Patents by Inventor Harumi Murochi
Harumi Murochi 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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Patent number: 8649988Abstract: An estimation unit that estimates an estimated remaining service life of the lead storage battery implements: a storage step of storing an integral discharge threshold A that is a reference for determination of a service life of the lead storage battery under a standard condition with predetermined values of a surface temperature, a charge current, and a discharge current of the lead storage battery; a calculation step of calculating an integral discharged capacity B that represents an accumulated value of a discharged capacity of the lead storage battery under the actual conditions such as giving deterioration that same order as that occurring when the lead storage battery is repeatedly discharged under the standard conditions; a subtraction step of obtaining a differential electric quantity A?B by subtracting the integral discharged capacity B from the integral discharge threshold A; and an estimation step of estimating the estimated remaining service life of the lead storage battery by using the differentiType: GrantFiled: July 1, 2009Date of Patent: February 11, 2014Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Harumi Murochi, Yasuyuki Yoshihara
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Patent number: 8432135Abstract: An object of this invention is to simultaneously resolve a decline in capacity due to undercharging of, and degradation due to overcharging of, a lead-acid battery, which occur as a result of random charging. A method of controlling a lead-acid battery of this invention is characterized in that a first region extending until an accumulated discharged capacity D1 at which a theoretical discharged capacity is the maximum value Dmax is reached, and a subsequent second region in which the accumulated discharged capacity D1 is exceeded, are set, and in that a value R1 obtained by dividing an accumulated charged capacity C1 by the accumulated discharged capacity D1 in the first region is made to be larger than a value R2 obtained by dividing an accumulated charged capacity C2 by an accumulated discharged capacity D2 in the second region.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2009Date of Patent: April 30, 2013Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Tomoya Kikuchi, Harumi Murochi, Yasuyuki Yoshihara
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Patent number: 8421406Abstract: A charge control circuit includes a first acquisition unit that acquires a total discharge electric quantity of a lead storage battery, the total discharge electric quantity being separated into a first discharge electric quantity which is a discharge electric quantity of a discharge current having a current value of less than a predetermined level, and a second discharge electric quantity which is a discharge electric quantity of a discharge current having a current value of not less than the predetermined level, a computing unit that obtains a first and second charge electric quantities corresponding to the first and second discharge electric quantities respectively, and a charge electric quantity required for charging the lead storage battery as a sum of the obtained first and second charge electric quantities, and a charge control unit that controls a charge of the lead storage battery based on the charge electric quantity.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2011Date of Patent: April 16, 2013Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Harumi Murochi, Yasuyuki Yoshihara, Tomoya Kikuchi, Kazuyuki Shimada
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Patent number: 8344698Abstract: Disclosed is a charging control method including: a full charging step of charging a lead storage battery until the battery is fully charged; a refresh charging step of performing refresh charging of charging the lead storage battery with a predetermined refresh charging quantity of electricity after the lead storage battery has been fully charged; and a refresh charging quantity setting step of setting the refresh charging quantity of electricity in the refresh charging step for the lead storage battery which has been fully charged at a present time, depending on a temperature of the lead storage battery throughout a deficient charging period, the deficient charging period being a period from a time when the lead storage battery has been fully charged at a previous time to a time when the lead storage battery has been fully charged at the present time in the full charging step.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2012Date of Patent: January 1, 2013Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Tomoya Kikuchi, Harumi Murochi, Yasuyuki Yoshihara, Kazuyuki Shimada
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Publication number: 20120293114Abstract: A charge control circuit includes a first acquisition unit that acquires a total discharge electric quantity of a lead storage battery, the total discharge electric quantity being separated into a first discharge electric quantity which is a discharge electric quantity of a discharge current having a current value of less than a predetermined level, and a second discharge electric quantity which is a discharge electric quantity of a discharge current having a current value of not less than the predetermined level, a computing unit that obtains a first and second charge electric quantities corresponding to the first and second discharge electric quantities respectively, and a charge electric quantity required for charging the lead storage battery as a sum of the obtained first and second charge electric quantities, and a charge control unit that controls a charge of the lead storage battery based on the charge electric quantity.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2011Publication date: November 22, 2012Inventors: Harumi Murochi, Yasuyuki Yoshihara, Tomoya Kikuchi, Kazuyuki Shimada
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Patent number: 8288995Abstract: The present invention provides a battery charging system that includes: an assembled battery, in which a plurality of secondary batteries are connected in parallel using valve-regulated lead-acid batteries in which separators impregnated with electrolyte are arranged between mutually opposed plate-like positive electrodes and negative electrodes; and a plurality of charging units that are provided corresponding to the respective secondary batteries and that charge the corresponding secondary battery, respectively, wherein each of the charging units executes multistage constant-current charging in which constant-current charging is repeated a preset plurality of times for supplying current of a prescribed set current value to each corresponding secondary battery until the terminal voltage of the each corresponding secondary battery reaches a prescribed charging cutoff voltage, and also the set current value is reduced each time the constant-current charging is repeated.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2009Date of Patent: October 16, 2012Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Jimbo, Harumi Murochi, Tomoya Kikuchi, Yasuyuki Yoshihara
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Publication number: 20120161719Abstract: Disclosed is a charging control method including: a full charging step of charging a lead storage battery until the battery is fully charged; a refresh charging step of performing refresh charging of charging the lead storage battery with a predetermined refresh charging quantity of electricity after the lead storage battery has been fully charged; and a refresh charging quantity setting step of setting the refresh charging quantity of electricity in the refresh charging step for the lead storage battery which has been fully charged at a present time, depending on a temperature of the lead storage battery throughout a deficient charging period, the deficient charging period being a period from a time when the lead storage battery has been fully charged at a previous time to a time when the lead storage battery has been fully charged at the present time in the full charging step.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2012Publication date: June 28, 2012Applicant: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Tomoya Kikuchi, Harumi Murochi, Yasuyuki Yoshihara, Kazuyuki Shimada
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Patent number: 8148938Abstract: Disclosed is a charging control method including: a full charging step of charging a lead storage battery until the battery is fully charged; a refresh charging step of performing refresh charging of charging the lead storage battery with a predetermined refresh charging quantity of electricity after the lead storage battery has been fully charged; and a refresh charging quantity setting step of setting the refresh charging quantity of electricity in the refresh charging step for the lead storage battery which has been fully charged at a present time, depending on a temperature of the lead storage battery throughout a deficient charging period, the deficient charging period being a period from a time when the lead storage battery has been fully charged at a previous time to a time when the lead storage battery has been fully charged at the present time in the full charging step.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2010Date of Patent: April 3, 2012Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Tomoya Kikuchi, Harumi Murochi, Yasuyuki Yoshihara, Kazuyuki Shimada
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Publication number: 20110285357Abstract: Disclosed is a charging control method including: a full charging step of charging a lead storage battery until the battery is fully charged; a refresh charging step of performing refresh charging of charging the lead storage battery with a predetermined refresh charging quantity of electricity after the lead storage battery has been fully charged; and a refresh charging quantity setting step of setting the refresh charging quantity of electricity in the refresh charging step for the lead storage battery which has been fully charged at a present time, depending on a temperature of the lead storage battery throughout a deficient charging period, the deficient charging period being a period from a time when the lead storage battery has been fully charged at a previous time to a time when the lead storage battery has been fully charged at the present time in the full charging step.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 27, 2010Publication date: November 24, 2011Inventors: Tomoya Kikuchi, Harumi Murochi, Yasuyuki Yoshihara, Kazuyuki Shimada
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Publication number: 20110057619Abstract: An object of this invention is to simultaneously resolve a decline in capacity due to undercharging of, and degradation due to overcharging of, a lead-acid battery, which occur as a result of random charging. A method of controlling a lead-acid battery of this invention is characterized in that a first region extending until an accumulated discharged capacity D1 at which a theoretical discharged capacity is the maximum value Dmax is reached, and a subsequent second region in which the accumulated discharged capacity D1 is exceeded, are set, and in that a value R1 obtained by dividing an accumulated charged capacity C1 by the accumulated discharged capacity D1 in the first region is made to be larger than a value R2 obtained by dividing an accumulated charged capacity C2 by an accumulated discharged capacity D2 in the second region.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2009Publication date: March 10, 2011Inventors: Tomoya Kikuchi, Harumi Murochi, Yasuyuki Yoshihara
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Publication number: 20110004428Abstract: An estimation unit that estimates an estimated remaining service life of the lead storage battery implements: a storage step of storing an integral discharge threshold A that is a reference for determination of a service life of the lead storage battery under a standard condition with predetermined values of a surface temperature, a charge current, and a discharge current of the lead storage battery; a calculation step of calculating an integral discharged capacity B that represents an accumulated value of a discharged capacity of the lead storage battery under the actual conditions such as giving deterioration that same order as that occurring when the lead storage battery is repeatedly discharged under the standard conditions; a subtraction step of obtaining a differential electric quantity A?B by subtracting the integral discharged capacity B from the integral discharge threshold A; and an estimation step of estimating the estimated remaining service life of the lead storage battery by using the differentiType: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2009Publication date: January 6, 2011Inventors: Harumi Murochi, Yasuyuki Yoshihara
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Publication number: 20100327810Abstract: The present invention provides a battery charging system that includes: an assembled battery, in which a plurality of secondary batteries are connected in parallel using valve-regulated lead-acid batteries in which separators impregnated with electrolyte are arranged between mutually opposed plate-like positive electrodes and negative electrodes; and a plurality of charging units that are provided corresponding to the respective secondary batteries and that charge the corresponding secondary battery, respectively, wherein each of the charging units executes multistage constant-current charging in which constant-current charging is repeated a preset plurality of times for supplying current of a prescribed set current value to each corresponding secondary battery until the terminal voltage of the each corresponding secondary battery reaches a prescribed charging cutoff voltage, and also the set current value is reduced each time the constant-current charging is repeated.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2009Publication date: December 30, 2010Inventors: Hiroyuki Jimbo, Harumi Murochi, Tomoya Kikuchi, Yasuyuki Yoshihara
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Patent number: 6275006Abstract: A method for charging a secondary battery by measuring the static/open circuit voltage and comparing it to a predetermined value includes: a first step of precharging the secondary battery; thereafter pausing a predetermined interval; a step of measuring a secondary battery voltage Vba1 after performing the pausing; and a step of charging the secondary battery based on the measurement of the secondary battery voltage Vba1.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 1999Date of Patent: August 14, 2001Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kiichi Koike, Harumi Murochi, Masahito Ishiwata, Hiroyuki Jimbo, Norio Saito
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Patent number: RE40223Abstract: A method for charging a secondary battery by measuring the static/open circuit voltage and comparing it to a predetermined value includes: a first step of precharging the secondary battery; thereafter pausing a predetermined interval; a step of measuring a secondary battery voltage Vba1 after performing the pausing; and a step of charging the secondary battery based on the measurement of the secondary battery voltage Vba1.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2003Date of Patent: April 8, 2008Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kiichi Koike, Harumi Murochi, Masahito Ishiwata, Hiroyuki Jimbo, Norio Saito