Patents by Inventor Yuichi Takemura

Yuichi Takemura 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: 7779673
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including the steps of: calculating an absolute value ?S(I) of the deviation of the vibration waveform detected by a knock sensor and a knock waveform model from each other at each crank angle; when ?S(I) greater than threshold value ?S(0) is present and the number of ?S(I) greater than threshold value ?S(0) is equal to or smaller than Q(1), correcting the vibration waveform; calculating a correlation coefficient K which is a value related to the deviation of the corrected vibration waveform and the knock waveform model from each other; and when the number of ?S(I) greater than threshold value ?S(0) is greater than predetermined number Q(1), calculating the correlation coefficient K without correcting the vibration waveform. Based on the correlation coefficient K, whether knocking is present or absent is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Rihito Kaneko, Kenji Kasashima, Masatomo Yoshihara, Koji Aso, Kenji Senda, Yuichi Takemura, Shuhei Oe, Kiyoshi Iwade
  • Publication number: 20100162794
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including the steps of: calculating an absolute value ?S(I) of the deviation of the vibration waveform detected by a knock sensor and a knock waveform model from each other at each crank angle; when ?S(I) greater than threshold value ?S(0) is present and the number of ?S(I) greater than threshold value ?S(0) is equal to or smaller than Q(1), correcting the vibration waveform; calculating a correlation coefficient K which is a value related to the deviation of the corrected vibration waveform and the knock waveform model from each other; and when the number of ?S(I) greater than threshold value ?S(0) is greater than predetermined number Q(1), calculating the correlation coefficient K without correcting the vibration waveform. Based on the correlation coefficient K, whether knocking is present or absent is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Rihito Kaneko, Kenji Kasashima, Masatomo Yoshihara, Koji Aso, Kenji Senda, Yuichi Takemura, Shuhei Oe, Kiyoshi Iwade
  • Publication number: 20100162795
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including the steps of: detecting a magnitude of vibration of an engine (S 102); detecting a vibration waveform of the engine based on the magnitude (S 104); calculating a correlation coefficient K, in the case where the engine speed NE is smaller than a threshold value NE (1), using the sum of values each determined by subtracting a positive reference value from a magnitude of a knock waveform model, as an area S of the knock waveform model and, calculating the correlation coefficient K, in the case where the engine speed NE is not smaller than the threshold value NE (1), using the area S of the whole knock waveform model (S114); and determining whether or not knocking has occurred using the correlation coefficient K (S 120, S 124). The correlation coefficient K is calculated by dividing by the area S the sum of differences that are each the difference between the magnitude on the vibration waveform and the magnitude on the knock waveform model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Rihito Kaneko, Kenji Kasashima, Masatomo Yoshihara, Kenji Senda, Norihito Hanai, Yasuhiro Yamasako, Yuichi Takemura
  • Publication number: 20100139593
    Abstract: A variable valve timing control apparatus for an engine includes a variable valve timing unit, a lock pin, a hydraulic control unit, and an oil filling control unit. An operation mode of the hydraulic control unit is changed between a lock mode, in which the lock pin locks the camshaft phase at the intermediate lock phase, and a phase feed-back control mode, in which the camshaft phase is controlled to a target phase. The oil filling control unit supplies oil to an advance chamber and a retard chamber of the variable valve timing unit before the operation mode is changed from the lock mode to the phase feed-back control mode after an engine start. The oil filling control unit causes the lock pin to keep locking the camshaft phase until the oil filling control is completed after the engine start.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuichi TAKEMURA
  • Publication number: 20100139592
    Abstract: A variable valve timing control apparatus for an engine includes a variable valve timing unit, a lock pin, a hydraulic control unit, and a lock control unit. The lock control unit causes the lock pin to lock the camshaft phase at an intermediate lock phase when a lock request is issued. When the lock request is issued, the camshaft phase is shifted in a reference direction to go beyond the intermediate lock phase while the lock pin is urged in a lock direction. When the camshaft phase stops around the intermediate lock phase, the lock control unit changes a control amount of the hydraulic control unit by a certain amount to shift the camshaft phase. The lock control unit determines that the camshaft phase has been locked at the intermediate lock phase when the camshaft phase is not shifted even after the lock control unit changes the control amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuichi Takemura
  • Patent number: 7681552
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including: the step of increasing a determination value by a correction amount if the number of knock intensities not lower than the determination value is not smaller than a threshold value among knock intensities of a plurality of predetermined number of continuous ignition cycles; and the step of increasing the determination value by a correction amount if the number of knock intensities not smaller than the determination value is not smaller than a threshold value, among knock intensities of a plurality of ignition cycles satisfying the condition that a coefficient of correlation calculated by comparing a vibration waveform and a knock waveform model is not smaller than a threshold value, of the knock intensities of a plurality of predetermined continuous ignition cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Rihito Kaneko, Kenji Kasashima, Masatomo Yoshihara, Kenji Senda, Norihito Hanai, Yasuhiro Yamasako, Shuhei Oe, Yuichi Takemura
  • Patent number: 7677083
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including the steps of: setting a knock waveform model corresponding to engine speed sensed by a crank position sensor; calculating knock intensity N based on the result of comparison between a detected waveform and the set knock waveform model; when the knock intensity N is larger than a predetermined reference value, determining that knocking has occurred; and when the knock intensity N is not larger than the predetermined reference value, determining that knocking has not occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Shuhei Oe, Kiyoshi Iwade, Kouji Ohara, Rihito Kaneko, Kenji Kasashima, Yuichi Takemura, Shigeru Kamio
  • Patent number: 7669582
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including the steps of: calculating a correlation coefficient K based on the result of comparing a vibration waveform of an engine and a knock waveform model stored previously; calculating a magnitude value LOG(V) from the magnitude V detected based on a signal transmitted from a knock sensor; creating frequency distribution of magnitude values LOG(V) by using magnitude values LOG(V) in an ignition cycle in which the correlation coefficient K larger than a threshold K(1) is calculated; and counting knock proportion KC by using the created frequency distribution. If the vibration waveform includes a waveform of vibration of noise components, the correlation coefficient K is calculated to be smaller comparing with a case of not including it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Rihito Kaneko, Kenji Kasashima, Masatomo Yoshihara, Koji Aso, Kenji Senda, Shigeru Kamio, Yuichi Takemura
  • Patent number: 7669459
    Abstract: An engine ECU includes a bandpass filter (1) extracting only vibrations at a first frequency band A, a bandpass filter (2) extracting only vibrations at a second frequency band B, a bandpass filter (3) extracting only vibrations at a third frequency band C, and a bandpass filter (4) extracting only vibrations at a fourth frequency band D including the first to third frequency bands A-C. The engine ECU determines whether knocking occurred or not based on a vibration waveform of the fourth frequency band D and a peak value in magnitude of vibrations in a synthesized waveform of the first to third frequency bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Masatomo Yoshihara, Kenji Kasashima, Rihito Kaneko, Koji Aso, Kenji Senda, Yuichi Takemura, Kiyoshi Iwade, Shuhei Oe
  • Patent number: 7653477
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including: determining whether or not a condition for stopping knocking determination is satisfied; setting a flag of stopping correction of a determination value to “ON”; calculating a knock determination level based on the extracted magnitude value; and when the correction stop flag is not “ON”, decreasing or increasing the determination value in accordance with a knock proportion KC that is a proportion of magnitude values greater than the knock determination level. The knock determination level is calculated even when the correction stop flag is “ON”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Masatomo Yoshihara, Kenji Kasashima, Rihito Kaneko, Koji Aso, Kenji Senda, Yuichi Takemura, Shuhei Oe
  • Patent number: 7643932
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including a step of calculating intensity values LOG(V) based on signals transmitted from a knock sensor; a step of deciding a maximum value V(MAX) in frequency distribution of intensity values LOG(V) for N cycles (N is a natural number); a step of calculating a knock determination level V(KD) based on the frequency distribution; a step of, when the knock determination level V(KD) is smaller than the maximum value V(MAX), removing V(MAX) from the frequency distribution; and a step of counting the total frequency of removed maximum values V(MAX) as knock occupancy KC. Maximum values V(MAX) are removed until the knock determination level V(KD) and the maximum value V(MAX) coincide, and the knock determination level V(KD) is recalculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Iwade, Nobuyuki Murate, Shuhei Oe, Rihito Kaneko, Kenji Kasashima, Yuichi Takemura
  • Patent number: 7637247
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including a step of, when it has temporarily been determined that knocking had occurred because of the presence of an integrated value greater than a product of the reference magnitude and coefficient Y among the integrated values of vibration in fourth frequency band D that includes first to third frequency bands A to C, calculating knock magnitude N using the integrated values in the synthesized waveform of first to third frequency bands A to C and correlation coefficient K calculated from a vibration waveform of fourth frequency band D. Based on a comparison between knock magnitude N and determination value V(KX), whether or not knocking has occurred is determined. If there is no integrated value greater than a product of the reference magnitude and coefficient Y, it is determined that knocking has not occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Rihito Kaneko, Kenji Kasashima, Masatomo Yoshihara, Kenji Senda, Yuichi Takemura, Shuhei Oe
  • Patent number: 7621172
    Abstract: An engine ECU 200 includes a bandpass filter (1), a bandpass filter (2), and a bandpass filter (3). The bandpass filter (1) extracts only vibrations at a first frequency band A from the vibrations detected by a knock sensor. The bandpass filter (2) extracts only vibrations at a second frequency band B from the vibrations detected by the knock sensor. The bandpass filter (3) extracts only vibrations at a third frequency band C from the vibrations detected by the knock sensor. The first to third frequency bands A-C are identical in bandwidth. The engine ECU calculates a peak value in magnitude of vibrations in a synthesized waveform of these frequency bands, and determines whether knocking occurred or not based on the peak value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Masatomo Yoshihara, Kenji Kasashima, Rihito Kaneko, Koji Aso, Kenji Senda, Shigeru Kamio, Yuichi Takemura
  • Patent number: 7588015
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including a step of, when an absolute value of a difference between a determination value V(KX) used for determining presence or absence of knocking and a maximum value V(MAX) of magnitude value LOG(V), which is obtained by logarithmically converting a magnitude V detected based on a signal sent from a knock sensor, is greater than the product of a standard deviation ? and a coefficient U(3) in a frequency distribution of magnitude values LOG(V) for N cycle(s), setting a value obtained by adding the product of the standard deviation ? and the coefficient U(3) to the maximum value V(MAX) of the magnitude value LOG(V) as the determination value V(KX).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc
    Inventors: Rihito Kaneko, Kenji Kasashima, Masatomo Yoshihara, Koji Aso, Kenji Senda, Yuichi Takemura, Shuhei Oe, Kiyoshi Iwade
  • Publication number: 20090165746
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including: a step (S310) of multiplying a correction amount of a determination value V(KX) by Q, when deviation L between an approximation value V(R), which is an average value of determination values V(KX) corrected according to the occurrence frequency of knocking, and an approximation value V(R?1) previously calculated is greater than a predetermined value (NO in S306) or when the number of times where deviation L is determined to be smaller than a predetermined value is smaller than a predetermined number of times (NO in S308); and a step (S312) of multiplying the correction amount of the determination value V(KX) by 1/P, when the number of times where the deviation L is determined to be smaller than a predetermined value is greater than a predetermined number of times (YES in S308). By comparing the determination value V(KX) and knock magnitude, determination of knocking is made, and ignition timing is advanced or retarded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Koji Aso, Kenji Kasashima, Rihito Kaneko, Masatomo Yoshihara, Kenji Senda, Yuichi Takemura, Shuhei Oe
  • Publication number: 20090043484
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including: determining whether or not a condition for stopping knocking determination is satisfied; setting a flag of stopping correction of a determination value to “ON”; calculating a knock determination level based on the extracted magnitude value; and when the correction stop flag is not “ON”, decreasing or increasing the determination value in accordance with a knock proportion KC that is a proportion of magnitude values greater than the knock determination level. The knock determination level is calculated even when the correction stop flag is “ON”.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC
    Inventors: Masatomo Yoshihara, Kenji Kasashima, Rihito Kaneko, Koji Aso, Kenji Senda, Yuichi Takemura, Shuhei Oe
  • Patent number: 7478624
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including a step of calculating intensity values LOG(V), a step of detecting vibration waveforms, a step of calculating a correlation coefficient K based on vibration waveforms, a step of preparing frequency distribution of intensity values LOG(V) smaller than a threshold V(1) and intensity values LOG(V) in an ignition cycle where correlation coefficient K is larger than a threshold K(1), a step of calculating a knock determination level V(KD) based on a median V(50) and a standard deviation ? of intensity values LOG(V), and a step of counting the number of intensity values LOG(V) larger than knock determination level V(KD) as the number of times that knocking has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Rihito Kaneko, Kenji Kasashima, Masatomo Yoshihara, Koji Aso, Kenji Senda, Shigeru Kamio, Yuichi Takemura
  • Publication number: 20080306677
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including a step of calculating intensity values LOG(V) based on signals transmitted from a knock sensor; a step of deciding a maximum value V(MAX) in frequency distribution of intensity values LOG(V) for N cycles (N is a natural number); a step of calculating a knock determination level V(KD) based on the frequency distribution; a step of, when the knock determination level V(KD) is smaller than the maximum value V(MAX), removing V(MAX) from the frequency distribution; and a step of counting the total frequency of removed maximum values V(MAX) as knock occupancy KC. Maximum values V(MAX) are removed until the knock determination level V(KD) and the maximum value V(MAX) coincide, and the knock determination level V(KD) is recalculated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2008
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi IWADE, Nobuyuki Murate, Shuhei Oe, Rihito Kaneko, Kenji Kasashima, Yuichi Takemura
  • Publication number: 20080294328
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including: the step (S222) of increasing a determination value V(J) by a correction amount A(3) if the number of knock intensities N not lower than the determination value V(J) is not smaller than a threshold value B(1) (YES at S220) among knock intensities N of a plurality of predetermined number of continuous ignition cycles; and the step (S232) of increasing the determination value V(J) by a correction amount A(5) if the number of knock intensities N not smaller than the determination value V(J) is not smaller than a threshold value B(3) (YES at S230), among knock intensities N of a plurality of ignition cycles satisfying the condition that a coefficient of correlation K calculated by comparing a vibration waveform and a knock waveform model is not smaller than a threshold value K(1), of the knock intensities of a plurality of predetermined continuous ignition cycles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2007
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Rihito Kaneko, Kenji Kasashima, Masatomo Yoshihara, Kenji Senda, Norihito Hanai, Yasuhiro Yamasako, Shuhei Oe, Yuichi Takemura
  • Publication number: 20080264150
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including the steps of: detecting a vibration corresponding to a first radial resonance mode by using a band-pass filter, from vibrations sensed by an in-cylinder pressure sensor provided at an upper central portion of the cylinder; calculating knock intensity N based on a result of comparison between the detected waveform and a knock waveform model prepared in advance as a vibration waveform when knocking occurs; determining that knocking occurred when the knock intensity N is larger than a predetermined reference value; and determining that knocking has not occurred when the knock intensity N is not larger than the predetermined reference value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Shuhei Oe, Kiyoshi Iwade, Nobuyuki Murate, Rihito Kaneko, Yuichi Takemura, Shigeru Kamio