Patents by Inventor Kenji Sakurai

Kenji Sakurai 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).

  • Publication number: 20120195062
    Abstract: An operation device comprises: a plurality of operation members attached to a common supporting member; and a plurality of inserting components having the same configurations with one another. The operation members include latching apertures for securing the inserting components to the operation members and include a plurality of kinds of structure to be attached to the common supporting member so that opening directions of the latching apertures are different from one another. The inserting components include a plurality of latching projections that protrude outward from a main body, and have configurations that can engage the latching apertures in any one of the operation members. The latching projections protrude from the main body in a plurality of directions corresponding to the opening directions of the latching apertures so that any one of the latching projections can engage the latching aperture in any one of the operation members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2010
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Kosemura, Yasushi Oonishi, Yuusuke Yoshida, Kenji Sakurai
  • Publication number: 20120192549
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine including an NSR catalyst and an SCR, to provide an exhaust purifying system that can limit aggravation of emissions by allowing the SCR to recover effectively from degraded performance caused by poisoning. An exhaust purifying system for an internal combustion engine capable of a lean burn operation includes an NSR catalyst disposed in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine; an SCR disposed downstream of the NSR catalyst; means for detecting sulfur poisoning of the SCR; and means for increasing a bed temperature of the SCR when the poisoning detecting means detects sulfur poisoning of the SCR. The temperature increasing means includes bank control, stoichiometric control, and rich spike control, any one of which is selected for performance according to an operating condition of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2009
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenji Sakurai
  • Publication number: 20120181897
    Abstract: An electrostatic induction generator has a first substrate and a second substrate that can move relative to each other while remaining opposed to each other, an electret provided in the first substrate, and a first electrode and a second electrode provided on a surface side opposed to the electret in the second substrate. A positional relationship between the electret and the first electrode and a positional relationship between the electret and the second electrode change in association with a change of relative positions between the first substrate and the second substrate, whereby an electrostatic capacitance between the electret and the first electrode and an electrostatic capacitance between the electret and the second electrode change to output an electric power. A structure that decreases the electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode is provided between the first electrode and the second electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuakira Masaki, Kenji Sakurai, Toru Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20120169179
    Abstract: On an upper surface of a fixed substrate, a plurality of strap-shaped base electrodes are arranged in parallel to each other. On each of the base electrodes, an electret is formed. The electret has a width wider than the width of each base electrode, and the electret covers an exposed surface of the base electrode. A movable substrate is disposed in parallel to and facing the surface of the fixed substrate where the electrets and others are formed. The movable substrate is movable relatively to the fixed substrate. On a facing surface of the movable substrate, strip-shaped counter electrodes are each formed so as to face each base electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuakira Masaki, Kenji Sakurai, Yuji Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20120085143
    Abstract: A NOX sensor degradation detection system includes: a three-way catalyst disposed in an exhaust passageway of an internal combustion engine; a selective reduction catalyst disposed in the exhaust passageway downstream of the three-way catalyst; a NOX sensor disposed in the exhaust passageway downstream of the selective reduction catalyst; and a controller configured to execute a rich-shift process that is a process for causing air/fuel ratio of exhaust gas that flows into the three-way catalyst to become rich, and to determine that the NOX sensor has degraded on a condition that a measurement value from the NOX sensor does not reach nor exceed a threshold value within a prescribed time that follows start of the rich-shift process. A degradation detection method for use in the system is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Sakurai, Toru Kidokoro
  • Patent number: 8035330
    Abstract: The synchronous motor driving apparatus including position sensors provided in the synchronous motor, a current polarity detection circuit for detecting the polarities of the currents in the respective phase windings of the synchronous motor, an inverter driving the synchronous motor, a motor speed calculation unit calculating the rotational speed of the synchronous motor depending on the output signals from the position sensors, a speed control unit outputting a first voltage adjusting component (q-axis current command value Iq*) to cause the rotational speed of the synchronous motor to approach a speed command value and a phase control unit outputting a second voltage adjusting component (d-axis current command value Id*) to cause the phase differences between the phases of the position sensor signals and of the currents in the respective phase windings of the synchronous motor to become a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Information & Control Solutions, Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Maeda, Tsunehiro Endo, Hidefumi Shirahama, Kenji Sakurai, Hiroyuki Hasegawa, Mitsuhiro Mishima
  • Publication number: 20110219750
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an exhaust gas purifying apparatus for an internal combustion engine. An object of the invention is to reduce the amount of particulate matter that flows out from a catalytic converter that continuously burns particulate matter contained in an exhaust gas. The exhaust gas purifying apparatus for an internal combustion engine of the present invention includes a catalytic converter that continuously burns particulate matter contained in an exhaust gas; particle amount acquisition means that acquires an inflow amount of particulate matter to the catalytic converter; and particle amount increase means that, when an acquired inflow amount of particulate matter is less than a predetermined threshold value ?, changes a value of a control parameter of the internal combustion engine in a direction such that the inflow amount of particulate matter to the catalytic converter increases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Sakurai, Shigeki Miyashita
  • Publication number: 20110214417
    Abstract: Concerning an internal combustion engine equipped with an NSR catalyst and an SCR, this invention is intended to provide an exhaust gas purification system for an internal combustion engine, the system being used to suppress degradation of emissions due to blow-through of NOx. The exhaust gas purification system, used for the internal combustion engine susceptible of lean-burn operation, includes an NSR catalyst disposed in an exhaust passageway of the internal combustion engine, an SCR disposed on a downstream side relative to the NSR catalyst, and an element for executing rich-spike control at a predetermined interval during lean-burn operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Sakurai, Shigeki Miyashita, Youichi Katumata
  • Publication number: 20110138783
    Abstract: An object is to provide an exhaust purifying system for an internal combustion engine having an NSR catalyst, which can inhibit emissions from being aggravated by blow-by of NOx. An exhaust purifying system for an internal combustion engine capable of a lean burn operation is provided. The exhaust purifying system includes: an NSR catalyst disposed in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine; an SCR disposed downstream of the NSR catalyst; a NOx sensor disposed downstream of the SCR, the NOx sensor producing an output according to an NH3 concentration; and rich spike means for performing a rich spike. The rich spike means starts the rich spike at a predetermined timing during a lean burn operation and terminates the rich spike at a timing when the NOx sensor issues a predetermined output characteristic indicative of a rise in the NH3 concentration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenji Sakurai
  • Publication number: 20110079001
    Abstract: An upstream catalyst and a downstream catalyst are arranged in series and are housed in a common casing disposed in an engine exhaust passage. The upstream catalyst including a NOx storage-reduction catalyst that adsorbs NOx contained in incoming exhaust gas when the air-fuel ratio of the incoming exhaust gas is lean, and releases and reduces the adsorbed NOx when the air-fuel ratio of the incoming exhaust gas becomes rich, and the downstream catalyst includes a three-way catalyst. The upstream catalyst has a higher oxidizing capability than the downstream catalyst, and the downstream catalyst has a higher reducing capability than the upstream catalyst. The upstream catalyst has a multi-layer structure including an upper layer and a lower layer, and is prepared such that the upper layer has a higher oxidizing capability than the lower layer, and the lower layer has a higher reducing capability than the upper layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, CATALER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Sakurai, Shigeki Miyashita, Kenji Katoh, Naoto Miyoshi, Hiroto Imai
  • Publication number: 20110018485
    Abstract: The synchronous motor driving apparatus including position sensors provided in the synchronous motor, a current polarity detection circuit for detecting the polarities of the currents in the respective phase windings of the synchronous motor, an inverter driving the synchronous motor, a motor speed calculation unit calculating the rotational speed of the synchronous motor depending on the output signals from the position sensors, a speed control unit outputting a first voltage adjusting component (q-axis current command value Iq*) to cause the rotational speed of the synchronous motor to approach a speed command value and a phase control unit outputting a second voltage adjusting component (d-axis current command value Id*) to cause the phase differences between the phases of the position sensor signals and of the currents in the respective phase windings of the synchronous motor to become a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Inventors: Daisuke MAEDA, Tsunehiro ENDO, Hidefumi SHIRAHAMA, Kenji SAKURAI, Hiroyuki HASEGAWA, Mitsuhiro MISHIMA
  • Patent number: 7859210
    Abstract: In order to prevent a short circuit of top and bottom arms of a motor driving IC when noise is added to six control signals for controlling six switching elements, there is provided a semiconductor device for driving a motor, being sealed with resin as one package and comprising: six switching elements for driving a three-phase motor; three output terminals for outputting voltages to the three-phase motor; at least one driving circuit for driving the six switching elements; three control signal input terminals; and a function) of generating six control signals for control of the six switching elements based on three control signals inputted through the three control signal input terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Information & Control Solutions, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Sakurai, Hiroyuki Hasegawa, Tomoyuki Utsumi, Shoichi Ohozeki, Daisuke Maeda, Mitsuhiro Mishima
  • Patent number: 7839113
    Abstract: The synchronous motor driving apparatus including position sensors provided in the synchronous motor, a current polarity detection circuit for detecting the polarities of the currents in the respective phase windings of the synchronous motor, an inverter driving the synchronous motor, a motor speed calculation unit calculating the rotational speed of the synchronous motor depending on the output signals from the position sensors, a speed control unit outputting a first voltage adjusting component (q-axis current command value Iq*) to cause the rotational speed of the synchronous motor to approach a speed command value and a phase control unit outputting a second voltage adjusting component (d-axis current command value Id*) to cause the phase differences between the phases of the position sensor signals and of the currents in the respective phase windings of the synchronous motor to become a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Information & Control Solutions, Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Maeda, Tsunehiro Endo, Hidefumi Shirahama, Kenji Sakurai, Hiroyuki Hasegawa, Mitsuhiro Mishima
  • Patent number: 7729847
    Abstract: The combustion air-fuel ratio is made leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio at the time of engine startup and the combustion air-fuel ratio is made richer than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio and the exhaust downstream part of the three-way catalyst apparatus is raised in temperature when it is judged that just the exhaust upstream part of the three-way catalyst apparatus arranged in the engine exhaust system has been raised to the catalyst activation temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroaki Mizoguchi, Takahiko Fujiwara, Kunihiko Nakata, Kenji Sakurai, Hiroki Ichinose, Masaaki Kawai, Atsunori Hirata
  • Patent number: 7710064
    Abstract: A motor driving semiconductor device has: six switching elements for driving a three-phase motor; three output terminals for applying output voltages to three terminals of coils of the three-phase motor; drive circuits for driving the six switching elements; and six control signal input terminals for receiving six control signals for on/off control of the six switching elements, wherein the motor driving semiconductor device is formed by sealing at least one semiconductor chip in one package with resin, and further includes a dead time generation function of generating a dead time relative to the six control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Sakurai, Hiroyuki Hasegawa
  • Publication number: 20090301437
    Abstract: The combustion air-fuel ratio is made leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio at the time of engine startup and the combustion air-fuel ratio is made richer than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio and the exhaust downstream part of the three-way catalyst apparatus is raised in temperature when it is judged that just the exhaust upstream part of the three-way catalyst apparatus arranged in the engine exhaust system has been raised to the catalyst activation temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Inventors: Hiroaki Mizoguchi, Takahiko Fujiwara, Kunihiko Nakata, Kenji Sakurai, Hiroki Ichinose, Masaaki Kawai, Atsunori Hirata
  • Publication number: 20090256505
    Abstract: A synchronous motor including therein a three-phase inverter and position sensors, having a unit for calculating a digital input current value from the analog output of an input current detection circuit that detects the input current flowing into the DC input terminal of the three-phase inverter, and a digital feedback speed control unit for adjusting the amplitudes and frequency of the AC voltages outputted from the three-phase inverter in such a manner that the motor speed calculated by a motor speed calculation unit 41 on the basis of the outputs of the position sensors approaches a speed command value received by a communication reception unit from outside the synchronous motor. The synchronous motor further includes therein a communication transmission unit for transmitting the input current value and the motor speed to outside the synchronous motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2009
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Inventors: Daisuke MAEDA, Kenji SAKURAI, Hiroyuki HASEGAWA, Hidefumi SHIRAHAMA, Mitsuhiro MISHIMA
  • Patent number: 7471355
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display has a light guide plate having a light-emitting plane on its one end surface, a light source arranged on a side surface of the light guide plate, and a liquid crystal panel arranged opposite the light-emitting plane of the light guide plate. Deflection patterns are formed on a surface opposite the light-emitting plane of the light guide plate, and the deflection patterns are arranged so that two independent components on the surface opposite the light-emitting plane of the light guide plate are random. In a certain region on the surface opposite the light-emitting plane, when an average value of the number of the deflection patterns included in each region opposite each pixel of the liquid crystal panel is designated by ?n and a standard deviation is designated by on, their ratio satisfies the relationship: 0<?n/?n?0.154.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Ken Watanuki, Gouo Kurata, Kenji Sakurai, Akihiro Funamoto, Shigeru Aoyama
  • Patent number: 7455443
    Abstract: A surface light source device capable of suppressing generation of bright line and preventing generation of crush of pattern forming on a light guide plate even when pressure is applied, includes a plurality of deflection patterns and diffusion patterns wherein the diffusion pattern is formed on the light source side of the deflection pattern. Further, the diffusion pattern is provided so as not to protrude outwards from the light guide plate from the plane opposite to the light-emitting plane and the diffusion pattern diffuses the light incident from a light guide direction to a direction different from the light guide direction seen from a direction perpendicular to the light emitting plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Sakurai, Makoto Ohhira, Gouo Kurata, Yasuhiro Kawabata, Masayuki Shinohara
  • Patent number: 7434976
    Abstract: A double-side LCD having a surface light source device including a light guide plate and a light source facing one end face of the light guide plate. A plurality of deflection patterns are formed in a surface facing a light outgoing plane of the light guide plate, the deflection pattern includes an inclined plane facing the light source side and a re-incident plane substantially perpendicular to the light outgoing plane. Light from the light source is reflected by the inclined plane and outputted from the light outgoing plane to the LCD. A tilt angle (?) of the inclined plane satisfies: 45°?[Sin?1(Sin ?/n)]/2???45°+[Sin?1(Sin ?/n)]/2, wherein ? is an angle between a direction of peak brightness of outputted light and a direction perpendicular to the light outgoing plane, n is a refractive index of the light guide plate, and ? is within 6-15°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Sakurai, Makoto Ohhira, Gouo Kurata, Akihiro Funamoto, Shigeru Aoyama