Patents by Inventor Yoshihisa Kodama

Yoshihisa Kodama 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: 11935712
    Abstract: A control system is designed to control an interrupter. The interrupter is started by a startup current to interrupt a main electric circuit. The startup current flows through an auxiliary electric circuit and has a current valve equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The control system includes a driving unit and a driven unit. The driving unit includes an intermediate electrical path to be connected to the main electric circuit. The driven unit is to be connected to the auxiliary electric circuit. When an abnormal current having a current value equal to or greater than a prescribed value flows through the intermediate electrical path, the driving unit uses, as a drive source for driving the driven unit, the abnormal current flowing through the intermediate electrical path. The driven unit supplies the auxiliary electric circuit with the startup current by being driven by the driving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Kanematsu, Shinya Kimoto, Yoshihisa Fukuda, Kazuhisa Kinoshita, Shun Ito, Kazuhiro Kodama
  • Patent number: 9963141
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control device is provided with at least one controller programmed to control outputs of the engine and the electric motor, an engagement and disengagement of the clutch, and a transmission ratio of the continuously variable transmission in accordance with a driving state. The at least one controller is further programmed to restart the engine while maintaining a released state of the clutch, and downshift the continuously variable transmission to a predetermined transmission ratio for passing over the level difference upon determining that the level difference is present while traveling by a drive force of the motor with the clutch released and the engine stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Yamamoto, Morihiro Nagamine, Akira Takano, Shintaro Oshio, Yoshihisa Kodama, Takuro Hirano, Yukifumi Otsuka
  • Patent number: 9758158
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control device is provided with at least one controller that controls the outputs of the engine and of the motor according to the driving state, the engagement and disengagement of the clutch, and the transmission ratio of the continuously variable transmission. The at least one controller is programmed to start the engine and forcibly downshift the continuously variable transmission to a transmission ratio with which it is possible to start on an uphill road upon determining that the vehicle is on an uphill road while in an electric vehicle mode in which it is possible to travel by the drive force of the motor with the clutch released and the engine stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Yamamoto, Morihiro Nagamine, Akira Takano, Shintaro Oshio, Yoshihisa Kodama, Takuro Hirano, Yukifumi Otsuka
  • Patent number: 9616883
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes a mechanical oil pump that is driven by an engine and an electric oil pump that is driven by an electric motor, and is configured to activate the electric oil pump when traveling in an electric traveling mode, in which the engine is stopped and traveling is executed by a driving force from a driving motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., JATCO LTD
    Inventors: Morihiro Nagamine, Akira Takano, Shintaro Oshio, Takuro Hirano, Yoshihisa Kodama, Akihiro Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20170066437
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control device is provided with at least one controller programmed to control outputs of the engine and the electric motor, an engagement and disengagement of the clutch, and a transmission ratio of the continuously variable transmission in accordance with a driving state. The at least one controller is further programmed to restart the engine while maintaining a released state of the clutch, and downshift the continuously variable transmission to a predetermined transmission ratio for passing over the level difference upon determining that the level difference is present while traveling by a drive force of the motor with the clutch released and the engine stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: Akihiro YAMAMOTO, Morihiro NAGAMINE, Akira TAKANO, Shintaro OSHIO, Yoshihisa KODAMA, Takuro HIRANO, Yukifumi OTSUKA
  • Publication number: 20170015301
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control device is provided with at least one controller that controls the outputs of the engine and of the motor according to the driving state, the engagement and disengagement of the clutch, and the transmission ratio of the continuously variable transmission. The at least one controller is programmed to start the engine and forcibly downshift the continuously variable transmission to a transmission ratio with which it is possible to start on an uphill road upon determining that the vehicle is on an uphill road while in an electric vehicle mode in which it is possible to travel by the drive force of the motor with the clutch released and the engine stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Akihiro YAMAMOTO, Morihiro NAGAMINE, Akira TAKANO, Shintaro OSHIO, Yoshihisa KODAMA, Takuro HIRANO, Yukifumi OTSUKA
  • Patent number: 9545912
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle mode-switching control device for a hybrid vehicle controls that an output of an engine and/or motor in response to a mode-switch request. In a case of a difference between an actual transmission gear ratio and a target transmission gear ratio, a deficit with respect to the requested drive power occurs that causes discomfort to the driver. The drive power surplus or deficit caused by the transmission gear ratio deviation can eliminated by correcting of the motor torque and/or the engine torque by a correction amount necessary to eliminate the surplus or deficit of drive power. In this way, the lack of drive power due to the transmission ratio deviation and the driver's sense of discomfort can be eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Takano, Shintaro Oshio, Yoshihisa Kodama, Takuro Hirano
  • Publication number: 20160009273
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes a mechanical oil pump that is driven by an engine and an electric oil pump that is driven by an electric motor, and is configured to activate the electric oil pump when traveling in an electric traveling mode, in which the engine is stopped and traveling is executed by a driving force from a driving motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Applicants: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., JATCO LTD
    Inventors: Morihiro NAGAMINE, Akira TAKANO, Shintaro OSHIO, Takuro HIRANO, Yoshihisa KODAMA, Akihiro YAMAMOTO
  • Patent number: 9212742
    Abstract: A control method for a belt-type continuously variable transmission is provided for performing a belt slip control. The method includes oscillating hydraulic pressure and monitoring a phase difference calculated based on a multiplication value of an oscillation component in an actual hydraulic pressure and an oscillation component in an actual variable speed ratio to estimate a belt slip condition. The method further includes controlling hydraulic pressure to maintain a predetermined belt slip condition by reducing the hydraulic pressure to be lower than a hydraulic pressure in a normal control time based on an estimation, and limiting an input torque-change rate in which an input torque to the belt-type continuously variable transmission changes in an increasing direction until the hydraulic pressure rises to a hydraulic pressure in which the input torque is not excessive relative to a belt clamp force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignees: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., JATCO LTD
    Inventors: Katsumi Doihara, Yoshihisa Kodama, Yasuaki Yoshikawa
  • Publication number: 20150283993
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle mode-switching control device for a hybrid vehicle controls that an output of an engine and/or motor in response to a mode-switch request. In a case of a difference between an actual transmission gear ratio and a target transmission gear ratio, a deficit with respect to the requested drive power occurs that causes discomfort to the driver. The drive power surplus or deficit caused by the transmission gear ratio deviation can eliminated by correcting of the motor torque and/or the engine torque by a correction amount necessary to eliminate the surplus or deficit of drive power. In this way, the lack of drive power due to the transmission ratio deviation and the driver's sense of discomfort can be eliminated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Inventors: Akira Takano, Shintaro Oshio, Yoshihisa Kodama, Takuro Hirano
  • Patent number: 8914204
    Abstract: A control device includes a belt slip controller, a limiting determining control unit, and a transmission speed limiter. The device controls a vehicle belt type continuously variable transmission including a primary pulley and a secondary pulley so as to control a gear ratio by controlling a primary hydraulic pressure and a secondary hydraulic pressure. The controller oscillates the secondary hydraulic pressure, extracts an oscillation component of an actual gear ratio when a transmission speed is less than a predetermined value, and controls the secondary hydraulic pressure based on a phase difference between oscillation components. The determining control unit determines whether to limit acceleration, and the limiter limits a transmission speed to less than the predetermined value when the determining control unit makes a determination to limit the acceleration. The controller permits belt slip control while the limiter limits the transmission speed to less than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignees: Jatco Ltd, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Kodama, Yasuaki Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 8914203
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle belt type continuously variable transmission includes primary and secondary pulleys around which a belt is wound so as to generate a belt clamping force according to an input torque by controlling a secondary hydraulic pressure. The device includes a belt slip controller performing belt slip control by oscillating the secondary hydraulic pressure and extracting an oscillation component when a change speed of the input torque is less than a predetermined value. The device further includes a limit determining control unit determining whether to limit acceleration, and an input torque change speed limiter control unit limiting the change speed to less than the predetermined value when the limit determining unit makes a determination to limit acceleration. The belt slip controller permits belt slip control while the input torque change speed limiter control unit limits the change speed to less than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignees: Jatco Ltd, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Kodama, Yasuaki Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 8914200
    Abstract: A control device for a belt type continuously variable transmission device includes primary And secondary pulleys and a belt and controls gear ratio based on a running radius of the belt on a pulley by controlling primary and secondary oil pressures. The transmission includes a belt slip control unit and a belt slip control permission determining unit. The belt slip control unit performs such control as to oscillate the secondary oil pressure, estimates a belt slip condition by monitoring the phase difference between an oscillation component included in an actual secondary oil pressure and an oscillation component included in an actual gear ration, and then reduces the actual secondary oil pressure to maintain a predetermined belt slip condition. The belt slip control permission determining unit permits belt slip control when a transmission rate as a change rate of the gear ratio is less than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Jatco Ltd
    Inventors: Katsumi Doihara, Yoshihisa Kodama, Yasuaki Yoshikawa, Kenta Nakamura, Kiyotaka Sawano, Masahiro Nishi, Hidemasa Kawaguchi, Keisuke Koyama
  • Patent number: 8914201
    Abstract: A control device controls a belt type continuously variable transmission including a belt slip controller and a belt slip control permission determining unit. The device decreases belt friction when an estimated accuracy of a belt slip condition is high and prevents a belt from greatly slipping when an estimated accuracy is low. The device includes primary and secondary pulleys and the belt, and controls a gear ratio based on a running radius of the belt on a pulley by controlling primary and secondary oil pressures. The controller oscillates a secondary oil pressure, estimates the belt slip condition by monitoring a phase difference between oscillation components, and reduces an actual secondary oil pressure to maintain a predetermined belt slip condition. The determining unit permits belt slip control when a torque change speed input to the transmission mechanism is less than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Jatco Ltd
    Inventors: Katsumi Doihara, Yoshihisa Kodama, Yasuaki Yoshikawa, Kenta Nakamura, Tomoyuki Mizuochi, Kiyotaka Sawano, Masahiro Nishi, Hidemasa Kawaguchi, Keisuke Koyama
  • Patent number: 8892318
    Abstract: A control device controls a belt type continuously variable transmission including a primary pulley, a secondary pulley, and a belt, and controls a gear ratio based on a primary oil pressure and a secondary oil pressure. The control device includes a belt slip controller which oscillates the secondary oil pressure and monitors a phase difference between an oscillation component included in an actual secondary oil pressure and an oscillation component included in an actual gear ratio to estimate a belt slip state. The controller controls the actual secondary oil pressure to decrease based on the estimation to maintain a predetermined belt slip state. An oscillation amplitude setter sets an oscillation amplitude of the secondary hydraulic pressure small when the gear ratio is high compared with when the gear ratio is low, in a case of oscillating the secondary hydraulic pressure in the belt slip control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignees: Jatco Ltd, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsumi Doihara, Yoshihisa Kodama, Yasuaki Yoshikawa, Masahiro Nishi, Keisuke Koyama, Kenta Nakamura, Kiyotaka Sawano, Hidemasa Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 8843287
    Abstract: A belt type continuously variable transmission mechanism has a primary pulley, a secondary pulley, and a belt, and a secondary hydraulic pressure controller to determine command secondary hydraulic pressure by feedback control based on the deviation between target secondary hydraulic pressure and actual hydraulic pressure, and control the secondary hydraulic pressure to the secondary pulley. The belt type continuously variable transmission mechanism further includes a belt slip control device to estimate a belt slip condition by monitoring the phase difference between an oscillation component included in the actual secondary hydraulic pressure and an oscillation component included in the actual transmission gear ratio and control the actual secondary hydraulic pressure to decrease based on the estimation so that a predetermined belt slip condition is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignees: Jatco Ltd, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsumi Doihara, Yoshihisa Kodama, Yasuaki Yoshikawa, Masahiro Nishi, Keisuke Koyama, Kenta Nakamura, Kiyotaka Sawano, Hidemasa Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 8827850
    Abstract: When the vehicle is stationary, the gear ratio is shifted to a Low side by controlling the position of a shift actuator such that a shift control valve is controlled to a position in which a first oil pressure shifts toward a neutral position side by a predetermined amount from a maximum discharge side position and a controlling secondary pulley pressure control unit to increase a second oil pressure to a predetermined oil pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignees: JATCO Ltd, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Kodama, Kazuya Okamoto, Hiroki Iwasa, Hiroyasu Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20120258825
    Abstract: A vehicle belt-type continuously variable transmission expands the operating range in which belt slip control is permitted with maintained estimated accuracy of a belt slip condition, to reduce drive energy consumption owing to a reduction in belt friction. It includes a primary pulley and a secondary pulley around which a belt is wound to generate a belt clamping force according to an input torque from an engine by controlling a secondary hydraulic pressure, a belt slip control means for controlling the secondary hydraulic pressure according to a phase difference between oscillation components due to oscillation included in an actual gear ratio and in an actual secondary hydraulic pressure, and an input torque change speed limiting means for determining whether or not to limit vehicle acceleration according to a predetermined acceleration limit permitting condition and limiting the change speed of the input torque to less than a predetermined value when determining to limit the vehicle acceleration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Kodama, Yasuaki Yoshikawa
  • Publication number: 20120252612
    Abstract: A vehicle belt-type continuously variable transmission expands the operating range in which belt slip control is permitted with maintained estimated accuracy of a belt slip condition, to reduce drive energy consumption owing to a reduction in belt friction. It includes a primary pulley and a secondary pulley around which a belt is wound to control gear ratio by controlling primary and secondary hydraulic pressures, a belt slip control means for controlling secondary hydraulic pressure according to a phase difference between oscillation components due to oscillation included in an actual gear ratio and in an actual secondary hydraulic pressure, and a transmission speed limiting means for determining whether or not to limit vehicle acceleration according to a predetermined acceleration limit permitting condition and limiting a transmission speed to less than a predetermined value when determining to limit the vehicle acceleration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicants: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., JATCO LTD
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Kodama, Yasuaki Yoshikawa
  • Publication number: 20120135829
    Abstract: Provided is control device and method for a belt type continuously variable transmission which can reduce drive energy consumption by a decrease in belt friction when the estimated accuracy of belt slip condition is high and which can prevent the belt from greatly slipping during belt slip control when the estimated accuracy of belt slip condition is low. The device includes a primary pulley (42), a secondary pulley (43), and a belt (44) and controls gear ratio based on the running radius of the belt (44) on the pulley by controlling the primary oil pressure and the secondary oil pressure. A belt type continuously variable transmission (4) comprises a belt slip control means (FIG.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Inventors: Katsumi Doihara, Yoshihisa Kodama, Yasuaki Yoshikawa, Masahiro Nishi, Keisuke Koyama, Kenta Nakamura, Kiyotaka Sawano, Hedemasa Kawaguchi