Patents by Inventor Masahiro Tohara

Masahiro Tohara 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: 11549987
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a storage battery management device includes: a memory configured to store therein storage battery characteristics of a storage battery unit as a storage battery characteristics table; and one or more processors coupled to the memory. The one or more processors are configured to: acquire the storage battery characteristics based on storage battery information output from the storage battery unit; update the storage battery characteristics table based on the acquired storage battery characteristics; and estimate SOC of the storage battery unit by referring to the updated storage battery characteristics table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Ide, Masahiro Tohara, Mami Mizutani, Tomohiro Toyosaki, Tsutomu Tanno
  • Patent number: 11221370
    Abstract: A remaining battery energy estimation device according to an embodiment includes a current corrector, an SOC calculator, a voltage estimator, an SOC correction amount determiner, and a current error estimator. The current corrector determines a corrected current value on the basis of a current value and a current correction amount of a storage battery. The SOC calculator calculates an estimated SOC value of the storage battery on the basis of the corrected current value and an SOC correction amount. The voltage estimator determines an estimated voltage value of the storage battery on the basis of a temperature value of the storage battery, the corrected current value, and the estimated SOC value. The SOC correction amount determiner determines the SOC correction amount on the basis of a comparison between a voltage value of the storage battery and the estimated voltage value. The current error estimator determines the current correction amount on the basis of the SOC correction amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Tohara, Masako Kiuchi, Shunsuke Kawachi, Mami Mizutani, Takenori Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20210349149
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a storage battery management device includes: a memory configured to store therein storage battery characteristics of a storage battery unit as a storage battery characteristics table; and one or more processors coupled to the memory. The one or more processors are configured to: acquire the storage battery characteristics based on storage battery information output from the storage battery unit; update the storage battery characteristics table based on the acquired storage battery characteristics; and estimate SOC of the storage battery unit by referring to the updated storage battery characteristics table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto IDE, Masahiro TOHARA, Mami MIZUTANI, Tomohiro TOYOSAKI, Tsutomu TANNO
  • Patent number: 11054475
    Abstract: A battery capacity estimation apparatus includes one or more hardware processors that: calculate a current integrated value by integrating electric currents of a secondary battery system whose capacity is to be estimated; calculate an SOC estimate value in a stabilization state where a change in SOC of a secondary battery per unit time is comparatively small; perform a regression analysis in which the current integrated value is defined as a dependent variable and the SOC estimate value is defined as an independent variable, the regression analysis being performed while correcting the current integrated value based on a value of a coefficient of determination so that a result of the regression analysis has predetermined accuracy; and estimate a capacity of the secondary battery system based on the result of the regression analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ENERGY SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Tohara, Masako Kiuchi, Shunsuke Kawachi, Mami Mizutani, Takenori Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20200292619
    Abstract: A battery capacity estimation apparatus includes one or more hardware processors that: calculate a current integrated value by integrating electric currents of a secondary battery system whose capacity is to be estimated; calculate an SOC estimate value in a stabilization state where a change in SOC of a secondary battery per unit time is comparatively small; perform a regression analysis in which the current integrated value is defined as a dependent variable and the SOC estimate value is defined as an independent variable, the regression analysis being performed while correcting the current integrated value based on a value of a coefficient of determination so that a result of the regression analysis has predetermined accuracy; and estimate a capacity of the secondary battery system based on the result of the regression analysis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: Masahiro TOHARA, Masalp KIUCHI, Shunsuke KAWACHI, Mami MIZUTANI, Takenori KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20200124676
    Abstract: A remaining battery energy estimation device according to an embodiment includes a current corrector, an SOC calculator, a voltage estimator, an SOC correction amount determiner, and a current error estimator. The current corrector determines a corrected current value on the basis of a current value and a current correction amount of a storage battery. The SOC calculator calculates an estimated SOC value of the storage battery on the basis of the corrected current value and an SOC correction amount. The voltage estimator determines an estimated voltage value of the storage battery on the basis of a temperature value of the storage battery, the corrected current value, and the estimated SOC value. The SOC correction amount determiner determines the SOC correction amount on the basis of a comparison between a voltage value of the storage battery and the estimated voltage value. The current error estimator determines the current correction amount on the basis of the SOC correction amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro TOHARA, Masako Kiuchi, Shunsuke Kawachi, Mami Mizutani, Takenori Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10338152
    Abstract: A method of estimating, as the charging rate of an electricity storage system, the internal condition of the electricity storage system including plural batteries, and an internal condition estimating system utilizing that method are provided. A voltage measuring unit 3 measures voltages of all batteries 1 configuring an electricity storage system block 2. A system cell voltage determining unit 5 determines a system cell voltage that will be a reference for an estimation of the SOC value of the electricity storage system block 2 based on the voltage value of the plural batteries 1 measured by the voltage measuring unit 3. The system cell voltage determining unit 5 obtains the system cell voltage by giving a weighting to the voltage value in accordance with the pre-calculated SOC value of the electricity storage system block 2. The system SOC estimating unit 6 estimates the SOC value of the electricity storage system block 2 based on the current flowing through the battery 1 and the system cell voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Makoto Ide, Masahiro Tohara, Mami Mizutani, Takenori Kobayashi, Tsutomu Tanno
  • Patent number: 10263295
    Abstract: A secondary battery system and a method of arranging battery modules capable of recovering and maintaining the system performance are provided. A secondary battery system includes a battery cabinet group including a plurality of battery cabinets each comprising a plurality of battery modules connected to each other, the battery module being a replacement unit, a PCS connected to the battery cabinet group and is controlling charging and discharging thereof, and a battery controller connected to the PCS. The battery controller includes a deterioration inspecting block obtaining a characteristic of the battery modules, a numbering block numbering the battery modules in an ascending order based on the characteristics, and a re-arrangement determining block determining a re-arrangement position of the battery modules in a way that the numbers given by the numbering block are in sequence in the same battery cabinet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Masahiro Tohara, Mami Mizutani, Masayuki Kubota, Takenori Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10261132
    Abstract: An electricity storage system includes a plurality of chargeable and dischargeable battery boards, a plurality of PCSs connected to the respective battery boards, and charging and discharging the connected batteries, and a battery controller distributing a charging and discharging power value of the entire system as an instruction value to each of the PCSs at a constant cycle or at an arbitrary timing. The battery controller gives a charging and discharging instruction for a predefined test charging and discharging to the selected battery board, and distributes, to all the battery boards except the selected battery board, a value obtained by subtracting a charging and discharging power value for the test charging and discharging from a charging and discharging power value for the entire system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masahiro Tohara, Mami Mizutani, Makoto Ide, Takenori Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20180149703
    Abstract: An electricity storage system includes a plurality of chargeable and dischargeable battery boards, a plurality of PCSs connected to the respective battery boards, and charging and discharging the connected batteries, and a battery controller distributing a charging and discharging power value of the entire system as an instruction value to each of the PCSs at a constant cycle or at an arbitrary timing. The battery controller gives a charging and discharging instruction for a predefined test charging and discharging to the selected battery board, and distributes, to all the battery boards except the selected battery board, a value obtained by subtracting a charging and discharging power value for the test charging and discharging from a charging and discharging power value for the entire system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masahiro TOHARA, Mami MIZUTANI, Makoto IDE, Takenori KOBAYASHI
  • Patent number: 9825474
    Abstract: A secondary battery system including plural batteries, extends the lifetime of each battery, and improves the charge/discharge (energy) efficiency of a whole system is provided. A secondary battery system includes plural batteries individually controllable for charging/discharging, plural PCSs each connected to the corresponding battery and performing charging/discharging to the connected battery, and a battery controller distributing a charge/discharge power value as a whole system to each of the PCSs at a fixed cycle or an arbitrary timing. The battery controller includes a preference order calculator setting a preference order to the plural batteries at each time point based on a deterioration characteristic of each battery related to each SOC thereof, and a distribution rate determining unit distributing the charge/discharge power value to the PCSs in accordance with the preference order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Masahiro Tohara, Yoshito Sameda, Mami Mizutani, Tamotsu Endo
  • Publication number: 20170033410
    Abstract: A secondary battery system and a method of arranging battery modules capable of recovering and maintaining the system performance are provided. A secondary battery system includes a battery cabinet group including a plurality of battery cabinets each comprising a plurality of battery modules connected to each other, the battery module being a replacement unit, a PCS connected to the battery cabinet group and is controlling charging and discharging thereof, and a battery controller connected to the PCS. The battery controller includes a deterioration inspecting block obtaining a characteristic of the battery modules, a numbering block numbering the battery modules in an ascending order based on the characteristics, and a re-arrangement determining block determining a re-arrangement position of the battery modules in a way that the numbers given by the numbering block are in sequence in the same battery cabinet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masahiro TOHARA, Mami MIZUTANI, Masayuki KUBOTA, Takenori KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20160025814
    Abstract: A method of estimating, as the charging rate of an electricity storage system, the internal condition of the electricity storage system including plural batteries, and an internal condition estimating system utilizing that method are provided. A voltage measuring unit 3 measures voltages of all batteries 1 configuring an electricity storage system block 2. A system cell voltage determining unit 5 determines a system cell voltage that will be a reference for an estimation of the SOC value of the electricity storage system block 2 based on the voltage value of the plural batteries 1 measured by the voltage measuring unit 3. The system cell voltage determining unit 5 obtains the system cell voltage by giving a weighting to the voltage value in accordance with the pre-calculated SOC value of the electricity storage system block 2. The system SOC estimating unit 6 estimates the SOC value of the electricity storage system block 2 based on the current flowing through the battery 1 and the system cell voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventors: Makoto Ide, Masahiro Tohara, Mami Mizutani, Takenori Kobayashi, Tsutomu Tanno
  • Publication number: 20160013670
    Abstract: A secondary battery system including plural batteries, extends the lifetime of each battery, and improves the charge/discharge (energy) efficiency of a whole system is provided. A secondary battery system includes plural batteries individually controllable for charging/discharging, plural PCSs each connected to the corresponding battery and performing charging/discharging to the connected battery, and a battery controller distributing a charge/discharge power value as a whole system to each of the PCSs at a fixed cycle or an arbitrary timing. The battery controller includes a preference order calculator setting a preference order to the plural batteries at each time point based on a deterioration characteristic of each battery related to each SOC thereof, and a distribution rate determining unit distributing the charge/discharge power value to the PCSs in accordance with the preference order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2014
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masahiro TOHARA, Yoshito SAMEDA, Mami MIZUTANI, Tamotsu ENDO
  • Patent number: 8400102
    Abstract: According to one of the embodiment, an assembled battery has a plurality of cells electrically connected in series. A charge amount difference detection circuit detects charge amount difference of the cells. Wherein, while a charging or discharge current is being applied to the cells, the charge amount difference detection circuit detects charge amount differences greater than a charge amount of a reference cell having a minimum charge amount, the charge amount differences of the cells are determined by addition of the charging or discharge currents during a period corresponding to the time differences between the reference cell and the other cells reaching a predetermined specific voltage, discharge switches are controlled by a switch controller, based on the charging amount differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Mami Mizutani, Ryuichi Morikawa, Masahiro Tohara, Shinichiro Kosugi
  • Publication number: 20130002026
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an energy storage apparatus includes a DC/DC convertor including a discharge terminal and a charge terminal, the DC/DC convertor which sets up a voltage of a DC power supplied from the discharge terminal and outputs the DC power from the charge terminal, switches which switch connections between a rechargeable batteries and a first connection terminal electrically connected to an external device, a second connection terminal electrically connected to the discharge terminal, and a third connection terminal electrically connected to the charge terminal, and a controller which controls the DC/DC convertor to perform charge and discharge between a rechargeable battery connected to the discharge terminal via the switches and a rechargeable battery connected to the charge terminal via the switches,
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Mami Mizutani, Kunio Nakamura, Kikuo Takagi, Yasuji Sakata, Masahiro Tohara
  • Publication number: 20110011653
    Abstract: According to one of the embodiment, an assembled battery has a plurality of cells electrically connected in series. A charge amount difference detection circuit detects charge amount difference of the cells. Wherein, while a charging or discharge current is being applied to the cells, the charge amount difference detection circuit detects charge amount differences greater than a charge amount of a reference cell having a minimum charge amount, the charge amount differences of the cells are determined by addition of the charging or discharge currents during a period corresponding to the time differences between the reference cell and the other cells reaching a predetermined specific voltage, discharge switches are controlled by a switch controller, based on the charging amount differences.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Inventors: Mami Mizutani, Ryuichi Morikawa, Masahiro Tohara, Shinichiro Kosugi
  • Publication number: 20100244845
    Abstract: A current integrating circuit device, including a current sensor to detect a current flowing through a current path, a first-order lag filter to filter an output of the current sensor, an A/D converter to convert an analog signal filtered by the first-order lag filter into a digital signal, and a proportional integrator to proportionally integrate the digital signal outputted from the A/D converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Ryuichi Morikawa, Masayuki Kubota, Mami Mizutani, Yukitaka Monden, Yuki Kuwano, Masahiro Tohara
  • Patent number: 4751526
    Abstract: A pen recorder includes a pen position detecting portion for periodically or nonperiodically detecting the position of a pen, and a position correcting circuit for calculating a driving amount and a driving direction of a motor used for correcting a pen position, in accordance with a pen position detected by the pen position detecting portion and a recording position of the pen corresponding to an input signal. The pen position detecting portion detects an actual position of the pen when the pen is moved to perform a recording operation in response to the input signal. In accordance with the actual pen position and the recording position of the pen corresponding to the input signal, a driving amount and a driving direction of the motor for moving the pen are calculated by the position correcting circuit, to thereby correct the pen position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1988
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Masahiro Tohara
  • Patent number: 4613872
    Abstract: A recorder which records analog input waveforms and converts analog input data into digital data at regular intervals and at selected times records the digital data in the form of a list of data along side of the analog input waveforms together with the time and other information. When analog waveforms and characters are recorded in side-by-side relation, the speed at which the paper is fed is changed from that employed when only analog waveforms are recorded, whereby the list of data can be quickly recorded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1986
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Naito, Masahiro Tohara