Patents by Inventor Yukimasa NISHIMURA

Yukimasa NISHIMURA 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: 11912264
    Abstract: When an abnormality associated with power transmission in a power transmission path which is formed such that power of an engine or the like is able to be transmitted to driving wheels has occurred and a vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined vehicle speed, a limp-home travel control unit switches a limp-home travel mode to a first limp-home travel mode in which the power of the engine or the like is able to be transmitted to the driving wheels through the power transmission path. When an abnormality associated with power transmission in the power transmission path has occurred and the vehicle speed is lower than the predetermined vehicle speed, the limp-home travel control unit switches the limp-home travel mode to a second limp-home travel mode in which limp-home travel is performed using power of a second electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yukimasa Nishimura, Masahiro Nishiu
  • Publication number: 20230234558
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid electric vehicle that includes (i) an engine, (ii) a first electric motor, (iii) a second electric motor, (iv) first wheels, (v) second wheels and (vi) an engagement device disposed between the engine/first electric motor and the first wheels. The engagement device establishes and cuts off transmission of a power of the engine/first electric motor to the first wheels, by connecting and disconnecting between an input rotary member and an output rotary member. During running of the vehicle in a running mode in which the engagement device is released and the vehicle is caused to run by a power of the second electric motor, it is determined whether the engagement device is being released or not, based on (a) a rotational speed difference between the input and output rotary members and (b) a rotational state of the engine or the first electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, BluE Nexus Corporation
    Inventors: Yukimasa Nishimura, Takafumi Rikiishi
  • Publication number: 20220111832
    Abstract: When an abnormality associated with power transmission in a power transmission path which is formed such that power of an engine or the like is able to be transmitted to driving wheels has occurred and a vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined vehicle speed, a limp-home travel control unit switches a limp-home travel mode to a first limp-home travel mode in which the power of the engine or the like is able to be transmitted to the driving wheels through the power transmission path. When an abnormality associated with power transmission in the power transmission path has occurred and the vehicle speed is lower than the predetermined vehicle speed, the limp-home travel control unit switches the limp-home travel mode to a second limp-home travel mode in which limp-home travel is performed using power of a second electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2021
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yukimasa NISHIMURA, Masahiro NISHIU
  • Patent number: 10647202
    Abstract: When a boost converter has an abnormality, a battery-less traveling is executed by shutting off a gate of the boost converter and setting a voltage command VH* of a capacitor (high-voltage-system electric power line) to a predetermined voltage VHset higher than a battery voltage VB. Then, during the execution of the battery-less traveling, when it is determined that a charging current has flowed through a battery or when it is determined that the voltage (high-voltage-system voltage) VH of the capacitor has approached the battery voltage VB, it is determined that an upper arm of the boost converter has been short-circuited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukimasa Nishimura, Kazuhiro Oka, Yoshizo Akita
  • Patent number: 10479365
    Abstract: An electronic control unit controls a motor so that a torque applied to an input shaft does not exceed an upper limit torque. The electronic control unit sets so as to restrict the upper limit torque from a first torque to a second torque smaller than the first torque, and then return the upper limit torque to the first torque more gradually when a first condition that a driver is assumed to have felt a decrease in driving force output to driving wheels is met before the upper limit torque is returned than when the first condition is not met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukimasa Nishimura, Yoshizo Akita, Tadaaki Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20180178654
    Abstract: When a boost converter has an abnormality, a battery-less traveling is executed by shutting off a gate of the boost converter and setting a voltage command VH* of a capacitor (high-voltage-system electric power line) to a predetermined voltage VHset higher than a battery voltage VB. Then, during the execution of the battery-less traveling, when it is determined that a charging current has flowed through a battery or when it is determined that the voltage (high-voltage-system voltage) VH of the capacitor has approached the battery voltage VB, it is determined that an upper arm of the boost converter has been short-circuited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yukimasa NISHIMURA, Kazuhiro OKA, Yoshizo AKITA
  • Publication number: 20180029473
    Abstract: In response to detection of a collision of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle is configured to turn off a relay and to perform three-phase ON control that controls an inverter such as to turn on all switching elements of an upper arm or all switching elements of a lower arm among a plurality of switching elements and converter discharge control that controls a step-up/down converter such as to cause an electric charge of a capacitor to be consumed by the step-up/down converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2017
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yukimasa NISHIMURA
  • Patent number: 9643500
    Abstract: A vehicular control device includes a rotation angle sensor sensing a rotation angle of a rotor of a motor, and a control device controlling the motor. When the control device controls the motor and detects that the vehicle has a collision, the control device determines a switching pattern, based on the rotation angle obtained from the rotation angle sensor, to switch a switching device of an inverter that drives the motor to zero a q axis current and also pass a d axis current, and once the switching pattern has been determined, then, whatever rotation angle may be sensed by the rotation angle sensor, the determined switching pattern is applied to discharge the electric charge of a smoothing capacitor connected to the inverter of the motor. This allows the smoothing capacitor's electric charge to be discharged if the rotation angle sensor has failed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yukimasa Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20160089990
    Abstract: A vehicular control device includes a rotation angle sensor sensing a rotation angle of a rotor of a motor, and a control device controlling the motor. When the control device controls the motor and detects that the vehicle has a collision, the control device determines a switching pattern, based on the rotation angle obtained from the rotation angle sensor, to switch a switching device of an inverter that drives the motor to zero a q axis current and also pass a d axis current, and once the switching pattern has been determined, then, whatever rotation angle may be sensed by the rotation angle sensor, the determined switching pattern is applied to discharge the electric charge of a smoothing capacitor connected to the inverter of the motor. This allows the smoothing capacitor's electric charge to be discharged if the rotation angle sensor has failed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventor: Yukimasa NISHIMURA