Patents by Inventor Akinori Kita

Akinori Kita 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: 11942817
    Abstract: A power supply circuit includes PCU switches provided in respective positive wires of a first power source conduction path and a second power source conduction path which connect a first generator respectively to a first power transmission bus and a second power transmission bus, and further includes power transmission bus switches provided in respective negative wires of a first load conduction path and a second load conduction path which connect respectively the first power transmission bus and the second power transmission bus to a first load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Sadao Shinohara, Akinori Kita
  • Patent number: 11909253
    Abstract: A power supply circuit supplies power from a first battery to a first load. The first load includes a capacitor that needs to be charged before activation. The power supply circuit includes: a main circuit that supplies power from the first battery to the first load; and a backup circuit having a precharge circuit for charging the capacitor and that supplies power from the first battery to the first load. When charging the capacitor, power is supplied from the first battery to the first load by using the backup circuit. After charging of the capacitor is completed, power is supplied from the first battery to the first load by using the main circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Akinori Kita, Sadao Shinohara
  • Publication number: 20240034477
    Abstract: In an aircraft that flies utilizing power generated by an engine or power charged in a battery, a temperature control system includes a battery that stores power for starting the engine and flying, a temperature adjusting apparatus for warming or cooling the battery by each of at least the power charged in the battery and power feeding from an external power source, and a control section for detecting presence or absence of the power feeding, and if the power feeding is present, controlling the apparatus to warm or cool the battery using the power feeding, and if the power feeding is absent, controlling the apparatus to warm or cool the battery using charged power of the battery. Even if the power feeding has been lost, it is possible to maintain a temperature and a state of charge of the battery enabling the engine to start and fly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventors: Masashi ETO, Akinori KITA, Shinji HOSHINO, Koji HOSONO
  • Patent number: 11855467
    Abstract: A power supply circuit includes a load cable connecting a first battery and a first load; a load cable connecting a second battery and a second load; a transistor provided between a first generator and the load cable; and a transistor provided between the first generator and the load cable, wherein the transistors are turned OFF in a case where power is to be supplied from the first generator to the first load and second load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Sadao Shinohara, Akinori Kita
  • Publication number: 20230339619
    Abstract: An electric power system of a moving object includes: a low-voltage device that operates with low-voltage power; a high-voltage device that operates with high-voltage power; a power supply port to which a connector of an external power source is connected; and a transformer capable of transforming electric power supplied from the external power source via the power supply port and supplying the transformed electric power to the low-voltage device or the high-voltage device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Koji Hosono, Akinori Kita, Masashi Eto
  • Patent number: 11795834
    Abstract: An aircraft propulsion system includes a gas turbine engine; a generator; a storage battery; a motor which drives a rotor, using at least one of the electric power which is output from the generator and the electric power which is output from the storage battery; a detection unit which detects the number of revolutions of the engine shaft; an engine control unit which controls at least a fuel flow rate of the gas turbine engine; and a generator control unit which controls the operation of the generator. When the number of revolutions satisfies a predetermined condition, at least the generator control unit executes a control for reducing a sudden change in the number of revolutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Matsumoto, Akinori Kita
  • Publication number: 20230312118
    Abstract: When a first generator is stopped, an electric motor control section reduces the output power of a VTOL electric motor and a cruise electric motor that operate with electric power supplied from the first generator, and increases the output power of a VTOL electric motor and a cruise electric motor that operate with electric power supplied from a second generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Akinori Kita, Yoshifumi Yamamoto, Minato Nakano
  • Patent number: 11745889
    Abstract: An aircraft propulsion system capable of improving the restartability of an engine is provided. An aircraft propulsion system includes: a plurality of engines (60-1 and 60-2); an electric generator connected to engine shafts (63-1 and 63-2); a plurality of electric motors; a plurality of rotors; and a controller (100) which controls an operation state of the plurality of engines (60-1 and 60-2). The controller (100) causes a part of the plurality of engines (60-1 and 60-2) to operate while stopping the remaining engine when a flight state is in a first state. The plurality of engines (60-1 and 60-2) include circulators (65-1 and 65-2). A plurality of communication pipes (68 and 69) which communicate the circulator (65-1) in the first engine (60-1) among the plurality of engines (60-1 and 60-2) with the circulator (65-2) in the second engine (60-2) are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akinori Kita, Takeshi Matsumoto, Daiko Tsutsumi
  • Patent number: 11716019
    Abstract: A power supply circuit sets a precharge current flowing through a first load device and a precharge current flowing through a second load device during charging to a first allowable current or less, thereafter sets the precharge current flowing through the first load device to the first allowable current or less, sets the precharge current flowing through the second load device to the second allowable current or less, and sets a maximum value of the precharge current flowing through the second load device to be larger than the first allowable current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Sadao Shinohara, Akinori Kita
  • Publication number: 20230099869
    Abstract: The propulsion system have a load change detecting unit detecting a load change and an operating point control unit controlling power operating points defined using a torque T and a rotation number Ne. The operating point control unit calculates target power operating points 44 and 54 corresponding to the load after change for first power operating points 41 and 51 that are current power operating points in a case in which a change in the load is detected by the load change detecting unit. By changing the fuel flow in a range not exceeding a predetermined fuel line, the operating point control unit moves the power operating points from first power operating points 41 and 51 to second power operating points 42 and 52, third power operating points 43 and 53, and target power operating points 44 and 54 in order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Akinori Kita, Takeshi Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20230076465
    Abstract: A load fluctuation detection unit that detects a load fluctuation of an aircraft, and an operating point control unit that controls a power operating point defined by a torque and rotation speed based on a flight state. The operating point control unit sets a target power operating point (62) for coping with a load with respect to an initial power operating point (61) in an operating point map (40) when the load has fluctuated. The operating point control unit moves the power operating point from the initial power operating point (61) on a first operating line (41) to the target power operating point (62) on a second operating line (42), to a return power operating point (63) on the first operating line (41) while keeping a torque T constant, and then to the initial power operating point (61) along the first operating line (41).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Akinori Kita, Takeshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 11591099
    Abstract: Technology for operating an engine smoothly is provided. In an aircraft propulsion system, a controller causes at least a first engine among the plurality of engines to be stopped and causes a second engine, which has not been stopped, to be operated when an aircraft is flying in a prescribed flight mode and causes the first engine to be operated and causes the second engine to be stopped when a detector detects that the temperature related to the first engine is less than or equal to a first prescribed temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akinori Kita, Takeshi Matsumoto, Daiko Tsutsumi
  • Publication number: 20220315214
    Abstract: A power supply system includes a rotor for generating at least one of lift or thrust of an aircraft, a component group formed of a plurality of electrical components for rotating the rotor, and a battery for supplying power to the component group. The rotor includes a VTOL rotor and a cruise rotor, and the component group includes a VTOL component group and a cruise component group. The VTOL component group and the cruise component group are supplied with power from the same battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Akinori Kita, Daiko Tsutsumi
  • Publication number: 20220306307
    Abstract: A hybrid aircraft that flies by using a plurality of rotors (takeoff and landing rotors and cruise rotors) includes a generator, a battery charged with power generated by the generator, a plurality of electric motors that rotate the respective rotors by the power generated by the generator and power supplied from the battery, and a controller that sets a target remaining capacity of the battery according to a flight state of the aircraft and controls charging and discharging of the battery so that the remaining capacity of the battery approaches the target remaining capacity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Daiko Tsutsumi, Akinori Kita, Takeshi Matsumoto, Yuya Ishihara
  • Publication number: 20220311334
    Abstract: A power supply circuit sets a precharge current flowing through a first load device and a precharge current flowing through a second load device during charging to a first allowable current or less, thereafter sets the precharge current flowing through the first load device to the first allowable current or less, sets the precharge current flowing through the second load device to the second allowable current or less, and sets a maximum value of the precharge current flowing through the second load device to be larger than the first allowable current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Sadao Shinohara, Akinori Kita
  • Publication number: 20220290606
    Abstract: An aircraft propulsion system includes a gas turbine engine; a generator; a storage battery; a motor which drives a rotor, using at least one of the electric power which is output from the generator and the electric power which is output from the storage battery; a detection unit which detects the number of revolutions of the engine shaft; an engine control unit which controls at least a fuel flow rate of the gas turbine engine; and a generator control unit which controls the operation of the generator. When the number of revolutions satisfies a predetermined condition, at least the generator control unit executes a control for reducing a sudden change in the number of revolutions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Takeshi Matsumoto, Akinori Kita
  • Publication number: 20220289395
    Abstract: In a propulsion system for an aircraft, when a flight state of the aircraft is a first state in which the aircraft is cruising, power is supplied to an electric motor from only a high-capacity storage battery. When the flight state of the aircraft is a second state in which the aircraft is taking off or landing, power is supplied to the electric motor from only an output type storage battery when a charge amount of the output type storage battery is equal to or greater than a first threshold, and power is supplied to the electric motor from the output type storage battery and the high-capacity storage battery when the charge amount of the output type storage battery is smaller than the first threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Takeshi Matsumoto, Akinori Kita
  • Publication number: 20220285964
    Abstract: A power supply circuit includes a load cable connecting a first battery and a first load; a load cable connecting a second battery and a second load; a transistor provided between a first generator and the load cable; and a transistor provided between the first generator and the load cable, wherein the transistors are turned OFF in a case where power is to be supplied from the first generator to the first load and second load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Sadao Shinohara, Akinori Kita
  • Publication number: 20220271560
    Abstract: A power supply circuit includes PCU switches provided in respective positive wires of a first power source conduction path and a second power source conduction path which connect a first generator respectively to a first power transmission bus and a second power transmission bus, and further includes power transmission bus switches provided in respective negative wires of a first load conduction path and a second load conduction path which connect respectively the first power transmission bus and the second power transmission bus to a first load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Sadao Shinohara, Akinori Kita
  • Publication number: 20220263337
    Abstract: A power supply circuit supplies power from a first battery to a first load. The first load includes a capacitor that needs to be charged before activation. The power supply circuit includes: a main circuit that supplies power from the first battery to the first load; and a backup circuit having a precharge circuit for charging the capacitor and that supplies power from the first battery to the first load. When charging the capacitor, power is supplied from the first battery to the first load by using the backup circuit. After charging of the capacitor is completed, power is supplied from the first battery to the first load by using the main circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Akinori Kita, Sadao Shinohara