Patents by Inventor Toshio Hori

Toshio Hori 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: 20040040765
    Abstract: A maximum permissible acceleration is calculated so as to take into account vehicle stability, driver's comfort, road surface information and traffic information, driver's specific taste in acceleration and deceleration, and the like. An acceleration limiting process is carried out, in which a feedback gain in vehicle speed feedback control is corrected as may be necessary based on a relationship between the maximum permissible acceleration and actual acceleration information so as to keep the actual acceleration within the maximum permissible acceleration. The present invention thereby makes it possible to control a vehicle speed within a desired acceleration range even under conditions, in which there is a large vehicle speed deviation as in a resume mode, causing an excessively large acceleration or deceleration to tend to occur. Auto cruise control offering an outstanding safety and comfort can thus be implemented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2003
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
    Inventors: Shinya Satou, Toshio Hori
  • Publication number: 20040016419
    Abstract: In a system which applies a torque-based control to a direct injection engine with a turbocharger and is capable of switching between stoichiometric running and lean-burn running in accordance with a driving state, in order to provide a means for obtaining preferred exhaust performance and driveability, a turbo lag index is computed on the basis of supercharged pressure information or air intake pipe pressure information which are obtained directly or indirectly, and then a throttle opening or a fuel injection quantity is corrected on the basis of the above-described turbo lag index to obtain desired torque and exhaust characteristics. As a result, it is possible to prevent a torque variation, a change in torque characteristics, exhaust deterioration, or the like in a transient time, which are generated due to a turbo lag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2003
    Publication date: January 29, 2004
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Satou, Shinji Nakagawa, Toshio Hori
  • Patent number: 6666191
    Abstract: Provided is a control apparatus for a fuel priority type internal combustion engine, including a means of directly or indirectly detecting a variation in air density, for correcting a maximum value of the desired fuel volume on a basis of a result of the detection so as to adjust the relationship between an accelerator opening degree and the desired fuel volume, or a shaft torque value and a desired fuel volume are determined in accordance with a fuel volume corresponding to an internal loss and a fuel volume corresponding to a maximum value of the desired fuel volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Nakagawa, Minoru Ohsuga, Toshio Hori, Hidefumi Iwaki
  • Patent number: 6655200
    Abstract: To provide a failure diagnosis apparatus for an exhaust gas recirculation system which is capable of eliminating the influence of various disturbance factors that vary the suction air pressure, diagnosing a failure of the exhaust gas recirculation system on the basis of the suction air pressure, and preventing wrong diagnosis. A failure diagnosis apparatus for an exhaust gas recirculation system consists of a fresh air pressure estimating means 2911 for calculating an estimated fresh air pressure inside a suction pipe from the operating condition of an internal combustion engine, an actual EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) gas pressure estimating means 2914 for estimating an EGR gas pressure on the basis of a measured suction pipe pressure detected by a suction pipe pressure detecting means 2911 and an estimated fresh air pressure calculated above, and a failure judging means 2910 for judging the failure on the basis of the estimated EGR gas pressure and the detected operating condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Osaki, Toshio Hori, Osamu Matsuno, Takeshi Tsuyuki
  • Publication number: 20030106367
    Abstract: To provide a failure diagnosis apparatus for an exhaust gas recirculation system which is capable of eliminating the influence of various disturbance factors that vary the suction air pressure, diagnosing a failure of the exhaust gas recirculation system on the basis of the suction air pressure, and preventing wrong diagnosis. A failure diagnosis apparatus for an exhaust gas recirculation system consists of a fresh air pressure estimating means 2911 for calculating an estimated fresh air pressure inside a suction pipe from the operating condition of an internal combustion engine, an actual EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) gas pressure estimating means 2914 for estimating an EGR gas pressure on the basis of a measured suction pipe pressure detected by a suction pipe pressure detecting means 2911 and an estimated fresh air pressure calculated above, and a failure judging means 2910 for judging the failure on the basis of the estimated EGR gas pressure and the detected operating condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Publication date: June 12, 2003
    Applicants: Hitachi, Ltd., Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Osaki, Toshio Hori, Osamu Matsuno, Takeshi Tsuyuki
  • Publication number: 20030106368
    Abstract: To provide a failure diagnosis apparatus for an exhaust gas recirculation system which is capable of eliminating the influence of various disturbance factors that vary the suction air pressure, diagnosing a failure of the exhaust gas recirculation system on the basis of the suction air pressure, and preventing wrong diagnosis. A failure diagnosis apparatus for an exhaust gas recirculation system consists of a fresh air pressure estimating means 2911 for calculating an estimated fresh air pressure inside a suction pipe from the operating condition of an internal combustion engine, an actual EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) gas pressure estimating means 2914 for estimating an EGR gas pressure on the basis of a measured suction pipe pressure detected by a suction pipe pressure detecting means 2911 and an estimated fresh air pressure calculated above, and a failure judging means 2910 for judging the failure on the basis of the estimated EGR gas pressure and the detected operating condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Publication date: June 12, 2003
    Applicants: Hitachi, Ltd., Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Osaki, Toshio Hori, Osamu Matsuno, Takeshi Tsuyuki
  • Patent number: 6557505
    Abstract: A control device for an engine provided with an electromagnetic driven intake valves is provided so that the intake valves may perform a desirous control (for example, early activation of a catalytic converter) in an excellent driving state without having to bring about unfavorable phenomena such as a variety of rotation or serge of the engine. The control device serves to make the given cylinders different in the opening or shutting timing of intake valve from the other cylinders according to the driving state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshio Hori
  • Patent number: 6543410
    Abstract: In a direct injection engine capable of reducing an amount of NOx discharged as much as possible, realizing EGR in a large amount, and enlarging a stable burning limit, fuel injection valves for directly injecting fuel into combustion chambers are arranged, ignition plugs are provided in the combustion chambers to face the same, intake ports for generating a tumble gas flow in the combustion chambers are provided. The intake ports are compartmented by partitions into high velocity port portions having a high flow velocity of intake air and low velocity port portions having a low flow velocity of intake air, passage valves for opening and closing the port portions are arranged near upstream ends of the low velocity port portions, and an EGR passage for introducing an EGR gas is connected to the low velocity port portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yoshida, Hidefumi Iwaki, Toshio Hori, Kentarou Shiga, Yoshikuni Kurashima
  • Patent number: 6508111
    Abstract: To provide a failure diagnosis apparatus for an exhaust gas recirculation system which is capable of eliminating the influence of various disturbance factors that vary the suction air pressure, diagnosing a failure of the exhaust gas recirculation system on the basis of the suction air pressure, and preventing wrong diagnosis. A failure diagnosis apparatus for an exhaust gas recirculation system consists of a fresh air pressure estimating device 2911 for calculating an estimated fresh air pressure inside a suction pipe from the operating condition of an internal combustion engine, an actual EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) gas pressure estimating device 2914 for estimating an EGR gas pressure on the basis of a measured suction pipe pressure detected by a suction pipe pressure detecting device 2911 and an estimated fresh air pressure calculated above, and a failure judging device 2910 for judging the failure on the basis of the estimated EGR gas pressure and the detected operating condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Osaki, Toshio Hori, Osamu Matsuno, Takeshi Tsuyuki
  • Publication number: 20020189590
    Abstract: Provided is a control apparatus for a fuel priority type internal combustion engine, including a means of directly or indirectly detecting a variation in air density, for correcting a maximum value of the desired fuel volume on a basis of a result of the detection so as to adjust the relationship between an accelerator opening degree and the desired fuel volume, or a shaft torque value and a desired fuel volume are determined in accordance with a fuel volume corresponding to an internal loss and a fuel volume corresponding to a maximum value of the desired fuel volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Inventors: Shinji Nakagawa, Minoru Ohsuga, Toshio Hori, Hidefumi Iwaki
  • Publication number: 20020179048
    Abstract: The invention provides a control apparatus of a cylinder injection of fuel type internal combustion engine executing a dilute combustion, which can satisfy a requirement of rapidly changing an engine torque while restricting a deterioration of a driving property and an exhaust gas as much as possible. In a control apparatus of a multicylinder engine executing a dilute combustion, in the case that a requirement of reducing and changing an engine torque of the internal combustion engine is applied, the control apparatus executes a fuel cut of a predetermined number of cylinders, and controls so that a torque of operating cylinders except the cylinders executing the fuel cut becomes the required engine torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Okamoto, Toshio Hori
  • Publication number: 20020104508
    Abstract: In a control apparatus for use in an internal combustion engine which has an exhaust gas sensor adapted to detect exhaust gas components and provide an output deliver to an air-fuel ratio of mixture and which performs stratified charge combustion, signals for controlling the air-fuel ratio of mixture and the fuel injection timing are generated on the basis of the output of the exhaust gas sensor. When an optimal air-fuel ratio responsible for combustion stability is changed as a result of execution of EGR and evaporative fuel purging, a change of the air-fuel ratio is determined by using the output of the exhaust gas sensor. When the influence of the EGR or the evaporative fuel purging upon the air-fuel ratio is great, the air-fuel ratio is corrected and the fuel injection timing or the ignition timing is corrected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2002
    Publication date: August 8, 2002
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Atago, Toshio Hori, Kousaku Shimada
  • Patent number: 6401684
    Abstract: An engine control system for an engine system with electromagnetically operated intake and exhaust valves has a control unit. The control unit is arranged to decide whether each of the intake and exhaust valves is put in an abnormal condition, to close a normal valve of the intake and exhaust valves when one of the intake and exhaust valves is put in the abnormal condition, and to stop the current-flowing to a primary ignition coil when one of the intake and exhaust valves is put in the abnormal condition and when the primary ignition coil is not starting the current-flowing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Hori, Hidefumi Iwaki, Shigeyuki Nonomura, Keisuke Fujiwara, Hirofumi Yano
  • Patent number: 6397817
    Abstract: Ignition timing changing control is performed in an engine operated under a condition of injecting fuel in the compression stroke. When ignition timing is changed in the engine operated under a condition of injecting fuel in the compression stroke, the fuel injection timing is changed corresponding to engine rotating speed and fuel supply pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yoshida, Toshio Hori
  • Publication number: 20020017270
    Abstract: In a control apparatus for use in an internal combustion engine which has an exhaust gas sensor adapted to detect exhaust gas components and provide an output deliver to an air-fuel ratio of mixture and which performs stratified charge combustion, signals for controlling the air-fuel ratio of mixture and the fuel injection timing are generated on the basis of the output of the exhaust gas sensor. When an optimal air-fuel ratio responsible for combustion stability is changed as a result of execution of EGR and evaporative fuel purging, a change of the air-fuel ratio is determined by using the output of the exhaust gas sensor. When the influence of the EGR or the evaporative fuel purging upon the air-fuel ratio is great, the air-fuel ratio is corrected and the fuel injection timing or the ignition timing is corrected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2001
    Publication date: February 14, 2002
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Atago, Toshio Hori, Kousaku Shimada
  • Publication number: 20020011234
    Abstract: In a direct injection engine capable of reducing an amount of NOx discharged as much as possible, realizing EGR in a large amount, and enlarging a stable burning limit, fuel injection valves for directly injecting fuel into combustion chambers are arranged, ignition plugs are provided in the combustion chambers to face the same, intake ports for generating a tumble gas flow in the combustion chambers are provided. The intake ports are compartmented by partitions into high velocity port portions having a high flow velocity of intake air and low velocity port portions having a low flow velocity of intake air, passage valves for opening and closing the port portions are arranged near upstream ends of the low velocity port portions, and an EGR passage for introducing an EGR gas is connected to the low velocity port portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2001
    Publication date: January 31, 2002
    Applicant: Hitachi, LTD. and Hitachi Car Engineering co., LTD
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yoshida, Hidefumi Iwaki, Toshio Hori, Kentarou Shiga, Yoshikuni Kurashima
  • Patent number: 6319167
    Abstract: A transmission control system can reduce degradation of engine characteristics upon shifting operation and can reduce a load on the side of a clutch and a transmission due to delay of response. The transmission control system includes an engine generating a driving force, a transmission having a plurality of gear positions for transmitting the driving force developed by the engine to driving wheels, a clutch for connecting said engine and said transmission, engine control means for controlling the engine, transmission control unit for switching gear positions of the transmission, and clutch control unit for controlling disengagement and engagement of the clutch. The transmission control system further includes an electric motor connected to a drive shaft of the engine and capable of performing regenerating operation, and motor control unit for controlling said electric motor for driving the electric motor for generating a driving force or for performing regenerating operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yoshida, Toshio Hori
  • Publication number: 20010035172
    Abstract: To provide a failure diagnosis apparatus for an exhaust gas recirculation system which is capable of eliminating the influence of various disturbance factors that vary the suction air pressure, diagnosing a failure of the exhaust gas recirculation system on the basis of the suction air pressure, and preventing wrong diagnosis. A failure diagnosis apparatus for an exhaust gas recirculation system consists of a fresh air pressure estimating means 2911 for calculating an estimated fresh air pressure inside a suction pipe from the operating condition of an internal combustion engine, an actual EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) gas pressure estimating means 2914 for estimating an EGR gas pressure on the basis of a measured suction pipe pressure detected by a suction pipe pressure detecting means 2911 and an estimated fresh air pressure calculated above, and a failure judging means 2910 for judging the failure on the basis of the estimated EGR gas pressure and the detected operating condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2001
    Publication date: November 1, 2001
    Inventors: Satoru Osaki, Toshio Hori, Osamu Matsuno, Takeshi Tsuyuki
  • Patent number: 6286478
    Abstract: A control device employing a computer readable program code, for an engine is provided with an electromagnetic actuator controlling opening and closing operation of an intake valve in response to an electric driving signal. The device determines a target A/F based on a signal corresponding to a requested engine output value and a signal representing a driving condition of the engine, determines a requested intake air flow of a cylinder of the engine based on the signal representing a driving condition of the engine and the target A/F, and determines control values for opening and closing operation of an intake valve based on the requested intake air flow and the target A/F. The control values include at least one of a valve opening timing, a valve opening time and a maximum valve lifting amount of the intake valve. Electric driving signals are generated according to the control values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Atago, Toshio Hori, Shigeyuki Nonomura
  • Patent number: 6283108
    Abstract: A control arrangement for an internal combustion engine which includes a fuel supply system, an air/fuel ratio control system, an abnormality diagnoser which diagnoses a possible abnormality in the fuel supply system, when the pressure of the pressurized fuel in the fuel supply system detected by a fuel pressure senor exceeds predetermined upper and lower limits determined by a control duty for an electrically controlled pressure regulator, and an abnormal element decider which decides an abnormality either in the fuel pressure sensor or in the electrically controlled pressure regulator based on an amount representing an air/fuel ratio status including the actual air/fuel ratio and the air/fuel ratio feed back control amount extracted from the air/fuel ratio control system for the internal combustion engine, when the abnormality diagnoser diagnoses an abnormality in the fuel supply system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Matsufuji, Toshio Hori, Masahiro Toyohara, Kenichi Goto