Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Toshifumi Takaoka

Naoto Suzuki

Takashi Suzuki

Yukio Kinugasa

Masakiyo Kojima

Daimon Okada

Takaaki Itou

Hiroshi Kanai

Katsuhiko Hirose

Kouhei Igarashi

Toshio Inoue

Makoto Yamazaki

Katsuhiko Yamaguchi

Takahiro Nishigaki

Masaki Kusada

Yutaka Taga

Kouji Yoshizaki

Masaaki Yamaoka

Takehisa Yaegashi

Osamu Harada

Shoichi Sasaki

Takeshi Kotani

Mamoru Tomatsuri

Yukio Kobayashi

Michihiro Ohashi

Koji Yokota

Shinichi Abe

Tadashi Akiyama

Yoshiaki Taga, Deceased

Kenichi Nagase

By Shigeo Taga, Heir

By Takiko Taga, Heiress

A power supply device for a vehicle that is chargeable from an external power supply provided external to the vehicle, including a main battery and a battery pack that is attachable to and detachable from the vehicle. The battery pack includes a sub battery for driving electric loads common to the main battery and the sub battery, and a connector provided with a first storage unit storing information related to the sub battery. The power supply device for the vehicle further includes a control device performing control related to the main battery, and reading the information from the first storage unit and performing control related to the sub battery.

On-vehicle equipment control system and vehicle

A power supply device for a vehicle that is chargeable from an external power supply () provided external to the vehicle, including a main battery (BA) and a battery pack () that is attachable to and detachable from the vehicle. The battery pack () includes a sub battery (BB) for driving electric loads (invertersand) common to the main battery (BA) and the sub battery (BB), and a connector () provided with a first storage unit storing information related to the sub battery (BB). The power supply device for the vehicle further includes a control device () performing control related to the main battery (BA), and reading the information from the first storage unit and performing control related to the sub battery (BB).

A control device for cylinder reducing operation of a multi-cylinder engine for a vehicle controls the number of working cylinders in the engine more appropriately for fuel economy while ensuring the operational stability of the engine and comfortable drivability of the vehicle. The control device comprises a detector detecting engine output torque and judges if cylinder reducing operation is to be executed while referring to the engine output torque. Because of the detection of engine output torque, cylinder reducing operation will be executed as long as torque requested of the engine is available from the reduced number of working cylinders, thereby ensuring the generation of torque required in operating the engine while saving fuel as much as possible. Through a learning process, criteria for the judgment of execution of cylinder reducing operation are modified to be adapted for any variation of engine output performances.

Control device of cylinder reducing operation of multi-cylinder engine

A hybrid-vehicle drive method and system includes an internal combustion engine that includes an output shaft, a first electric motor/generator connected to the output shaft of the internal combustion engine via a power distribution mechanism, a wheel drive shaft connected to the output shaft of the internal combustion engine via the power distribution mechanism, a second electric motor/generator connected to the wheel drive shaft, and a transmission located on at least one of the wheel drive shaft and a connecting portion of the second electric motor/generator with the wheel drive shaft.

Hybrid-vehicle drive system and operation method with a transmission

In a hybrid vehicle drive system, an output shaft of an internal combustion engine is connected to a first motor generator and a wheel drive shaft through a power distribution mechanism, and the wheel drive shaft is connected to a second motor generator. The hybrid vehicle drive system is provided with a device that increases the torque of the wheel drive shaft separately from the second motor generator when the internal combustion engine is cranked by the first motor generator.

Hybrid-vehicle drive system with torque increasing device and driving method thereof

The priority sequence in a control of adjusting the drive power with respect to a vehicle drive power request is set in the sequence of: (1) an engine output increase, (2) a motor output increase, and (3) a gear speed change in a gear ratio increasing direction. More specifically, a gear speed of a least gear ratio is selected within such a range that an engine revolution speed higher than or equal to a predetermined lower limit revolution speed is attainable. A requested drive power is achieved singly by an engine output with the gear speed selected. When the requested drive power is not achievable singly by the engine output, the requested drive power is achieved by the engine output and a motor output. When the requested drive power is not achievable by the engine output and the motor output, the gear speed is changed in a gear ratio increasing direction.

Control apparatus for transmission-equipped hybrid vehicle, and control method for the same

A power output apparatus capable of generating power from at least an electric motor to a drive shaft includes a pattern storing unit that stores a plurality of output characteristic patterns in which power is generated to the drive shaft, a pattern selecting unit that selects one of the output characteristic patterns stored, and a drive controller that controls driving of the electric motor so that power that is within a range of the selected output characteristic pattern is generated to the drive shaft. The power output apparatus may also be controlled to operate the motor in a dash mode that allow motor output to exceed rated values for short periods of time to increase drivability.

Power output apparatus using different torque and speed pattern characteristics and control method thereof

A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an engine and a motor as drive power sources has a transmission between the engine and a vehicle drive wheel, that changes drive power transmission by selecting from a plurality of gear speeds. The control apparatus detects the drive power requested for the vehicle drive wheel and, as a result, sets a gear speed of the transmission to cause the engine to operate in a predetermined high-efficiency operation state, such that any difference between the requested vehicle drive power and the engine output is compensated by either a drive operation of the motor, or a regenerative operation of the motor.

A method of controlling an engine-operating-characteristic changing device operable between a first and a second operating state and including a locking device for locking the changing device in the first operating state in which a compression ratio of an intake air of an internal combustion engine is maintained at a value higher than that in the second operating state, the method including steps of determining whether there is a possibility that the engine-operating-characteristic changing device is locked in the first operating state by the locking device, where the changing device should not be placed in the first operating state, and if it is determined that there is the possibility, implementing a preventive operation to prevent the locking unit from locking the changing device in the first operating state.

Method and apparatus for preventing locking of engine-operating-characteristic changing device

A vehicle controller includes a plurality of driving power sources for transmitting torque to a wheel, and a starter for starting a first driving power source of the plurality of diving power sources. The first driving power source is stopped when a prescribed stopping condition is satisfied, and the stopped first driving power source is started by the starter when a prescribed restarting condition is satisfied. When the startability of the first driving power source has been degraded, stopping of the first driving power source is inhibited even when the prescribed stopping condition is satisfied.

Vehicle controller and vehicle control method

A control apparatus for a power train that includes an engine and a motor generator that generates power to a wheel. Furthermore, a clutch is disposed in a power transmission path from the engine to the wheel includes a driving power controller for controlling power generated from the motor generator to the wheel when the clutch fails.

Control apparatus and control method for a power train

In a vehicle equipped with a motor generator and a starter, if an ignition key has been switched from OFF to ON, preferably an engine is started by using the starter. However, if the temperature T of the engine is high (B&lE;T), the engine is started by the motor generator. When the engine is restarted after automatic stop thereof, preferably the engine is started by using the motor generator. However, if the temperature T of the engine is low (T&lE;A), the engine is started by using the starter. The engine is started by suitably selecting between the starter and the motor generator, whereby it becomes possible to improve responsive characteristics and startability and abate oscillatory noise.

Vehicular engine starting control apparatus and vehicular engine starting control method

An output state detecting apparatus is arranged to detect a reaction torque of a motor and detect an output state of an internal-combustion engine from the reaction torque. The apparatus comprises an internal-combustion engine, a generator driven by the internal-combustion engine to generate electric power, torque detecting means for detecting a reaction torque of this generator, and output state detecting means for detecting an output state of the internal-combustion engine. The output state detecting means detects the output state of the internal-combustion engine, based on the reaction torque of the motor detected by the torque detecting means.

Output state detector for internal combustion engine

An apparatus and method determine a state of a power train that includes a power transmission apparatus that is configured to transmit power of a first driving power source to an input side of a second driving power source via a clutch and a transmission, and is capable of changing a torque capacity of the clutch and a gear ratio of the transmission. The apparatus and method determine a state of the clutch or the transmission based on a revolution speed of the first driving power source and information indicating a state of the second driving power source, e.g., a revolution speed of the input side of the second driving power source.

Apparatus and method for determining a state of a power train

In a vehicular engine control apparatus, the engine is stopped upon fulfillment of a predetermined stopping condition even in the case where the shift position of the vehicle is a running position, and the engine is restarted afterwards upon fulfillment of a predetermined starting condition. The predetermined starting condition is switched depending on whether the detected shift position is a running position or a non-running position. This reduces a sense of incongruity or unpleasantness caused to the driver in stopping and starting an engine during operation of a vehicle and thereby improves driveability of the vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Susono, Japan

Toshifumi Takaoka