Patents by Inventor Hiroyuki Jimbo

Hiroyuki Jimbo 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: 10481212
    Abstract: A secondary battery status estimation device includes a sensor unit configured to detect a terminal voltage of a secondary battery, and an internal resistance calculator configured to calculate a direct current internal resistance of the secondary battery based on the terminal voltage and the charge-discharge current detected by the sensor unit. The internal resistance calculator calculates a direct current internal resistance based on the terminal voltage and the charge-discharge current detected by the sensor unit, in a stable period that is before starting a driving source for driving a vehicle and in which the terminal voltage and the charge-discharge current of the secondary battery fall within a predetermined fluctuation range, and in a high-current output period in which electric power for starting the driving source is output from the secondary battery and the terminal voltage of the secondary battery is brought to substantially minimum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuma Iida, Takeshi Chiba, Shunsuke Nitta, Kazuhiro Sugie, Hiroyuki Jimbo
  • Patent number: 10377239
    Abstract: A sensor of a status determination device detects a magnitude of a terminal voltage of an auxiliary battery provided separately from a driving battery and a magnitude of a current flowing through the auxiliary battery. The driving battery is an electrical power source for a driving motor of a vehicle, and the auxiliary battery is an electrical power source for auxiliary equipment and has an output voltage lower than that of the driving battery. An internal resistance calculator calculates an internal resistance of the auxiliary battery based on the magnitude of the terminal voltage and the magnitude of the current detected by the sensor in a stable period that is before the auxiliary equipment is started and in which the magnitude of the terminal voltage and the magnitude of the current fall within predetermined fluctuation ranges, and those detected in a period after starting of the auxiliary equipment is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takuma Iida, Hiroyuki Jimbo, Takeshi Chiba, Shunsuke Nitta, Kazuhiro Sugie
  • Patent number: 10162014
    Abstract: A battery state determining device includes a voltage measuring part, a remaining capacity estimating part, an internal resistance measuring part, a calculating part, and an estimating part. The voltage measuring part measures an open-circuit voltage of a storage battery. Based on the measured open-circuit voltage, the remaining capacity estimating part estimates a remaining capacity of the storage battery. The internal resistance measuring part measures an internal resistance in the storage battery. Based on the measured internal resistance, the calculating part calculates a degradation rate of the internal resistance. Based on the estimated remaining capacity and the calculated degradation rate of the internal resistance, the estimating part performs first estimation on a degradation state of the storage battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takuma Iida, Hiroyuki Jimbo, Kazuhiro Sugie
  • Patent number: 10145899
    Abstract: A battery class determination device includes a detector for sensing a terminal voltage and charge/discharge currents of a lead storage battery, an inner resistance calculator for calculating a direct-current inner resistance of the lead storage battery based on the terminal voltage and the charge or discharge current sensed by the detector, and a class determiner. The inner resistance calculator calculates, at a switchover between a discharge control and a charge control over the lead storage battery, a direct-current inner resistance in a first period before the switchover, and a direct-current inner resistance in a second period after the switchover. The class determiner determines a class of the lead storage battery based on the direct-current inner resistance in the first period and the direct-current inner resistance in the second period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takuma Iida, Hiroyuki Jimbo, Kazuhiro Sugie
  • Publication number: 20180267107
    Abstract: The battery class determination device includes a detector for sensing a terminal voltage and charge/discharge currents of a lead storage battery, an inner resistance calculator for calculating a direct-current inner resistance of the lead storage battery based on the terminal voltage and the charge or discharge current sensed by the detector, and a class determiner. The inner resistance calculator calculates, at a switchover between a discharge control and a charge control over the lead storage battery, a direct-current inner resistance in a first period before the switchover, and a direct-current inner resistance in a second period after the switchover. The class determiner determines a class of the lead storage battery based on the direct-current inner resistance in the first period and the direct-current inner resistance in the second.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: TAKUMA IIDA, HIROYUKI JIMBO, KAZUHIRO SUGIE
  • Publication number: 20180147942
    Abstract: A sensor of a status determination device detects a magnitude of a terminal voltage of an auxiliary battery provided separately from a driving battery and a magnitude of a current flowing through the auxiliary battery. The driving battery is an electrical power source for a driving motor of a vehicle, and the auxiliary battery is an electrical power source for auxiliary equipment and has an output voltage lower than that of the driving battery. An internal resistance calculator calculates an internal resistance of the auxiliary battery based on the magnitude of the terminal voltage and the magnitude of the current detected by the sensor in a stable period that is before the auxiliary equipment is started and in which the magnitude of the terminal voltage and the magnitude of the current fall within predetermined fluctuation ranges, and those detected in a period after starting of the auxiliary equipment is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Inventors: TAKUMA IIDA, HIROYUKI JIMBO, TAKESHI CHIBA, SHUNSUKE NITTA, KAZUHIRO SUGIE
  • Publication number: 20180003774
    Abstract: A secondary battery status estimation device includes a sensor unit configured to detect a terminal voltage of a secondary battery, and an internal resistance calculator configured to calculate a direct current internal resistance of the secondary battery based on the terminal voltage and the charge-discharge current detected by the sensor unit. The internal resistance calculator calculates a direct current internal resistance based on the terminal voltage and the charge-discharge current detected by the sensor unit, in a stable period that is before starting a driving source for driving a vehicle and in which the terminal voltage and the charge-discharge current of the secondary battery fall within a predetermined fluctuation range, and in a high-current output period in which electric power for starting the driving source is output from the secondary battery and the terminal voltage of the secondary battery is brought to substantially minimum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Inventors: TAKUMA IIDA, TAKESHI CHIBA, SHUNSUKE NITTA, KAZUHIRO SUGIE, HIROYUKI JIMBO
  • Publication number: 20170160349
    Abstract: A battery state determining device includes a voltage measuring part, a remaining capacity estimating part, an internal resistance measuring part, a calculating part, and an estimating part. The voltage measuring part measures an open-circuit voltage of a storage battery. Based on the measured open-circuit voltage, the remaining capacity estimating part estimates a remaining capacity of the storage battery. The internal resistance measuring part measures an internal resistance in the storage battery. Based on the measured internal resistance, the calculating part calculates a degradation rate of the internal resistance. Based on the estimated remaining capacity and the calculated degradation rate of the internal resistance, the estimating part performs first estimation on a degradation state of the storage battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Inventors: Takuma IIDA, Hiroyuki JIMBO, Kazuhiro SUGIE
  • Publication number: 20160019807
    Abstract: A risky situation is reproduced in a direct visual field of a driver driving a vehicle with a high sense of reality. A vehicle position and attitude calculation unit calculates a present position and a traveling direction of the vehicle, a driving action detector detects an action performed by the driver driving the vehicle and the condition of the vehicle, a scenario generator generates a content, position, and timing of the risky situation occurring while the driver drives the vehicle, a virtual information generator generates visual virtual information indicating the risky situation, and a superimposing unit superimposes the generated virtual information on the image of the traveling direction of the vehicle shot by an imaging unit Then, an image display unit indicates the image on which the virtual information is superimposed in the direct visual field of the driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Nobuyuki UCHIDA, Takashi TAGAWA, Takashi KOBAYASHI, Kenji SATO, Hiroyuki JIMBO
  • Patent number: 8288995
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Jimbo, Harumi Murochi, Tomoya Kikuchi, Yasuyuki Yoshihara
  • Publication number: 20100327810
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Jimbo, Harumi Murochi, Tomoya Kikuchi, Yasuyuki Yoshihara
  • Patent number: 6583606
    Abstract: A method for charging a lead battery is provided. In the method, a SOC is controlled so as to be less than 100%, and when the lead battery has not been charged and discharged for a predetermined time, refresh charge is performed so that the SOC becomes at least 90% or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiichi Koike, Nobuyuki Takami, Yasuyuki Yoshihara, Hiroyuki Jimbo
  • Publication number: 20020014879
    Abstract: A method for charging a lead battery is provided. In the method, a SOC is controlled so as to be less than 100%, and when the lead battery has not been charged and discharged for a predetermined time, refresh charge is performed so that the SOC becomes at least 90% or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2001
    Publication date: February 7, 2002
    Inventors: Kiichi Koike, Nobuyuki Takami, Yasuyuki Yoshihara, Hiroyuki Jimbo
  • Patent number: 6275006
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiichi Koike, Harumi Murochi, Masahito Ishiwata, Hiroyuki Jimbo, Norio Saito
  • Patent number: RE40223
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiichi Koike, Harumi Murochi, Masahito Ishiwata, Hiroyuki Jimbo, Norio Saito