Patents by Inventor Yuuki Ozawa

Yuuki Ozawa 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).

  • Publication number: 20240017704
    Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus is applied to a vehicle (VC) including a wheel-turning actuator (32) that turns a wheel and a brake actuator (41-44). The driving assistance apparatus is configured to detect, as a slip detection process (S22), slip of the vehicle on a road surface on which the vehicle is traveling. The limitation process (S24, S24a) limits the a braking force of the brake actuator to a smaller magnitude. The limitation process includes a process where the braking force of the brake actuator is limited to the smaller magnitude at least during the period over which the obstacle is being avoided when the wheel-turning actuator of the vehicle turns the wheel in order to avoid an obstacle and when the slip has been detected at the slip detection process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Inventor: YUUKI OZAWA
  • Patent number: 10118494
    Abstract: A vehicle control method is provided for controlling a vehicle having a friction clutch configured to switch between engagement and disengagement between a motor/generator and a drive wheel. The vehicle control method includes maintaining a friction clutch disengaged with slack eliminated in a stroke while the vehicle is stopped, reducing a motor rotational speed using a predetermined rotational speed as a target motor rotational speed in response a request to stop a motor/generator upon determining the motor rotational speed of the motor/generator is greater than the predetermined rotational speed, and when the motor rotational speed has reached the predetermined rotational speed, reducing the motor rotational speed toward zero while limiting the torque of the motor/generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuki Ozawa, Youko Yoshioka, Takao Andou
  • Patent number: 10099677
    Abstract: A vehicle control device is provided with a friction clutch for engaging and disengaging a motor/generator and a drive wheel, a mechanical oil pump driven by the motor/generator to supply hydraulic oil pressure to the friction clutch, an electric oil pump driven by an electric motor to supply hydraulic oil pressure to the friction clutch, and a control unit. The control unit stops a motor/generator when a vehicle stops; maintains a release of a friction clutch when slack in the stroke is eliminated by the hydraulic oil pressure from the electric oil pump; raises a rotational speed of the motor/generator toward a target rotational speed upon a request to cancel stoppage of the motor/generator; and restricts the torque to be less than the motor generator torque at which the target rotational rate can be maintained when the rotational rate of the motor/generator is raised toward the target rotational rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Youko Yoshioka, Yuuki Ozawa, Takao Andou
  • Publication number: 20180141535
    Abstract: A vehicle control device is provided with a friction clutch for engaging and disengaging a motor/generator and a drive wheel, a mechanical oil pump driven by the motor/generator to supply hydraulic oil pressure to the friction clutch, an electric oil pump driven by an electric motor to supply hydraulic oil pressure to the friction clutch, and a control unit. The control unit stops a motor/generator when a vehicle stops; maintains a release of a friction clutch when slack in the stroke is eliminated by the hydraulic oil pressure from the electric oil pump; raises a rotational speed of the motor/generator toward a target rotational speed upon a request to cancel stoppage of the motor/generator; and restricts the torque to be less than the motor generator torque at which the target rotational rate can be maintained when the rotational rate of the motor/generator is raised toward the target rotational rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Inventors: Youko YOSHIOKA, Yuuki OZAWA, Takao ANDOU
  • Publication number: 20180118035
    Abstract: A vehicle control method is provided for controlling a vehicle having a friction clutch configured to switch between engagement and disengagement between a motor/generator and a drive wheel. The vehicle control method includes maintaining a friction clutch disengaged with slack eliminated in a stroke while the vehicle is stopped, reducing a motor rotational speed using a predetermined rotational speed as a target motor rotational speed in response a request to stop a motor/generator upon determining the motor rotational speed of the motor/generator is greater than the predetermined rotational speed, and when the motor rotational speed has reached the predetermined rotational speed, reducing the motor rotational speed toward zero while limiting the torque of the motor/generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Inventors: Yuuki OZAWA, Youko YOSHIOKA, Takao ANDOU
  • Patent number: 8977459
    Abstract: When a rear wheel total drive force is smaller than a rear wheel drive force difference and the rear wheel drive force difference cannot be realized by setting a left-right distribution of the rear wheel total drive force, an inside wheel target drive force is set unconditionally to a minimum initial drive force required to prevent a three-wheel drive state and an outside wheel target drive force is set to a value equal to the sum of the initial drive force and the rear wheel drive force difference, which is a value with which the rear wheel drive force difference can be realized while the inside wheel target drive force is set to the initial drive force. In this way, a drive force distribution control apparatus gives priority to realizing the rear wheel drive force difference and emphasizes achieving a target behavior over achieving a four-wheel drive performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuuki Ozawa
  • Patent number: 8948991
    Abstract: Upon determining than an over-steered state exits, a feedback control coefficient for a rear wheel total drive force is set to 0 and a feedback control coefficient for a rear wheel drive force difference is also set to 0 to impose a two-wheel drive state. As a result, it is possible to avoid a turn cruising instability caused by cruising in four-wheel drive in an over-steered state. Upon determining that an under-steered state exists, the feedback control coefficients are set such that four-wheel drive is allowed but a drive force difference is not set between the left and right rear wheels. As a result, when the under-steered state exists, excellent traction can be enjoyed by operating in four-wheel drive and the phenomenon of riding up a canted road surface due to a drive force difference set between the left and right rear wheels can be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Suzuki, Yuuki Ozawa
  • Patent number: 8909423
    Abstract: A vehicle display device includes a vehicle instrument panel, upper-side and lower-side segment displays and a display controller. Each of the upper-side and lower-side segment displays has at least three number-displaying elements that are arranged in a line in a lateral direction for displaying numerical values using a plurality of segments. The display controller is configured to combine the number-displaying elements in the upper-side and lower-side segment displays and to display vehicle information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuki Ozawa, Hidenori Hokura
  • Publication number: 20130103278
    Abstract: Upon determining than an over-steered state exits, a feedback control coefficient for a rear wheel total drive force is set to 0 and a feedback control coefficient for a rear wheel drive force difference is also set to 0 to impose a two-wheel drive state. As a result, it is possible to avoid a turn cruising instability caused by cruising in four-wheel drive in an over-steered state. Upon determining that an under-steered state exists, the feedback control coefficients are set such that four-wheel drive is allowed but a drive force difference is not set between the left and right rear wheels. As a result, when the under-steered state exists, excellent traction can be enjoyed by operating in four-wheel drive and the phenomenon of riding up a canted road surface due to a drive force difference set between the left and right rear wheels can be avoided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Suzuki, Yuuki Ozawa
  • Publication number: 20130079986
    Abstract: A vehicle display device includes a vehicle instrument panel, upper-side and lower-side segment displays and a display controller. Each of the upper-side and lower-side segment displays has at least three number-displaying elements that are arranged in a line in a lateral direction for displaying numerical values using a plurality of segments. The display controller is configured to combine the number-displaying elements in the upper-side and lower-side segment displays and to display vehicle information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuuki Ozawa, Hidenori Hokura
  • Publication number: 20120166055
    Abstract: When a rear wheel total drive force is smaller than a rear wheel drive force difference and the rear wheel drive force difference cannot be realized by setting a left-right distribution of the rear wheel total drive force, an inside wheel target drive force is set unconditionally to a minimum initial drive force required to prevent a three-wheel drive state and an outside wheel target drive force is set to a value equal to the sum of the initial drive force and the rear wheel drive force difference, which is a value with which the rear wheel drive force difference can be realized while the inside wheel target drive force is set to the initial drive force. In this way, a drive force distribution control apparatus gives priority to realizing the rear wheel drive force difference and emphasizes achieving a target behavior over achieving a four-wheel drive performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuuki Ozawa