Patents by Inventor Yoshihiko Akagi

Yoshihiko Akagi 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: 10465619
    Abstract: Introduction of a low fuel consumption technique such as downsizing turbos and idling stop decreases an intake pipe negative pressure (pump loss) of an internal combustion engine, and results in difficulty in emitting (evaporative fuel purge) a volatile fuel (volatile fuel) in a fuel tank by the negative pressure of the intake pipe of the internal combustion engine. A control device includes: a purge control unit which controls a purge valve which emits a volatile fuel of a fuel tank or a canister to an intake pipe of an internal combustion engine; and a power transmission control unit which controls a power transmission mechanism between the internal combustion engine and a drive wheel, and, in a state where the power transmission control unit disconnects a clutch, and the vehicle is coasting, the purge control unit opens the evaporative fuel valve and purges an evaporative fuel to the intake pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Iihoshi, Toshio Hori, Yoshihiko Akagi, Shinsaku Tsukada
  • Patent number: 10408155
    Abstract: An onboard control device has a drive manipulated variable detection unit (101) for determining a drive manipulated variable manipulated by a driver to impart a propulsive force to a vehicle, a command value calculation unit (109) for calculating a command value for a drive source of the vehicle based on the drive manipulated variable, a propulsive force control unit (115) for controlling the propulsive force based on the command value, operating state detection units (102, 103) for determining the operating states of the drive source, a drive manipulation rate of change calculation unit (110) for calculating the rate of change in drive manipulation, an operating state rate of change calculation unit (111) for calculating the rate of change in the operating state, and an abnormality detection unit (112) for detecting abnormalities in the drive source based on the rates of change in drive manipulation and the operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigemi Oono, Shinsaku Tsukada, Yoshihiko Akagi, Sadato Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 10400738
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a control device for an internal combustion engine capable of appropriately controlling compression ratio and ignition timing before the target compression ratio that is set according to humidity is attained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Oryoji, Yoshihiko Akagi
  • Patent number: 10371075
    Abstract: An EGR rate estimation method using an EGR valve opening area involves aggravated EGR rate estimation accuracy as an EGR valve is deteriorated and is unable to satisfy required accuracy when a target EGR rate is high. With a method for correcting a fuel injection amount by a fuel injection valve through estimation of a purge air-fuel ratio on the basis of variations in an air-fuel ratio variable depending on whether purging is performed, the fuel injection correction fails to accommodate the change in the air-fuel ratio when concentration of fuel evaporative emissions adsorbed by an activated carbon of a canister is high, resulting in reduced conversion efficiency of a catalyst. An arrangement includes an introduction port that is disposed in an intake pipe and through which a gas other than fresh air flows in the intake pipe and humidity sensors disposed upstream and downstream, respectively, of the introduction port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Matohara, Yoshihiko Akagi, Seiji Asano, Kazuhiro Oryoji
  • Patent number: 10309366
    Abstract: Provided is an engine control device which can suppress a shortage of output terminals of the control unit and an increase of costs even in a multiple-cylinder internal combustion engine equipped with ignition energy supply units of two systems. An engine control device controls a multiple-cylinder engine in which ignition energy supply units of two systems are provided for every cylinder. A signal is transmitted through a common signal line to a plurality of ignition energy supply units of one system among the ignition energy supply units of the two systems to control the ignition energy supply units of the one system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Seimiya, Yoshihiko Akagi
  • Patent number: 10280855
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine control device equipped with air cylinders and an EGR mechanism that returns exhaust gas emitted from the air cylinders to the intake side of the air cylinders is provided. The internal combustion engine control device includes an EGR control unit that controls the EGR flow volume of the EGR mechanism, and a humidity detection unit that directly or indirectly detects the humidity of outside air supplied to the air cylinders. The EGR control unit calculates the moisture amount in the outside air and the moisture amount in the recirculated exhaust gas, and controls the EGR mechanism on the basis of: a stable combustion limit air cylinder mass, which is set in accordance with the combustion state in the air cylinders; the mass of the air introduced into the air cylinders; the mass of the fuel; and the moisture amounts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Oryoji, Yoshihiko Akagi
  • Publication number: 20190085784
    Abstract: An onboard control device has a drive manipulated variable detection unit (101) for determining a drive manipulated variable manipulated by a driver to impart a propulsive force to a vehicle, a command value calculation unit (109) for calculating a command value for a drive source of the vehicle based on the drive manipulated variable, a propulsive force control unit (115) for controlling the propulsive force based on the command value, operating state detection units (102, 103) for determining the operating states of the drive source, a drive manipulation rate of change calculation unit (110) for calculating the rate of change in drive manipulation, an operating state rate of change calculation unit (111) for calculating the rate of change in the operating state, and an abnormality detection unit (112) for detecting abnormalities in the drive source based on the rates of change in drive manipulation and the operating state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Shigemi OONO, Shinsaku TSUKADA, Yoshihiko AKAGI, Sadato HORIUCHI
  • Publication number: 20190024600
    Abstract: Fuel injection control of an internal combustion engine requires an optimized fuel amount that can be burned completely with oxygen in intake air to be supplied, but the oxygen concentration in the atmospheric air is affected by humidity. By separately calculating a dry air flow rate that directly affects the oxygen amount and a humidity flow rate that is a change factor of the oxygen concentration in the intake air of the internal combustion engine, the fuel can be supplied to the cylinder of the internal combustion engine at an optimized air-fuel ratio. In addition, highly precise control involving EGR for flowback of a part of the exhaust gas flowing in the exhaust pipe to the intake pipe can also be achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko AKAGI, Seiji ASANO, Kazuhiro ORYOJI
  • Patent number: 10174700
    Abstract: To quickly determine whether or not the propulsive force of a vehicle drive source is abnormal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigemi Oono, Shinsaku Tsukada, Yoshihiko Akagi, Sadato Horiuchi
  • Publication number: 20180195485
    Abstract: Provided is an engine control device which can suppress a shortage of output terminals of the control unit and an increase of costs even in a multiple-cylinder internal combustion engine equipped with ignition energy supply units of two systems. An engine control device controls a multiple-cylinder engine in which ignition energy supply units of two systems are provided for every cylinder. A signal is transmitted through a common signal line to a plurality of ignition energy supply units of one system among the ignition energy supply units of the two systems to control the ignition energy supply units of the one system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi SEIMIYA, Yoshihiko AKAGI
  • Publication number: 20180195487
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a control device for an internal combustion engine capable of appropriately controlling compression ratio and ignition timing before the target compression ratio that is set according to humidity is attained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro ORYOJI, Yoshihiko AKAGI
  • Publication number: 20180195451
    Abstract: An EGR rate estimation method using an EGR valve opening area involves aggravated EGR rate estimation accuracy as an EGR valve is deteriorated and is unable to satisfy required accuracy when a target EGR rate is high. With a method for correcting a fuel injection amount by a fuel injection valve through estimation of a purge air-fuel ratio on the basis of variations in an air-fuel ratio variable depending on whether purging is performed, the fuel injection correction fails to accommodate the change in the air-fuel ratio when concentration of fuel evaporative emissions adsorbed by an activated carbon of a canister is high, resulting in reduced conversion efficiency of a catalyst. An arrangement includes an introduction port that is disposed in an intake pipe and through which a gas other than fresh air flows in the intake pipe and humidity sensors disposed upstream and downstream, respectively, of the introduction port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya MATOHARA, Yoshihiko AKAGI, Seiji ASANO, Kazuhiro ORYOJI
  • Publication number: 20180171896
    Abstract: Introduction of a low fuel consumption technique such as downsizing turbos and idling stop decreases an intake pipe negative pressure (pump loss) of an internal combustion engine, and results in difficulty in emitting (evaporative fuel purge) a volatile fuel (volatile fuel) in a fuel tank by the negative pressure of the intake pipe of the internal combustion engine. A control device includes: a purge control unit which controls a purge valve which emits a volatile fuel of a fuel tank or a canister to an intake pipe of an internal combustion engine; and a power transmission control unit which controls a power transmission mechanism between the internal combustion engine and a drive wheel, and, in a state where the power transmission control unit disconnects a clutch, and the vehicle is coasting, the purge control unit opens the evaporative fuel valve and purges an evaporative fuel to the intake pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Yoichi IIHOSHI, Toshio HORI, Yoshihiko AKAGI, Shinsaku TSUKADA
  • Publication number: 20170268442
    Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide a control device for an internal combustion engine that is able to provide a more stable combustion state by suitably setting the amount of recirculated exhaust gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro ORYOJI, Yoshihiko AKAGI
  • Patent number: 9702779
    Abstract: In order to solve a problem that in an internal combustion engine in which abnormal combustion (knocking or an accidental fire) of an engine is detected from an ion signal, the setting of an abnormal combustion determination threshold value under a transient condition in which an engine operating state abruptly changes is difficult to thereby cause erroneous determination, the present invention is an engine control device provided with an ion signal detection means for detecting ions generated during combustion, and provided with an abnormal combustion determination means for determining knocking or an accidental fire according to an ion signal detected by the detection means, the engine control device being characterized by being provided with an in-cylinder temperature estimation means for estimating the in-cylinder temperature in a normal combustion cycle under a current operating condition of the engine, and by setting the knocking determination threshold value or accidental fire determination threshold v
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Kumano, Yoshihiko Akagi, Takuya Shiraishi, Kenichiroh Ogata
  • Publication number: 20170002763
    Abstract: To quickly determine whether or not the propulsive force of a vehicle drive source is abnormal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventors: Shigemi OONO, Shinsaku TSUKADA, Yoshihiko AKAGI, Sadato HORIUCHI
  • Publication number: 20160215749
    Abstract: A control device of an internal combustion engine in a simple configuration capable of finely detecting the combustion state of the internal combustion engine, for example, an occurrence of knocking from an ionic current signal is provided. A control device 20 of an internal combustion engine 100 having an ionic current value detection unit 42 that detects an ionic current value during combustion including an ionic current signal processing unit 20l that performs signal processing of the ionic current value and a detection unit 20m that detects a combustion state of the internal combustion engine 100 based on a processing result by the ionic current signal processing unit 20l, wherein the ionic current signal processing unit 20l includes a differentiating unit 20la that calculates a differential value of the ionic current value is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya MATOHARA, Kengo KUMANO, Yoshihiko AKAGI
  • Publication number: 20150128683
    Abstract: In order to solve a problem that in an internal combustion engine in which abnormal combustion (knocking or an accidental fire) of an engine is detected from an ion signal, the setting of an abnormal combustion determination threshold value under a transient condition in which an engine operating state abruptly changes is difficult to thereby cause erroneous determination, the present invention is an engine control device provided with an ion signal detection means for detecting ions generated during combustion, and provided with an abnormal combustion determination means for determining knocking or an accidental tire according to an ion signal detected by the detection means, the engine control device being characterized by being provided with an in-cylinder temperature estimation means for estimating the in-cylinder temperature in a normal combustion cycle under a current operating condition of the engine, and by setting the knocking determination threshold value or accidental fire determination threshold v
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Kengo Kumano, Yoshihiko Akagi, Takuya Shiraishi, Kenichiroh Ogata
  • Publication number: 20150019112
    Abstract: Knocking and misfire are judged by detecting combustion ions generated in a combustion chamber with an ion sensor, obtaining an integral signal by integrating the ion signal, and comparing the integral signal with a misfire judgment value and a knocking judgment value based on a signal obtained by averaging integral signals of prescribed past cycles. It is possible to: reduce a computation load by detecting misfire and knocking with an identical ion sensor and carrying out a judgment treatment with identical judgment function logic; and detect trace knocking by setting a knocking judgment threshold value and hence increase the accuracy of ignition timing control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuya Shiraishi, Kengo Kumano, Kenichiroh Ogata, Yoshihiko Akagi, Shinya Matohara
  • Patent number: 8340926
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to the present invention includes storage for storing a plurality of air flow rate conversion tables T1 and T2 used to convert a signal of a heating resistor 2 to an air flow rate, a selector for selecting a conversion table to be referred to from the plurality of conversion tables T1 and T2 stored, and a converter for converting a signal of the heating resistor into an air flow rate by referring to the conversion table selected by the selector. The selector performs selection of the conversion table according to a state value, which directly or indirectly indicates the state of air flow pulsation generated in a passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Akagi, Takuto Okamoto