Patents by Inventor Kouichi Yamanoue

Kouichi Yamanoue 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: 20120119723
    Abstract: A voltage conversion apparatus is disclosed in which a current passes through first and second loop circuits alternately in accordance with ON/OFF operation of a first switching element provided in the first circuit. The direction of a magnetic field through the first loop circuit formed at the ON operation is the same as a direction of a magnetic field through the second loop circuit formed at the OFF operation. The first loop circuit and the second loop circuit are provided on opposite sides of a printed circuit board, respectively, in such a manner that the first loop circuit and the second loop circuit are opposed to each other. A heat sink is provided on a surface of the printed circuit board. A solid pattern of a metal material is provided on an inner layer of the printed circuit board to be connected to the heat sink via a through hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicants: VISTEON GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Mizutani, Takayuki Naito, Kouichi Yamanoue, Shigeki Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20120105042
    Abstract: A switching apparatus is disclosed that includes a first loop circuit configured to include a switching element, an inductive component and a capacitor; and a second loop circuit configured to share the inductive component with the first loop circuit, wherein the capacitor is inserted in series with the inductive component in the first loop, wherein the switching apparatus controls respective currents flowing through the first loop circuit and the second loop circuit in an alternating manner by turning on/off the switching element in order to control the current flowing through the inductive component, and wherein a first magnetic flux generated by the current flowing through the first loop circuit as the switching element is being turned on and a second magnetic flux generated by the current flowing through the second loop circuit as the switching element is being turned off head in the same direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicants: VISTEON GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki Naito, Takashi Imai, Koichi Mizutani, Kouichi Yamanoue, Shigeki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8148659
    Abstract: A touch switch structure is provided that can be preferably used for an automotive instrument panel and can securely prevent misjudgments and incorrect detections with respect to operations on the switch. For that purpose, the touch switch structure comprises a base material 2 made of a nonconductive material; a shield electrode layer 4 made of a conductive material and formed on one surface of the base material 2; a touch detection electrode 3 formed on one surface of the base material 2 at the portion where the shield electrode layer 4 is not formed; and an insulation layer 5 made of a nonconductive material and formed at least between the shield electrode layer 4 and a connection pattern 6 of the touch detection electrode 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Visteon Japan, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuto Yamauchi, Sadahiko Tanaka, Keitaro Takizawa, Yasunori Murayama, Kouichi Yamanoue
  • Patent number: 8110767
    Abstract: A structured touch switch, which is of an electrostatic capacitance, type is provided. The structured touch switch comprises a substrate made of a material having a non-conductive characteristic, a conductive member made of a material having a conductive characteristic and formed integrally with the substrate so that a portion of the conductive characteristic member appears at a surface of the substrate and a detection electrode positioned at a backside of the substrate and in opposed relation to the conductive member in a state where a space is defined with respect to the conductive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Visteon Japan, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuto Yamauchi, Yasunori Murayama, Sadahiko Tanaka, Keitaro Takizawa, Kouichi Yamanoue
  • Publication number: 20120013194
    Abstract: A remaining capacity equalizing device is provided having an inductance connected to a reference node of a battery pack and first and second switching elements. A first closed circuit is formed through selecting sequentially a first switching switch from a first switching switch group that is connected to the high-voltage side of the reference node. A second closed circuit is formed by selecting sequentially a second switching switch from among a second switching switch group that is connected to the low-voltage side of the reference node. The first and second switching elements are turned ON/OFF alternatingly for each combination of first and second closed circuits so that, during a specific interval, the ratio of the conductive times of the first and second switching elements is the inverse of the ratio of the numbers of storage cells in the first and second closed circuits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Inventor: Kouichi Yamanoue
  • Publication number: 20120007530
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to effectively reduce noise generated when driving a three-phase brushless motor. A noise reduction arrangement applied to a three-phase brushless motor is disclosed, wherein respective current loops, which are generated when two switching elements Q1 and Q2 related to U-phase are turned on or off in reversed phase with respect to each other, are opposed to each other in a direction of the normal to a board; respective current loops, which are generated when two switching elements Q3 and Q4 related to V-phase are turned on or off in reversed phase with respect to each other, are opposed to each other in a direction of the normal to the board; and respective current loops, which are generated when two switching elements Q5 and Q6 related to W-phase are turned on or off in reversed phase with respect to each other, are opposed to each other in a direction of the normal to the board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicants: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Imai, Takayuki Naito, Koichi Mizutani, Kouichi Yamanoue, Shigeki Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20110273014
    Abstract: A voltage conversion device includes: first and second loop circuits having a common inductance element. Electric current alternately flows through the first or second loop circuit as a first switching element of the first loop circuit is turned on or off. A magnetic field that is formed when the first switching element is turned on and that penetrates through the first loop circuit and a magnetic field that is formed when the first switching element is turned off after it is turned on and that penetrates through the second loop circuit have the same direction. All elements that constitute the first and second loop circuits are arranged on the same surface of a substrate. The second loop circuit is connected to a second direct-current power source. The first loop circuit is connected to a first direct-current power source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicants: VISTEON GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki Naito, Akihiko Nojima, Takashi Imai, Nobuyuki Ishihara, Junzo Ooe, Koichi Mizutani, Masaru Inada, Kouichi Yamanoue, Shigeki Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20110148370
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a voltage conversion apparatus having a first loop circuit and a second loop circuit which share an inductance component, in which a current passes through the first and second loop circuits alternately in accordance with ON/OFF operation of a first switching element provided in the first loop circuit, characterized in that a direction of a magnetic field through the first loop circuit generated at the ON operation of the first switching element in the first loop circuit is the same as a direction of a magnetic field through the second loop circuit generated at the OFF operation of the first switching element in the first loop circuit subsequent to the ON operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Inventors: Koichi Mizutani, Shinji Sekido, Junzo Oe, Takayuki Naito, Takashi Imai, Kouichi Yamanoue, Shigeki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7910842
    Abstract: A touch switch is composed of an EL light emitting layer configured by stacking a fluorescent layer and an insulation layer between first electrodes and a second electrode, a judgment unit for making a judgment on touch manipulation with the first electrode by an operator and an EL driving unit for driving the EL light emitting layer for light emitting, with each of a plurality of first electrodes, each of plurality of fluorescent layers and each of plurality of insulation layers being provided as a set and the second electrode being provided as a single electrode with respect to the plurality of first electrodes, wherein the judgment unit makes a judgment on which of the plurality of first electrodes has been touched by an operator on the basis of a high-frequency component inputted from the second electrode through the first electrode each time the touch switch is touched by an operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Visteon Japan, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuto Yamauchi, Yasunori Murayama, Sadahiko Tanaka, Keitaro Takizawa, Kouichi Yamanoue
  • Publication number: 20100330371
    Abstract: A panel device includes a panel section, a first conductive layer that is provided in a side of one surface of the panel section, an insulating layer that is stacked on the first conductive layer and a second conductive layer that is stacked on the insulating layer. The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are formed by coating an electrically conductive solvent-type substance. The insulating layer is formed by coating an insulating curing-acceleration-type substance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventors: Kazuto YAMAUCHI, Yasunori Murayama, Sadahiko Tanaka, Keitaro Takizawa, Kouichi Yamanoue
  • Publication number: 20100328266
    Abstract: An electrostatic capacitive touch sensor device includes sensing electrode provided at a plurality of positions, a high-frequency signal source that applies a high-frequency signal to the sensing electrode through a predetermined impedance element, a wiring portion that connects the sensing electrode and the impedance element, a shield portion provided to embrace the sensing electrodes and the connecting pattern, and a shield signal source that applies a shield signal to the shield portion and has the same phase and amplitude as the high-frequency signal source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventors: Kazuto YAMAUCHI, Yasunori Murayama, Sadahiko Tanaka, Keitaro Takizawa, Kouichi Yamanoue
  • Publication number: 20100258361
    Abstract: A touch sensor device 1 of the present invention comprises a touch sensor 11; an average value calculating means 12 for calculating the average value of output voltages sent out from an output section 111 of the touch sensor 11; a threshold value calculating means 13 for calculating a threshold value based on the average value; and a comparing/determining means 14 for comparing the output voltage with the threshold value and, when determining that the output voltage exceeds the threshold value, outputting a determination signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Inventors: Kazuto Yamauchi, Yasunori Murayama, Sadahiko Tanaka, Keitaro Takizawa, Kouichi Yamanoue
  • Publication number: 20100252408
    Abstract: A touch sensor device comprises: a touch sensor 1 for sending out an output voltage signal S1 representing the presence or absence of an operation; an operation presence/absence determination unit 2 which, when the output voltage signal S1 has a value equal to or more than a predetermined threshold value, determines that the operation has occurred; a stability determination unit 5 for detecting whether a differential signal S3 representing a differential value obtained by differentiating the output voltage signal S1 is limited within a predetermined range or not; and a count-up timer 4 which, when a period during which the differential signal S3 is limited within the predetermined range becomes a predetermined time period or longer on the premise that the output voltage signal S1 has the value equal to or more than the predetermined threshold value, sends out an ON determination signal S5 and allows an external device 7 to operate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2008
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Inventors: Kazuto Yamauchi, Yasunori Murayama, Sadahiko Tanaka, Keitaro Takizawa, Kouichi Yamanoue, Arihiro Isomura, Kenji Kishiue
  • Publication number: 20100230180
    Abstract: A detection circuit 1 includes: an input unit 2; two contact electrodes A and B which are connected to the input unit; phase invention means 3 connected to the contact electrode A; one amplification means 41 arranged in each contact means; and detection means 5A and 5B which detect as an electric change amount, an amplitude change of an input signal caused by a capacitance change in each of the contact electrodes A and B. The detection circuit 1 causes the two electrodes to input signals having phases shifted by a half period from each other by using the phase invention means 3. In the presence of contact, the amplitude of the input pulses is amplified by the one amplification means 41. The respective detection means 5A and 5B detect signals of respective electrodes from the one amplified signal and output them to output units 6A and 6B, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Inventors: Kazuto Yamauchi, Yasunori Murayama, Sadahiko Tanaka, Keitaro Takizawa, Kouichi Yamanoue
  • Publication number: 20100149001
    Abstract: The present invention provides an operating dial low in cost and of superior durability and reliability with a high rotary angle detection accuracy. An operating dial operated by rotation, comprising a printed circuit board 10 having an electric circuit; a drive electrode 13 provided on said printed circuit board 10; a plurality of detecting electrodes 12 provided around said drive electrode 13 on said printed circuit board 10; a ring electrode 101 disposed in opposition to said drive electrode 13 across a gap, such that the ring electrode 101 has at least one projection 102 projecting outward to oppose one of said plurality of detecting electrodes 12 across a gap; and a dial made of an electrically insulating material, rotatable and integral with said ring electrode 101.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2006
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Inventors: Kouichi Yamanoue, Takeshi Yamane, Yoshifumi Makino
  • Publication number: 20100096248
    Abstract: A touch switch structure is provided that can be preferably used for an automotive instrument panel and can securely prevent misjudgments and incorrect detections with respect to operations on the switch. For that purpose, the touch switch structure comprises a base material 2 made of a nonconductive material; a shield electrode layer 4 made of a conductive material and formed on one surface of the base material 2; a touch detection electrode 3 formed on one surface of the base material 2 at the portion where the shield electrode layer 4 is not formed; and an insulation layer 5 made of a nonconductive material and formed at least between the shield electrode layer 4 and a connection pattern 6 of the touch detection electrode 3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Applicants: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Visteon Japan, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuto Yamauchi, Sadahiko Tanaka, Keitaro Takizawa, Yasunori Murayama, Kouichi Yamanoue
  • Publication number: 20090073133
    Abstract: An EL emitting touch switch includes first electrodes, a single second electrode facing the first electrodes, and EL layers each sandwiched between a corresponding one of the first electrodes and the second electrode. A light emission driver applies a driving voltage between the first and second electrodes to cause the EL layers to emit light. A timing signal generator generates a timing signal to control the light emission driver such that the application of the driving voltage is stopped at predetermined intervals. Touch decision units are provided for each first electrode. Each touch decision unit includes a feedback circuit for supplying current to the corresponding first electrode such that the potentials of the first and second electrodes become equal to each other, and detects contact of a human body with the corresponding first electrode based on operation of the feedback circuit while the application of the driving voltage is stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Inventors: Kazuto Yamauchi, Yasunori Murayama, Sadahiko Tanaka, Keitaro Takizawa, Kouichi Yamanoue
  • Publication number: 20080302649
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a structured touch switch, which is of an electrostatic capacity type. The structured touch switch comprises a substrate made of a material having a non-conductive characteristic, a conductive member made of a material having a conductive characteristic and formed integrally with the substrate so that a portion of the conductive characteristic member appears at a surface of the substrate and a detection electrode positioned at a backside of the substrate and in opposed relation to the conductive member in a state where a space is defined with respect to the conductive member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Applicants: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Visteon Japan, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuto Yamauchi, Yasunori Murayama, Sadahiko Tanaka, Keitaro Takizawa, Kouichi Yamanoue
  • Publication number: 20080265788
    Abstract: A touch switch is composed of an EL light emitting layer configured by stacking a fluorescent layer and an insulation layer between first electrodes and a second electrode, a judgment means for making a judgment on touch manipulation with the first electrode by an operator and an EL driving unit for driving the EL light emitting layer for light emitting, with each of a plurality of first electrodes, each of plurality of fluorescent layers and each of plurality of insulation layers being provided as a set and the second electrode being provided as a single electrode with respect to the plurality of first electrodes, wherein the judgment means makes a judgment on which of the plurality of first electrodes has been touched by an operator on the basis of a high-frequency component inputted from the second electrode through the first electrode each time the touch switch is touched by an operator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicants: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, VISTEON JAPAN, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuto YAMAUCHI, Yasunori MURAYAMA, Sadahiko TANAKA, Keitaro TAKIZAWA, Kouichi YAMANOUE
  • Patent number: 4931727
    Abstract: According to this invention, a device for detecting the speed of transference of a moving body, having a construction such that the device comprises a magnetizing element for forming a magnetic pole on a surface of a moving body made of a magnetic material and disposed in the vicinity of the moving body, a magnetic field detecting circuit provided adjacent to the moving body, for linking therewith the magnetic field of the magnetic pole formed by the magnetizing element and for outputting an electrical voltage in accordance with a variation of the magnetic field caused by the transference of the moving body, and an output signal processing circuit for processing a signal output by the magnetic field detecting circuit and for determining the speed of transference of the moving body can be obtained, and by utilizing the device mentioned above, an effect whereby a signal corresponding to the displacement speed of a moving body is continuously obtained and therefore, a moving body need not be precisely fabricated
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1990
    Assignees: Nippon Soken, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kouichi Yamanoue, Shigeyuki Akita, Hiroaki Tanaka, Tatsuo Sugitani, Hideo Inoue