Patents by Inventor Akihiko Emori
Akihiko Emori 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).
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Publication number: 20140152261Abstract: A battery system monitoring apparatus that monitors a battery system is provided having a cell group having a plurality of unit cells connected in series, including: a first control device that controls the cell group; and a plurality of voltage detection lines that connect positive electrodes and negative electrodes of the unit cells to the first control device, for measuring inter-terminal voltages of the unit cells. The first control device includes a balancing switch connected between the voltage detection line connected to the positive electrode of each unit cell and the voltage detection line connected to the negative electrode thereof for conducting balancing discharge of the unit cell, for each of the unit cells. A first resistor is disposed in series with each of the voltage detection lines, a first capacitor is connected between the voltage detection line, and a GND which is a lowest-level potential of the cell group.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 2011Publication date: June 5, 2014Applicant: Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd.Inventors: Tatsumi Yamauchi, Akihiro Machida, Akihiko Kudo, Akihiko Emori, Mutsumi Kikuchi
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Patent number: 8736229Abstract: A battery control circuit includes a voltage detection circuit for measuring voltages of electric cells, balancing circuits for balancing the voltages or SOCs of the electric cells, a signal input/output circuit for communicating with the outside, a power supply circuit having two modes: a normal mode and a low consumption mode, and a time management circuit. It receives a signal containing a period of time until the shift of the power supply circuit from the normal mode to the low consumption mode, and stores it in the time management circuit. If a command from the outside has not been sent for a predetermined period of time or when an operation stop command has been sent from the outside, the time management circuit causes the power supply circuit to continuously operate in the normal mode.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2011Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd.Inventors: Youhei Kawahara, Ryouhei Nakao, Akihiko Kudo, Akihiko Emori, Kei Sakabe
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Patent number: 8723527Abstract: A battery monitoring system, comprises a battery state detection circuit that detects battery states of a plurality of battery cells that are connected in series, based on respective cell voltages of the plurality of battery cells, and a control circuit that monitors state of a battery cell, based on each cell voltage of the plurality of battery cells. The control circuit inputs pseudo voltage information to the battery state detection circuit, and thereby diagnoses whether or not the battery state detection circuit is operating normally.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2010Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd.Inventors: Akihiko Kudo, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Gosuke Shibahara, Akihiko Emori, Yasuo Uemura, Tatsumi Yamauchi, Kenji Kubo, Masahito Sonehara, Masahiko Amano, Yoshinori Aoshima
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Publication number: 20140088823Abstract: A battery system for vehicle comprises a battery unit that is constituted with a plurality of serially connected cell groups each include a plurality of serially connected battery cells, integrated circuits that are each disposed in correspondence to one of the cell groups of the battery unit and each measure terminal voltages at the battery cells in the corresponding cell group, and a signal transmission path through which one of the integrated circuits is connected to another one of the integrated circuits or to a circuit other than that of the integrated circuits.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2013Publication date: March 27, 2014Applicants: Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd., Hitachi, LtdInventors: Kenji KUBO, Akihiko KUDO, Mutsumi KIKUCHI, Akihiko EMORI
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Publication number: 20140042973Abstract: An electric storage device includes an assembled battery including a plurality of electric cells connected in series; an assembled battery control unit that estimates internal resistances of the plurality of electric cells, or a magnitude relationship of the internal resistances of the plurality of electric cells; an assembled battery control unit that calculates such a discharge quantity that an SOC after the electric cells have been discharged becomes lower as the internal resistance of the electric cells, which is estimated by the assembled battery control unit, is larger, or as the magnitude relationship of the internal resistances of the electric cells is estimated to be larger by the assembled battery control unit, for each of the electric cells; and electric cell control units that discharge each of the plurality of electric cells on the basis of the discharge quantity calculated by the assembled battery control unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2011Publication date: February 13, 2014Applicant: HITACHI VEHICLE ENERGY, LTD.Inventors: Youhei Kawahara, Ryouhei Nakao, Akihiko Kudo, Akihiko Emori, Keiichiro Okawa, Yoshinori Aoshima
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Patent number: 8649935Abstract: A battery system for vehicle comprises a battery unit that is constituted with a plurality of serially connected cell groups each include a plurality of serially connected battery cells, integrated circuits that are each disposed in correspondence to one of the cell groups of the battery unit and each measure terminal voltages at the battery cells in the corresponding cell group, and a signal transmission path through which one of the integrated circuits is connected to another one of the integrated circuits or to a circuit other than that of the integrated circuits.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2013Date of Patent: February 11, 2014Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Kubo, Akihiko Kudo, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Akihiko Emori
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Publication number: 20130214740Abstract: A multi-series battery control system comprises a plurality of unit battery cell of which unit consists of multiple battery cells connected in series; a plurality of control IC comprising a control circuit for controlling the unit battery cell; a main controller that sends and receives signal to/from the control ICs via an insulation; means for sending an abnormality signal, which represents the existence or the absence of abnormality of the control ICs or the battery cells, to the main controller from the control ICs, responding to the first signal outputted from the main controller via the insulation; and means for searching contents of the abnormality in the control ICs or the battery cells and sending the abnormality contents signal based on the search, to the main controller from the control ICs, responding to the second signal outputted from the main controller via the insulation.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2012Publication date: August 22, 2013Applicant: Shin-Kobe Electric Machinery Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akihiko EMORI, Shigeyuki YOSHIHARA, Kazuyoshi SASAZAWA, Tatsuo HORIBA, Akihiko KUDO
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Publication number: 20130207609Abstract: A multi-series battery control system comprises a plurality of unit battery cell of which unit consists of multiple battery cells connected in series; a plurality of control IC comprising a control circuit for controlling the unit battery cell; a main controller that sends and receives signal to/from the control ICs via an insulation; means for sending an abnormality signal, which represents the existence or the absence of abnormality of the control ICs or the battery cells, to the main controller from the control ICs, responding to the first signal outputted from the main controller via the insulation; and means for searching contents of the abnormality in the control ICs or the battery cells and sending the abnormality contents signal based on the search, to the main controller from the control ICs, responding to the second signal outputted from the main controller via the insulation.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 26, 2012Publication date: August 15, 2013Applicant: Shin-Kobe Electric Machinery Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akihiko EMORI, Shigeyuki YOSHIHARA, Kazuyoshi SASAZAWA, Tatsuo HORIBA, Akihiko KUDO
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Patent number: 8487590Abstract: A cell controller capable of ensuring high safety even when a short occurs among voltage detecting lines without causing increased costs is provided. The cell controller 10 includes a unit cell voltage detecting section 7 to detect a voltage of each unit cell 1 constituting a battery group through each voltage detecting line and a SOC adjusting circuit for adjusting a SOC of each unit cell 1 having resistors 2 for SOC adjustment, switching elements 6, and a bypass control section 8 to exercise on/off control on the switching elements 6. Each resistor 2 is connected in series to each voltage detecting line and the unit cell voltage detecting section 7 to detect a voltage of each unit cell 1 through each of the resistors 2.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2008Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: Hitachi Vehicle Energy, LtdInventors: Akihiko Kudo, Masaki Nagaoka, Kenichiro Tsuru, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Tatsumi Yamauchi, Akihiko Emori
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Patent number: 8466708Abstract: A state detection device for power supply system comprises: a measurement unit that obtains current, voltage, and temperature at a chargeable and dischargeable power storage unit as measurement values; a storage unit that stores property information of the power storage unit; an arithmetic unit that uses different methods to calculate first and second states of charge for the power storage unit based upon the measurement values and the property information; a conflict detection unit that detects a conflict in an event that a difference between the first state of charge and the second state of charge is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold; and a correction unit that corrects the property information during charging or discharging of the power storage unit in response to the conflict having been detected by the conflict detection unit.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2010Date of Patent: June 18, 2013Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Vehicle Energy, LtdInventors: Youhei Kawahara, Yoshinori Aoshima, Kenichiro Tsuru, Akihiko Kudo, Akihiko Emori, Tatsumi Yamauchi
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Publication number: 20130119936Abstract: A multi-series battery control system comprises a plurality of unit battery cell of which unit consists of multiple battery cells connected in series; a plurality of control IC comprising a control circuit for controlling the unit battery cell; a main controller that sends and receives signal to/from the control ICs via an insulation; means for sending an abnormality signal, which represents the existence or the absence of abnormality of the control ICs or the battery cells, to the main controller from the control ICs, responding to the first signal outputted from the main controller via the insulation; and means for searching contents of the abnormality in the control ICs or the battery cells and sending the abnormality contents signal based on the search, to the main controller from the control ICs, responding to the second signal outputted from the main controller via the insulation.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 26, 2012Publication date: May 16, 2013Applicant: Shin-Kobe Electric Machinery Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akihiko EMORI, Shigeyuki YOSHIHARA, Kazuyoshi SASAZAWA, Tatsuo HORIBA, Akihiko KUDO
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Publication number: 20130106356Abstract: In a battery device including a battery pack in which a plurality of cells are connected in series, there are provided a battery control circuit or a battery device capable of eliminating a fluctuation in the voltage or charged state which can occur between the cells, or preventing the cells from being maintained in an over-charged state for a long period. A plurality of cell groups each including a plurality of cells are connected in series to form a battery pack. Cell controller is provided to the respective cell groups operate with electricity supplied from the cell groups allocated thereto so as to monitor and control the state of the cells of the cell group. Battery pack controller controls the cell controller based on information from the plurality of cell controller.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2011Publication date: May 2, 2013Applicant: Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd.Inventors: Ryouhei Nakao, Youhei Kawahara, Akihiko Kudou, Akihiko Emori, Kei Sakabe
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Patent number: 8426047Abstract: A multi-series battery control system comprises battery cell groups each having a plurality of serially connected battery cells, a plurality of integrated circuits each disposed in correspondence to one of the battery cell groups and a battery control device that exchanges signals with the individual integrated circuits. Each integrated circuit includes an address setting means that receives a message unique to the integrated circuit, different from messages sent to other integrated circuits, from the battery control device, writes over an initialized address of the integrated circuit with the message and alters the message to a message with which an initialized address of another integrated circuit cannot be overwritten in a step assigned with an ordinal number matching the position of the integrated circuit with regard to the connection order.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2008Date of Patent: April 23, 2013Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd.Inventors: Akihiko Emori, Youhei Kawahara, Kei Sakabe, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Tatsumi Yamauchi, Akihiko Kudo
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Publication number: 20130088201Abstract: A battery pack includes a plurality of battery units mutually connected in parallel, each including a cell group in which one or two or more secondary cells are connected in series, and a first current control element that is connected in series with this cell group, a first control means that controls the charging/discharging current for each battery unit by controlling the operation of the first current control element included in each of the battery unit; a voltage measurement means that measures the voltage of the cell group or cells included in each of the battery unit, and a diagnosis means that diagnoses a deterioration level or a fault of each battery unit on the basis of the voltage of the cell group or cells measured by the voltage measurement means.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 23, 2010Publication date: April 11, 2013Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.Inventors: Hiroshi Iwasawa, Akihiko Emori, Yutaka Kobayashi, Ko Takahashi, Akihiko Kanouda
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Patent number: 8401728Abstract: A battery system for vehicle comprises a battery unit that is constituted with a plurality of serially connected cell groups each include a plurality of serially connected battery cells, integrated circuits that are each disposed in correspondence to one of the cell groups of the battery unit and each measure terminal voltages at the battery cells in the corresponding cell group, and a signal transmission path through which one of the integrated circuits is connected to another one of the integrated circuits or to a circuit other than that of the integrated circuits.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2012Date of Patent: March 19, 2013Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Kubo, Akihiko Kudo, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Akihiko Emori
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Publication number: 20130018610Abstract: A secondary battery module includes a battery information storage unit for storing electric characteristic information and usage history information of the secondary battery module. A battery information management device and a terminal device respectively include interfaces to be connected to the secondary battery module. The battery information management device is provided with a battery information database. The battery information management device is connected to the terminal device through a communications network. In this way, battery information stored in the battery information storage unit, which is acquired by the battery information management device and the terminal device, is accumulated in the battery information database. Moreover, the battery information management device grades the secondary battery module for reuse based on the battery information and a predetermined threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2012Publication date: January 17, 2013Inventors: Shuko YAMAUCHI, Youhei Kawahara, Akihiko Emori
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Patent number: 8339099Abstract: A multi-series battery control system comprises a plurality of unit battery cell of which unit consists of multiple battery cells connected in series; a plurality of control IC comprising a control circuit for controlling the unit battery cell; a main controller that sends and receives signal to/from the control ICs via an insulation; means for sending an abnormality signal, which represents the existence or the absence of abnormality of the control ICs or the battery cells, to the main controller from the control ICs, responding to the first signal outputted from the main controller via the insulation; and means for searching contents of the abnormality in the control ICs or the battery cells and sending the abnormality contents signal based on the search, to the main controller from the control ICs, responding to the second signal outputted from the main controller via the insulation.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2009Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: Shin-Kobe Electric Machinery Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akihiko Emori, Shigeyuki Yoshihara, Kazuyoshi Sasazawa, Tatsuo Horiba, Akihiko Kudo
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Publication number: 20120286734Abstract: Lower order control devices control plural battery cells configuring plural battery modules. An input terminal of the low order control device in the highest potential, an output terminal of the low order control device in the lowest potential, and a high order control device are connected by isolating units, photocouplers. Diodes which prevent a discharge current of the battery cells in the battery modules are disposed between the output terminal of the low order control device and the battery cells in the battery module on the low potential side. Terminals related to input/output of a signal are electrically connected without isolating among the plural low order control devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 25, 2012Publication date: November 15, 2012Inventors: Hideki Miyazaki, Akihiko Emori, Akihiko Kudo, Tsuyoshi Kai
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Patent number: 8299757Abstract: A secondary battery module includes a battery information storage unit for storing electric characteristic information and usage history information of the secondary battery module. A battery information management device and a terminal device respectively include interfaces to be connected to the secondary battery module. The battery information management device is provided with a battery information database. The battery information management device is connected to the terminal device through a communications network. In this way, battery information stored in the battery information storage unit, which is acquired by the battery information management device and the terminal device, is accumulated in the battery information database. Moreover, the battery information management device grades the secondary battery module for reuse based on the battery information and a predetermined threshold.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2010Date of Patent: October 30, 2012Assignee: Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd.Inventors: Shuko Yamauchi, Youhei Kawahara, Akihiko Emori
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Publication number: 20120256569Abstract: In a memory, the surface temperature and the internal resistance of an assembled battery detected under the condition where a difference between the surface and the internal temperature is within a predetermined value are stored, and an internal temperature diagnosis unit that diagnoses whether or not the internal temperature estimated by an internal temperature estimation unit is correct, detects the internal resistance with an internal resistance calculation unit when the internal temperature estimation unit estimates the internal temperature, searches for an internal resistance corresponding to the surface temperature equal to the estimated internal temperature value from among the stored internal resistances, and diagnoses the estimated internal temperature value based upon the result of comparison of a search result of the internal resistance and the internal resistance detected during internal temperature estimation.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2009Publication date: October 11, 2012Inventors: Youhei Kawahara, Akihiko Emori, Akihiko Kudo, Atsuo Suga, Masato Isogai, Kenji Kubo