the case where the difficulty in driving vehicle is low. The difficulty in driving vehicle includes at least one of resistance against vehicle movement by wheel drive forces and difficulty in transmitting driving forces from wheels to road surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toshihisa NIHEI
  • Patent number: 7979189
    Abstract: A vehicle behavior control system includes: a first drive power control unit that executes a turning control over right and left drive wheels of a vehicle to reduce the turning radius of the vehicle based on a drive power difference between the right and left drive wheels; a second drive power control unit that executes a traction control when any drive power difference between the right and left drive wheels exists, in order to reduce the existing drive power difference; and a traction control restriction unit that restricts the traction control from being executed when the turning control over the right and left drive wheels is executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshihisa Nihei
  • Publication number: 20100250049
    Abstract: A control state of the vehicle is switched upon operation of a control switch. Besides, a mode of travel for a travel of a vehicle is selected by operation of a travel mode selection portion. Then, it is determined whether the recommended control state recommended for the selected mode of travel and the actual control state are the same. If it is determined that they are not the same, that is, that there is a deviation between the recommended control state and the actual control state, an operation method for a control switch for realizing the control state recommended for the selected mode of travel is presented to a driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2008
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihisa Nihei, Yasushi Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20080120003
    Abstract: A vehicle behavior control system includes: a first drive power control unit that executes a turning control over right and left drive wheels of a vehicle to reduce the turning radius of the vehicle based on a drive power difference between the right and left drive wheels; a second drive power control unit that executes a traction control when any drive power difference between the right and left drive wheels exists, in order to reduce the existing drive power difference; and a traction control restriction unit that restricts the traction control from being executed when the turning control over the right and left drive wheels is executed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Publication date: May 22, 2008
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toshihisa NIHEI
  • Patent number: 7168769
    Abstract: The brake system of the invention, during the ABS control mode, corrects the target slip rate in accordance with the turning of the vehicle, and determines whether the vehicle is running on a poor surface road. If the vehicle is running on a poor surface road, the system sets a target slip rate that provides a greater longitudinal force than the aforementioned target slip rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihisa Nihei, Masahiro Hara, Masahiro Matsuura, Akifumi Doura
  • Patent number: 7119532
    Abstract: A magnetic rotation detector includes a magnetic rotor having magnetic bodies, a detecting body that detects a change in magnetic flux that is caused by the magnetic bodies as the magnetic rotor rotates; and an abnormality determination portion that monitors an apparent fluctuation in rotational speed of the magnetic rotor based on a result detected by the detecting body and that determines that the magnetic rotor is in an abnormal state if the fluctuation occurs at a specific position of the magnetic rotor. The abnormality determination portion detects the occurrence of the fluctuation at the specific position of the magnetic rotor by making a determination on a distance between apparent positions of the magnetic bodies which correspond to the apparent fluctuation in rotational speed and calculates the distance on the basis of a product of an interval of generation of noise in an output signal detected by the detecting body and a rotational speed of the magnetic rotor at the time of generation of noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihisa Nihei, Toyoharu Katsukura, Junji Mizutani
  • Patent number: 6976741
    Abstract: In a brake control system for a vehicle, a target wheel cylinder pressure of each wheel is calculated in accordance with a braking force applied by the driver, a brake control mode is determined to be one of an increase pressure mode, a decrease pressure mode, or a maintain pressure mode, and a target increase/decrease force slope is calculated in accordance with a slip amount of the wheel. In particular, the target wheel cylinder pressure is calculated based on actual wheel cylinder pressure and the target increase/decrease pressure slope, set on the target increase/decrease force slope when starting anti-skid control, the target wheel cylinder pressure is calculated after starting the anti-skid control based on the most recent target wheel cylinder pressure and the target increase/decrease pressure slope, and the wheel cylinder pressure Pi is controlled so as to become equal to the target wheel cylinder pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Hara, Toshihisa Nihei, Naruyuki Matsui, Masahiro Matsuura
  • Patent number: 6957874
    Abstract: Each of target braking forces for front and rear wheels of a vehicle is calculated based on an amount of braking performed by a driver and a predetermined braking force distribution ratio between the front wheels and the rear wheels. Each of the target regenerative braking forces for the front and rear wheels, respectively, is calculated based on a corresponding one of the target braking forces such that a maximum regeneration efficiency is obtained. If the driver has performed an abrupt braking operation, if the driver has performed a braking operation when the vehicle runs at a high deceleration, or if the vehicle runs at a high lateral speed, it is quite likely that anti-skid control will be started afterwards. Therefore, the target regenerative braking forces are gradually reduced, and target frictional braking forces are gradually increased. If anti-skid control is started, the target regenerative braking forces are set as 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Hara, Toshihisa Nihei, Naruyuki Matsui, Masahiro Matsuura
  • Patent number: 6928355
    Abstract: If a condition for starting a yaw control during an antiskid control is met while the antiskid control is being executed on one of right and left front wheels during braking on a uneven friction-coeffient road surface, the reference value for making the determination to start the antiskid control on the other one of the front wheels is reduced, and therefore the antiskid control is started at an earlier timing. If the antiskid control is executed on the wheel, the brake pressure of the wheel is controlled in a pre-set specific pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihisa Nihei, Satoshi Udaka, Yoshinori Suzuki, Akifumi Doura, Yasuhisa Kuwahata
  • Patent number: 6880900
    Abstract: A target wheel cylinder pressure for each wheel is calculated according to an amount of braking operation performed by a vehicle operator. When anti-skid control is required, the wheel cylinder pressure is controlled to be equal to the target wheel cylinder pressure for reducing the brake slip of the wheel. When one of the rear-left and the rear-right wheels is anti-skid controlled, the target wheel cylinder pressure for the other wheel for which the anti-skid control is not performed is set to the same value as the target wheel cylinder pressure for the wheel for which the anti-skid control is performed. Linear valves are controlled based on the target wheel cylinder pressure, controlling the wheel cylinder pressures for the rear-left and the rear-right wheels to have substantially the same value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Hara, Toshihisa Nihei, Naruyuki Matsui, Masahiro Matsuura
  • Publication number: 20040263160
    Abstract: As a magnetic rotor rotates, magnets disposed on an outer periphery of the magnetic rotor move, whereby a change in magnetic flux around a pick-up is caused. The pick-up then outputs a signal. If the signal output from the pick-up fluctuates due to a certain one of the magnets which is located at a specific position on the magnetic rotor, it is determined that the magnetic rotor is in an abnormal state such as adhesion of iron fragments to the magnets or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2004
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshihisa Nihei, Toyoharu Katsukura, Junji Mizutani
  • Publication number: 20040124701
    Abstract: The brake system of the invention, during the ABS control mode, corrects the target slip rate in accordance with the turning of the vehicle, and determines whether the vehicle is running on a poor surface road. If the vehicle is running on a poor surface road, the system sets a target slip rate that provides a greater longitudinal force than the aforementioned target slip rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2003
    Publication date: July 1, 2004
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshihisa Nihei, Masahiro Hara, Masahiro Matsuura, Akifumi Doura
  • Publication number: 20040128052
    Abstract: If a condition for starting a yaw control during an antiskid control is met while the antiskid control is being executed on one of right and left front wheels during braking on a uneven friction-coeffient road surface, the reference value for making the determination to start the antiskid control on the other one of the front wheels is reduced, and therefore the antiskid control is started at an earlier timing. If the antiskid control is executed on the wheel, the brake pressure of the wheel is controlled in a pre-set specific pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2003
    Publication date: July 1, 2004
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshihisa Nihei, Satoshi Udaka, Yoshinori Suzuki, Akifumi Doura, Yasuhisa Kuwahata
  • Patent number: 6595600
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a front-rear braking force distribution control system for a vehicle. The system includes a wheel brake cylinders operatively associated with front and rear wheels of the vehicle, a pressure generator for pressurizing brake fluid in response to operation of a brake pedal to generate a hydraulic braking pressure and supply it to each of the wheel brake cylinders, and a pressure control device disposed between the pressure generator and the wheel brake cylinders for controlling the braking pressure in each of the wheel brake cylinders. A pressure sensor is provided for detecting the braking pressure generated by the pressure generator, and the detected braking pressure is compared with a predetermined threshold pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Banno, Shigeru Mashimo, Toshihisa Nihei
  • Publication number: 20020180262
    Abstract: In a brake control system for a vehicle, a target wheel cylinder pressure of each wheel is calculated in accordance with a braking force applied by the driver, a brake control mode is determined to be one of an increase pressure mode, a decrease pressure mode, or a maintain pressure mode, and a target increase/decrease force slope is calculated in accordance with a slip amount of the wheel. In particular, the target wheel cylinder pressure is calculated based on actual wheel cylinder pressure and the target increase/decrease pressure slope when starting anti-skid control, the target wheel cylinder pressure is calculated after starting the anti-skid control based on the most recent target wheel cylinder pressure and the target increase/decrease pressure slope, and the wheel cylinder pressure Pi is controlled so as to become equal to the target wheel cylinder pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2002
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiro Hara, Toshihisa Nihei, Naruyuki Matsui, Masahiro Matsuura
  • Publication number: 20020180266
    Abstract: Each of target braking forces for front and rear wheels of a vehicle is calculated based on an amount of braking performed by a driver and a predetermined braking force distribution ratio between the front wheels and the rear wheels. Each of the target regenerative braking forces for the front and rear wheels, respectively, is calculated based on a corresponding one of the target braking forces such that a maximum regeneration efficiency is obtained. If the driver has performed an abrupt braking operation, if the driver has performed a braking operation when the vehicle runs at a high deceleration, or if the vehicle runs at a high lateral speed, it is quite likely that anti-skid control will be started afterwards. Therefore, the target regenerative braking forces are gradually reduced, and target frictional braking forces are gradually increased. If anti-skid control is started, the target regenerative braking forces are set as 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2002
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Hara, Toshihisa Nihei, Naruyuki Matsui, Masahiro Matsuura