Patents by Inventor Yuji Sengoku

Yuji Sengoku 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: 7878605
    Abstract: A brake apparatus for a vehicle generally sets an upper limit value of regenerative braking force to the maximum value of the regenerative braking force which can be generated at the present. In the case of a front-wheel-drive vehicle, the total braking force, the sum of front-wheel braking force (front-wheel hydraulic braking force+regenerative braking force) and rear-wheel braking force (rear-wheel hydraulic braking force), is rendered coincident with a target braking force corresponding to a brake pedal depressing force, and the regenerative braking force is set to a largest possible value equal to or less than the upper limit value. As a result, the regenerative braking force can be larger than front-wheel-side target distribution braking force. The upper limit value is decreased from the maximum value by an amount corresponding to the degree of easiness of occurrence of a locking tendency at the driven wheels (front wheels).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Kokubo, Masahiro Matsuura, Shigeru Saito, Yuji Sengoku
  • Patent number: 7761214
    Abstract: A vehicle deceleration control device is provided that can determine an appropriate supplemental braking force when a braking force is applied according to an accelerator operation state. An engine braking-equivalent braking force is varied according to an initial accelerator angle when an accelerator returns and according to an accelerator return speed. That is, the greater the initial accelerator angle is, or the greater the accelerator return speed is, the greater the value to which the engine braking-equivalent braking force is set. It therefore becomes possible to determine the appropriate supplemental braking force that reflects the driver's braking intention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Saito, Koichi Kokubo, Masahiro Matsuura, Yuji Sengoku
  • Patent number: 7575287
    Abstract: An improved vehicle brake system for controlling the frictional braking force and the regenerative braking force to be applied to a wheel of a vehicle. The brake system reduces the regenerative braking force to a predetermined force and keeps the regenerative braking force at the predetermined force before the start of anti-lock control. When the anti-lock control starts, the brake system decreases the regenerative braking force from the predetermined force. With this arrangement, it is possible to quickly eliminate a locking tendency of any wheel of the vehicle, thereby stabilizing the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Matsuura, Koichi Kokubo, Shigeru Saito, Yuji Sengoku
  • Patent number: 7571967
    Abstract: A brake apparatus for a vehicle controls braking force acting on front wheels by hydraulic braking force (front-wheel-side vacuum-booster hydraulic pressure fraction+linear-valve differential pressure fraction), which is frictional braking force, and regenerative braking force, and controls braking force acting on rear wheels by hydraulic braking force (rear-wheel-side vacuum-booster hydraulic pressure fraction) only, to thereby perform regeneration-coordinative brake control. During performance of ABS control, the apparatus sets the limit regenerative braking force to a force under which locking of the front wheels does not occur in a case in which the force acts on the front wheels, which are wheels undergoing regenerative braking, and adjusts the regenerative braking force such that the regenerative braking force does not exceed the limit regenerative braking force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Saito, Masahiro Matsuura, Koichi Kokubo, Yuji Sengoku
  • Publication number: 20080009996
    Abstract: A vehicle deceleration control device is provided that can determine an appropriate supplemental braking force when a braking force is applied according to an accelerator operation state. An engine braking-equivalent braking force is varied according to an initial accelerator angle when an accelerator returns and according to an accelerator return speed. That is, the greater the initial accelerator angle is, or the greater the accelerator return speed is, the greater the value to which the engine braking-equivalent braking force is set. It therefore becomes possible to determine the appropriate supplemental braking force that reflects the driver's braking intention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2006
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru Saito, Koichi Kokubo, Masahiro Matsuura, Yuji Sengoku
  • Patent number: 7284803
    Abstract: In a vehicle brake apparatus, front-wheel brake power is controlled with fluid pressure brake power (a front-wheel VB fluid pressure part Fvbf+an increase in fluid pressure brake power equivalent to a liner valve pressure difference ?P1) and regenerative brake power Freg, while rear-wheel brake power is controlled with only fluid pressure brake power (a rear-wheel VB fluid pressure part Fvbr+an increase in fluid pressure brake power equivalent to a liner valve pressure difference ?P2), so that regenerative and cooperative brake controlling is executed. When a brake pedal is additionally depressed during front/rear brake power proportion controlling, the shortage of the total brake power is compensated by adding additional brake power Fadd, which is the same as rear-wheel brake power shortage ?Fr generated by the additional depression, to the front-wheel brake power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Matsuura, Shigeru Saito, Koichi Kokubo, Yuji Sengoku
  • Publication number: 20070046099
    Abstract: An improved vehicle brake system for controlling the frictional braking force and the regenerative braking force to be applied to a wheel of a vehicle. The brake system reduces the regenerative braking force to a predetermined force and keeps the regenerative braking force at the predetermined force before the start of anti-lock control. When the anti-lock control starts, the brake system decreases the regenerative braking force from the predetermined force. With this arrangement, it is possible to quickly eliminate a locking tendency of any wheel of the vehicle, thereby stabilizing the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2006
    Publication date: March 1, 2007
    Inventors: Masahiro Matsuura, Koichi Kokubo, Shigeru Saito, Yuji Sengoku
  • Publication number: 20070018499
    Abstract: A brake apparatus for a vehicle generally sets an upper limit value of regenerative braking force to the maximum value of the regenerative braking force which can be generated at the present. In the case of a front-wheel-drive vehicle, the total braking force, the sum of front-wheel braking force (front-wheel hydraulic braking force+regenerative braking force) and rear-wheel braking force (rear-wheel hydraulic braking force), is rendered coincident with a target braking force corresponding to a brake pedal depressing force, and the regenerative braking force is set to a largest possible value equal to or less than the upper limit value. As a result, the regenerative braking force can be larger than front-wheel-side target distribution braking force. The upper limit value is decreased from the maximum value by an amount corresponding to the degree of easiness of occurrence of a locking tendency at the driven wheels (front wheels).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2006
    Publication date: January 25, 2007
    Inventors: Koichi Kokubo, Masahiro Matsuura, Shigeru Saito, Yuji Sengoku
  • Publication number: 20060220453
    Abstract: A brake apparatus for a vehicle controls braking force acting on front wheels by hydraulic braking force (front-wheel-side vacuum-booster hydraulic pressure fraction+linear-valve differential pressure fraction), which is frictional braking force, and regenerative braking force, and controls braking force acting on rear wheels by hydraulic braking force (rear-wheel-side vacuum-booster hydraulic pressure fraction) only, to thereby perform regeneration-coordinative brake control. During performance of ABS control, the apparatus sets the limit regenerative braking force to a force under which locking of the front wheels does not occur in a case in which the force acts on the front wheels, which are wheels undergoing regenerative braking, and adjusts the regenerative braking force such that the regenerative braking force does not exceed the limit regenerative braking force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Inventors: Shigeru Saito, Masahiro Matsuura, Koichi Kokubo, Yuji Sengoku
  • Publication number: 20060131956
    Abstract: In a vehicle brake apparatus, front-wheel brake power is controlled with fluid pressure brake power (a front-wheel VB fluid pressure part Fvbf+an increase in fluid pressure brake power equivalent to a liner valve pressure difference ?P1) and regenerative brake power Freg, while rear-wheel brake power is controlled with only fluid pressure brake power (a rear-wheel VB fluid pressure part Fvbr+an increase in fluid pressure brake power equivalent to a liner valve pressure difference ?P2), so that regenerative and cooperative brake controlling is executed. When a brake pedal is additionally depressed during front/rear brake power proportion controlling, the shortage of the total brake power is compensated by adding additional brake power Fadd, which is the same as rear-wheel brake power shortage ?Fr generated by the additional depression, to the front-wheel brake power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2005
    Publication date: June 22, 2006
    Inventors: Masahiro Matsuura, Shigeru Saito, Koichi Kokubo, Yuji Sengoku
  • Publication number: 20060125317
    Abstract: The unit controls a linear-valve-pressure-difference braking force and a regenerative braking force so that a total braking force obtained by adding a complementary braking force that is “the sum of the increments of the respective hydraulic braking forces by linear-valve pressure differences generated by linear solenoid valves disposed for their respective systems (linear-valve-pressure-difference braking force) and a regenerative braking force” to a hydraulic braking force (VB hydraulic braking force) based on a master-cylinder pressure output from a master cylinder reaches a target value for a brake-pedal pressure. For example, for a vehicle equipped with a cross pipe arrangement, when one of the linear solenoid valves fails, the linear-valve pressure difference of a normal linear solenoid valve is set to a value as twice as large as that when both of the linear solenoid valves are normal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Publication date: June 15, 2006
    Inventors: Koichi Kokubo, Shigeru Saito, Masahiro Matsuura, Yuji Sengoku
  • Publication number: 20050269875
    Abstract: A vehicle brake device is provided with a hydraulic brake device for boosting by a booster device a braking manipulation force generated upon a braking manipulation, for applying a base fluid pressure generated in dependence on the boosted brake manipulation force, to wheel cylinders of wheels so that a base hydraulic brake force is generated on the wheels, and for driving a pump to generate and apply a controlled fluid pressure to the wheel cylinders so that a controlled hydraulic brake force is generated on the wheels; braking manipulation state detecting means for detecting the braking manipulation state; a regenerative brake device for causing an electric motor to generate a regenerative brake force corresponding to the braking manipulation state on the wheels driven by the electric motor; variation detecting means for detecting the variation of an actual regenerative brake force actually generated by the regeneration braking device; and brake force compensating means for generating the controlled fluid p
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2005
    Publication date: December 8, 2005
    Inventors: Kazuya Maki, Masahiro Matsuura, Shigeru Saito, Koichi Kokubo, Yuji Sengoku