Patents Assigned to NExT-e Solutions Inc.
  • Patent number: 11552483
    Abstract: An electric storage system is provided including a switching unit which is arranged between an electric storage unit of an electric storage device which is configured to be connectable in parallel with another power supply device and wire which is configured to electrically connect the electric storage device and the another power supply device, wherein the switching unit is configured to switch the electrical connection relationship between the wire and the electric storage unit; and a restriction unit which is connected in parallel with the switching unit between the wire and the electric storage unit, has a higher resistance than the switching unit, and is configured to cause current to flow in a direction from the electric storage unit to the wire and suppress current flowing in a direction from the wire to the electric storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: NExT-e Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Fumiaki Nakao, Hiroyasu Sato
  • Patent number: 11482869
    Abstract: A switching unit is included, which is arranged between a first electric storage unit of a first electric storage device configured to be connectable in parallel with a second electric storage device and a wire electrically connecting the first electric storage device and the second electric storage device, and which is configured to switch a electrical connection relationship of the wire and the first electric storage unit. A restricting unit is included, which is connected in parallel with the switching unit between the wire and the first electric storage unit, has a higher resistance than the switching unit, and is configured to cause a current to flow in the direction from the wire to the first electric storage unit and suppress current flowing in the direction from the first electric storage unit to the wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: NExT-e Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Fumiaki Nakao
  • Patent number: 11462927
    Abstract: An electric storage system to which a first electric storage device and a second electric storage device connected in parallel can be mounted decides a rated voltage of the first electric storage device in an electric storage system having at least one of (A) a discharge standby stage and (B) a charge standby stage. It decides a large and small relationship between the rated voltage of the electric storage device for which at least one of (i) an accumulated time, (ii) an accumulated power amount, and (iii) an accumulated number is decided to be made higher among the first electric storage device and the second electric storage device, and the rated voltage of the other electric storage device. It decides the rated voltage of the first electric storage device such that the large and small relationship decided in the large and small relationship deciding step is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: NExT-e Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Fumiaki Nakao, Kazuo Takehara
  • Patent number: 11027614
    Abstract: Charging and discharging of a plurality of electric storage cells connected in series are: managed by equalizing voltages of a plurality of electric storage cells; and, without disconnecting or shifting an electrical connection between (a) the plurality of electric storage cells and (b-1) a load which uses electric power of the plurality of electric storage cells or (b-2) a charging device which charges the plurality of electric storage cells, (i) sending electric power of the plurality of electric storage cells to an external apparatus which is different from the load and the charging device, or (ii) receiving receives electric power supplied to the plurality of electric storage cells from the external apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: NExT-e Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Fumiaki Nakao
  • Patent number: 10700536
    Abstract: A control device includes: a first path for: electrically connecting (i) a power source unit or reference potential that provides a potential, voltage or current for generating a drive signal of a switching element and (ii) a receiving unit that receives the drive signal in the switching element; and supplying the drive signal to the switching element; and a second path for: electrically connecting (i) the power source unit or the reference potential and (ii) the receiving unit; and supplying the drive signal to the switching element. (i) A value of a combined resistance of a wire of the second path and one or more elements disposed in the second path is greater than (ii) a value of a combined resistance of a wire of the first path and one or more elements disposed in the first path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: NExT-e Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Haruhiko Kubota
  • Patent number: 10673263
    Abstract: The control device controls an adjusting unit that adjusts current flowing between an electric storage unit of an electric storage device configured such that the electric storage device can be connected in parallel with a distinct power supply device, and a wire that electrically connects the electric storage device and the distinct power supply device. The control device includes a current detecting unit that detects (i) current flowing between the wire and the electric storage unit in the second direction or (ii) current flowing between the wire and the electric storage unit when the first current adjusting unit electrically disconnects the wire and the electric storage unit, and an operation control unit that controls operation of the first current adjusting unit based on (i) voltage or SOC of the electric storage unit and (ii) a detection result of the current detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: NExT-e Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Fumiaki Nakao
  • Patent number: 10581121
    Abstract: Provided is a balance correction control apparatus to control a balance correction apparatus designed to correct a balance between voltages of a first electric storage cell and a second electric storage cell connected in series based on a target setting for an SOC of each of the first electric storage cell and the second electric storage cell. The balance correction control apparatus includes a cell characteristic obtaining unit operable to obtain at least one cell characteristic selected from the group consisting of a degree of deterioration, a cell capacity and a temperature of each of the first electric storage cell and the second electric storage cell, and a target setting determining unit operable to determine the target setting for the SOC of each of the first electric storage cell and the second electric storage cell based on the at least one cell characteristic obtained by the cell characteristic obtaining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: NExT-e Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Fumiaki Nakao, Makoto Inoue
  • Patent number: 10559963
    Abstract: A balance correction apparatus is stopped at an appropriate timing. Provided are an inductor; a first switching device electrically connected between another end of the inductor and another end of the first electric storage cell; a second switching device electrically connected between another end of the inductor and another end of the second electric storage cell; and a control section supplying a control signal to control ON/OFF operations of the first switching device and the second switching device, to the first switching device and the second switching device, where the control section obtains information representing a voltage difference between the first electric storage cell and the second electric storage cell, and the control section supplies the control signal to cause both of the first switching device and the second switching device to operate to be OFF, when the voltage difference is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: NExT-e Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Fumiaki Nakao
  • Patent number: 10312553
    Abstract: A control device for controlling a balance correction device which equalizes voltages of a first electric storage cell and a second electric storage cell connected in series includes: a current information acquiring unit which acquires information about a current value of current flowing in an inductor; and a control signal supplying unit which supplies the balance correction device with a control signal for controlling the balance correction device, such that a valley in an absolute value of the current value satisfies a predetermined condition, based on information about the current value acquired by the current information acquiring unit, during at least part of a period of time in which the balance correction device operates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: NExT-e Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Haruhiko Kubota