Patents by Inventor Kimihiko Furukawa

Kimihiko Furukawa 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: 20230366748
    Abstract: A temperature detection device includes a first voltage divider circuit including a first temperature sensor and a first pull-up resistor connected in series to the first temperature sensor, a second voltage divider circuit including a second temperature sensor and a second voltage divider circuit including a second temperature sensor and a second pull-up resistor connected in series to the second temperature sensor, and a controller. The first pull-up resistor has a resistance value corresponding to that of the first temperature sensor that is at a first temperature. The second pull-up resistor has a resistance value corresponding to that of the second temperature sensor that is at a second temperature being lower than the first temperature. The controller selects outputs of the voltage divider circuits according to a temperature of a measurement point detected based on a voltage of the first temperature sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Kimihiko FURUKAWA, Masato NAKAYAMA
  • Publication number: 20230299376
    Abstract: A controller is configured to control distribution circuits of a plurality of battery modules. A first process determines a supplied power supplied to a heating device of each of the plurality of battery modules so that when at least one of the plurality of battery modules has a higher state of charge (SOC) or a higher amount of charge than other ones, the supplied power to the heating device of the at least one battery module is higher than the other ones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2023
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Inventors: Kimihiko FURUKAWA, Kensaku FUKUMOTO, Taijyu MORISHITA
  • Publication number: 20230187719
    Abstract: An electric power demand adjusting device is configured to execute an acquiring process of acquiring an evaluation value ?D for a high-rate deterioration of a secondary battery connected to a power utility grid, which results from a salt concentration unevenness in an electrolyte solution, and a discharge non-participating process of not allowing the secondary battery to participate in adjustment of discharge demand from the power utility grid when the evaluation value ?D of the secondary battery is greater than or equal to a predetermined discharge threshold value K1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2022
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Inventors: Kohki NAKAMURA, Keiichi ITO, Kimihiko FURUKAWA, Shinya INUI, Noriharu KOBAYASHI, Masaki YUGOU
  • Publication number: 20230168315
    Abstract: The electric leakage detection method disclosed herein is first detection of turning at least one of the positive-side contactor or the negative-side contactor ON and detecting a value of a system electric leakage resistor RZ which is an electric leakage resistance of the entire electricity distribution system; second detection of turning both of the positive-side contactor and the negative-side contactor OFF and detecting a value of a power source-side electric leakage resistor RL which is an assembled battery 10-side electric leakage resistance; and first determination of determining which of the power source unit-side region or the electric device-side region is causing the electric leakage based on the values of the system electric leakage resistor RZ and power source-side electric leakage resistor RL.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2022
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Kimihiko FURUKAWA, Junya YANO
  • Publication number: 20230168314
    Abstract: The electric leakage detection method disclosed herein includes: total voltage measurement of measuring a total voltage Vt which is an electrical potential difference between a total positive terminal open to be connectable with an external device and a total negative terminal open to be connectable with the external device; electric leakage voltage measurement of measuring an electric leakage voltage VL which is an electrical potential difference between a reference terminal (the total negative terminal) and the electric leakage occurring position (the third single battery); and an electric leakage occurring position determination of determining the electric leakage occurring position by calculating a ratio (VL/Vt) of the electric leakage voltage VL to the total voltage Vt. This allows the number of single batteries between the reference terminal and the electric leakage occurring position to be estimated, and a detailed electric leakage occurring position to be determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2022
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Kimihiko FURUKAWA, Junya YANO
  • Publication number: 20230138275
    Abstract: An electric power adjusting device is configured to execute a process of acquiring vehicle information of a plurality of electric vehicles connected to a power utility grid, a process of classifying, based on the vehicle information, the electric vehicles into a plurality of groups according to predetermined characteristics, and a process of adjusting a charging and discharging burden on the electric vehicles fir each of the groups when adjusting an electric power demand in the power utility grid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventors: Kimihiko FURUKAWA, Noriharu KOBAYASHI, Masaki YUGOU, Kohki NAKAMURA, Shinya INUI, Keiichi ITO
  • Patent number: 11626741
    Abstract: Main management unit manages the plurality of power storage modules via the plurality of sub-management units. Main management unit and the plurality of sub-management units are daisy-chain connected by power line. Main management unit can supply power from power storage unit other than the plurality of power storage modules to the plurality of sub-management units via power line. Main management unit and the plurality of sub-management units respectively include communication units. Each of communication units superimposes a communication signal on power line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimihiko Furukawa, Tomonori Kunimitsu
  • Publication number: 20230104789
    Abstract: A charging and discharging control device disclosed herein controls a charging and discharging device that charges and discharges an on-vehicle battery mounted on an electric vehicle. The charging and discharging control device includes a detection controller configured or programmed to detect that the electric vehicle has been connected to the charging and discharging device, an SOC acquisition controller configured or programmed to acquire an SOC of the on-vehicle battery, a use information acquisition controller configured or programmed to acquire a next use time and a next travel distance of the electric vehicle, and a setting controller configured or programmed to set a charging and discharging schedule of the on-vehicle battery such that the on-vehicle battery is charged after having been maintained in a low SOC and a necessary SOC for the next use time and the next travel distance remains.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Applicant: PRIME PLANET ENERGY & SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Shinya INUI, Masaki YUGOU, Kimihiko FURUKAWA, Noriharu KOBAYASHI, Kohki NAKAMURA, Keiichi ITO
  • Publication number: 20230092625
    Abstract: A charge and discharge management device disclosed herein includes an acquisition controller configured or programmed to acquire information on a predetermined deterioration acceleration element for on-vehicle batteries from a plurality of electric vehicles connected to an electric power system, an arithmetic controller configured or programmed to arithmetically operate deterioration acceleration element values of the plurality of electric vehicles, based on a predetermined arithmetic operation method, based on the information on the deterioration acceleration element, and a determination controller configured or programmed to control charging the plurality of electric vehicles from the electric power system or discharging the electric power system from the plurality of electric vehicles, based on the deterioration acceleration element values of the plurality of electric vehicles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Keiichi ITO, Kohki NAKAMURA, Kimihiko FURUKAWA, Shinya INUI, Noriharu KOBAYASHI, Masaki YUGOU
  • Publication number: 20230062034
    Abstract: An in-vehicle battery management device includes a controller configured or programmed to control a charge/discharge device such that the charge/discharge device performs charge or discharge on an in-vehicle battery of an electric vehicle in a predetermined processing condition, the in-vehicle battery being connected to the charge/discharge device. The controller includes a calculator configured or programmed to calculate a degree of deterioration progress of the in-vehicle battery based on charge/discharge information in the charge or discharge; and a communicator configured or programmed to notify a predetermined notification target of the calculated degree of deterioration progress.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Applicant: PRIME PLANET ENERGY & SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Noriharu KOBAYASHI, Kimihiko FURUKAWA, Masaki YUGOU, Shinya INUI, Kohki NAKAMURA, Keiichi ITO
  • Patent number: 11594388
    Abstract: A control unit includes: an input portion that receives the positional information of a vehicle; a calculation unit that generates a control signal for controlling an electromagnetic relay; and an output portion that outputs the control signal to the electromagnetic relay. The calculation unit determines whether a location region of the electromagnetic relay is a relay-freeze region, the location region being identified by the positional information of the vehicle, and, when the location region of the electromagnetic relay is a relay-freeze region, performs a freeze inhibiting process for preventing the electromagnetic relay from being frozen or defrosting the electromagnetic relay by opening and closing the electromagnetic relay and causing the electromagnetic relay to vibrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: PRIME PLANET ENERGY & SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Atsushi Hirayama, Masahiro Sata, Masato Nishikawa, Kimihiko Furukawa, Katsuhiro Arinobu, Taketoshi Yoshikane
  • Publication number: 20220271540
    Abstract: A battery system includes: a charging apparatus; a plurality of battery modules to connectable in parallel with the charging apparatus; and a controller, in which each of the plurality of battery modules has a battery, and the controller obtains, when a charging command is received, a voltage value of the battery of each of the plurality of battery modules, identifies a first battery having a lowest voltage value and a second battery having a second lowest voltage value, starts charging of the first battery, and after starting the charging of the first battery, starts charging of the second battery when a difference value between a voltage value of a first battery module and the voltage value of the second battery becomes equal to or less than a first threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventor: Kimihiko FURUKAWA
  • Publication number: 20220209319
    Abstract: There is provided a power storage system including a plurality of storage battery modules connected in parallel with a load. The power storage system includes: a resistance value calculating unit that calculates a resistance value of each storage battery module of the plurality of storage battery modules; a current value calculating unit that calculates a permissible current value of each storage battery module of the plurality of storage battery modules; and a determining unit that determines a maximum value of a current. The determining unit determines the maximum value such that a value of a current divided into each storage battery module of the plurality of storage battery modules does not exceed the permissible current value of each storage battery module of the plurality of storage battery modules based on a ratio of the resistance value of each storage battery module of the plurality of storage battery modules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Kimihiko FURUKAWA, Yasuyuki HARADA
  • Patent number: 11351887
    Abstract: Provided is a management device that manages a power storage module configured by connecting in series a plurality of parallel cell groups in which a plurality of cells are connected in parallel. In the management device, a voltage detection circuit detects a voltage of each of the plurality of parallel cell groups connected in series. A plurality of equalizing circuits are connected in parallel to the plurality of parallel cell groups, respectively. A controlling circuit controls the plurality of equalizing circuits based on the voltage detected by the voltage detection circuit and executes an equalizing process. The controlling circuit determines whether or not an abnormal cell is included in each of the parallel cell groups based on a voltage change of each of the parallel cell groups during discharging to the equalizing circuit or charging from the equalizing circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimihiko Furukawa, Masato Nishikawa, Kenji Motoyoshi, Noriharu Kobayashi, Yoshitaka Sakiyama
  • Publication number: 20220130629
    Abstract: A control unit includes: an input portion that receives the positional information of a vehicle; a calculation unit that generates a control signal for controlling an electromagnetic relay; and an output portion that outputs the control signal to the electromagnetic relay. The calculation unit determines whether a location region of the electromagnetic relay is a relay-freeze region, the location region being identified by the positional information of the vehicle, and, when the location region of the electromagnetic relay is a relay-freeze region, performs a freeze inhibiting process for preventing the electromagnetic relay from being frozen or defrosting the electromagnetic relay by opening and closing the electromagnetic relay and causing the electromagnetic relay to vibrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Atsushi HIRAYAMA, Masahiro SATA, Masato NISHIKAWA, Kimihiko FURUKAWA, Katsuhiro ARINOBU, Taketoshi YOSHIKANE
  • Patent number: 11196102
    Abstract: In order to easily detect a disconnection in a lowest-order voltage detection line when a voltage detection circuit for detecting the respective voltage of a plurality of serially connected cells is made redundant, the operation power supply of a first voltage detection circuit and a second voltage detection circuit is fed from both ends of a plurality of serially connected cells. The lowest node of the plurality of cells and the first voltage detection circuit are connected by the two lines of a voltage detection line and a negative power supply line. The lowest node of the plurality of cells and the second voltage detection circuit are connected by a single wire serving as both of a voltage detection line and a negative power supply line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimihiko Furukawa, Jun Asakura
  • Patent number: 11180032
    Abstract: A monitoring device includes a first detection block, a second detection block, and a monitoring unit. Each of the first detection block and the second detection block includes one or more voltage detectors that detect voltages across power storage cells. The monitoring unit includes a complement processor that, when a circuit in the first detection block breaks down and the first detection block fails to transmit the states of the power storage cells to the monitoring unit, complements the states of the power storage cells that have not been acquired from the first detection block, based on the states of the power storage cells detected in the second detection block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Nishikawa, Kimihiko Furukawa, Hidetsugu Mukae, Shinya Inui, Tomonori Kawamoto
  • Publication number: 20210223322
    Abstract: In order to easily detect a disconnection in a lowest-order voltage detection line when a voltage detection circuit for detecting the respective voltage of a plurality of serially connected cells is made redundant, the operation power supply of a first voltage detection circuit and a second voltage detection circuit is fed from both ends of a plurality of serially connected cells. The lowest node of the plurality of cells and the first voltage detection circuit are connected by the two lines of a voltage detection line and a negative power supply line. The lowest node of the plurality of cells and the second voltage detection circuit are connected by a single wire serving as both of a voltage detection line and a negative power supply line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Applicants: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd., SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimihiko Furukawa, Jun Asakura
  • Publication number: 20210159710
    Abstract: Main management unit manages the plurality of power storage modules via the plurality of sub-management units. Main management unit and the plurality of sub-management units are daisy-chain connected by power line. Main management unit can supply power from power storage unit other than the plurality of power storage modules to the plurality of sub-management units via power line. Main management unit and the plurality of sub-management units respectively include communication units. Each of communication units superimposes a communication signal on power line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Inventors: KIMIHIKO FURUKAWA, TOMONORI KUNIMITSU
  • Publication number: 20210086661
    Abstract: Provided is a management device that manages a power storage module configured by connecting in series a plurality of parallel cell groups in which a plurality of cells are connected in parallel. In the management device, a voltage detection circuit detects a voltage of each of the plurality of parallel cell groups connected in series. A plurality of equalizing circuits are connected in parallel to the plurality of parallel cell groups, respectively. A controlling circuit controls the plurality of equalizing circuits based on the voltage detected by the voltage detection circuit and executes an equalizing process. The controlling circuit determines whether or not an abnormal cell is included in each of the parallel cell groups based on a voltage change of each of the parallel cell groups during discharging to the equalizing circuit or charging from the equalizing circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Applicant: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimihiko Furukawa, Masato Nishikawa, Kenji Motoyoshi, Noriharu Kobayashi, Yoshitaka Sakiyama