Patents by Inventor Yoshinobu Toyoda

Yoshinobu Toyoda 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: 7252328
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a movable vehicle roof panel determines the position of the panel in a tilt open state and evaluates whether the panel is in normal tilt-open range of positions or has, via inertia, traveled beyond those normal positions. The control apparatus allows movement to the closed position if movement beyond a permissible range has been achieved through roof panel inertia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: ASMO Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazukiyo Okada, Motoya Yamamoto, Kazuyuki Hirai, Daisuke Mukai, Yoshinobu Toyoda
  • Publication number: 20070075570
    Abstract: A control apparatus rotates a drive motor reversely to reverse the moving direction of a roof glass when movement of the roof glass is obstructed by a foreign matter caught in the roof glass while the roof glass is moving toward the closing position, sets a home position of the roof glass by setting the count number to a predetermined value with the roof glass placed in a predetermined position. The control apparatus performs setting of the home position again when the number of times a reverse action of the roof glass originated from catching of the foreign matter in the roof glass has been carried out becomes equal to or greater than a specified number. An abnormality detecting device detects an abnormality in which the reverse action of the roof glass is not carried out at the time when the movement of the roof glass is obstructed, when the abnormality has occurred. When the abnormality is detected, the control apparatus avoids setting the home position again.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2006
    Publication date: April 5, 2007
    Inventors: Kazukiyo Okada, Motoya Yamamoto, Kazuyuki Hirai, Daisuke Mukai, Yoshinobu Toyoda
  • Patent number: 7127848
    Abstract: A control apparatus rotates a drive motor reversely to reverse the moving direction of a roof glass when movement of the roof glass is obstructed by a foreign matter caught between the roof glass and a frame while the roof glass is moving toward the closing position, sets a home position of the roof glass by setting the count number to a predetermined value with the roof glass placed in a predetermined position. The control apparatus performs setting of the home position again when a reverse action of the roof glass has been carried out, because of catching of the foreign matter in the roof glass, a number of times equal to or greater than a specified number. An abnormality detecting device detects an abnormality in which the reverse action of the roof glass is not carried out within a specified time period. When the abnormality is detected, the control apparatus avoids setting the home position again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: ASMO Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazukiyo Okada, Motoya Yamamoto, Kazuyuki Hirai, Daisuke Mukai, Yoshinobu Toyoda
  • Patent number: 7030509
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a roof glass specifies the selection position of the selection switch when an output voltage from the selection switch is determined to be included in any of the allowable ranges predetermined respectively for the selection positions of the selection switch. The selection position of the selection switch is settled when the specified selection position has not changed even when a predetermined time passes after specifying of the selection position of the selection switch. When those selection positions which have been settled at a time of making the current decision and at a time of making a previous decision satisfy predetermined conditions, the roof glass is allowed to operate to a position corresponding to the selection position of the selection switch settled at a time of making a current decision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Asmo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazukiyo Okada, Yoshinobu Toyoda, Takayuki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6713980
    Abstract: A sunroof apparatus comprises a drive motor which actuates a roof glass and a control section. The control section rotates the drive motor reversely when the movement of the sunroof is obstructed by a caught foreign matter. When a drive voltage to be supplied to the drive motor becomes lower than a reference voltage, the control section determines that the drive voltage is abnormal and stops supplying the drive voltage to the drive motor to inhibit the drive motor from being operated. A first reference voltage is used as the reference voltage at the time the drive motor is stopped, and a second reference voltage lower than the first reference voltage is used as the reference voltage at the time the drive motor is operated. It is therefore possible to detect a foreign matter being caught before an abnormality of the drive voltage is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Asmo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Mukai, Motoya Yamamoto, Yoshinobu Toyoda
  • Publication number: 20030052537
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a roof glass specifies the selection position of the selection switch when an output voltage from the selection switch is determined to be included in any of the allowable ranges predetermined respectively for the selection positions of the selection switch. The selection position of the selection switch is settled when the specified selection position has not changed even when a predetermined time passes after specifying of the selection position of the selection switch. When those selection positions which have been settled at a time of making the current decision and at a time of making a previous decision satisfy predetermined conditions, the roof glass is allowed to operate to a position corresponding to the selection position of the selection switch settled at a time of making a current decision.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2002
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Applicant: ASMO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazukiyo Okada, Yoshinobu Toyoda, Takayuki Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20030052636
    Abstract: A control apparatus rotates a drive motor reversely to reverse the moving direction of a roof glass when movement of the roof glass is obstructed by a foreign matter caught in the roof glass while the roof glass is moving toward the closing position, sets a home position of the roof glass by setting the count number to a predetermined value with the roof glass placed in a predetermined position. The control apparatus performs setting of the home position again when the number of times a reverse action of the roof glass originated from catching of the foreign matter in the roof glass has been carried out becomes equal to or greater than a specified number. An abnormality detecting device detects an abnormality in which the reverse action of the roof glass is not carried out at the time when the movement of the roof glass is obstructed, when the abnormality has occurred. When the abnormality is detected, the control apparatus avoids setting the home position again.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2002
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Inventors: Kazukiyo Okada, Motoya Yamamoto, Kazuyuki Hirai, Daisuke Mukai, Yoshinobu Toyoda
  • Publication number: 20030052634
    Abstract: A sunroof apparatus comprises a drive motor which actuates a roof glass and a control section. The control section rotates the drive motor reversely when the movement of the sunroof is obstructed by a caught foreign matter. When a drive voltage to be supplied to the drive motor becomes lower than a reference voltage, the control section determines that the drive voltage is abnormal and stops supplying the drive voltage to the drive motor to inhibit the drive motor from being operated. A first reference voltage is used as the reference voltage at the time the drive motor is stopped, and a second reference voltage lower than the first reference voltage is used as the reference voltage at the time the drive motor is operated. It is therefore possible to detect a foreign matter being caught before an abnormality of the drive voltage is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Applicant: ASMO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Daisuke Mukai, Motoya Yamamoto, Yoshinobu Toyoda