Patents by Inventor Masayuki Ito
Masayuki Ito 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).
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Publication number: 20200251761Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a supply device configured to supply a cathode gas to the fuel cell; and a control unit configured to execute recovery processing of causing a catalyst of the fuel cell to recover from performance deterioration by lowering an output voltage of the fuel cell. The control unit is configured to, when the recovery processing that has been executed is completed, control the supply device to place the fuel cell in a power generation paused state while making a stoichiometric ratio of the cathode gas lower than a stoichiometric ratio of the cathode gas in a normal operation state that is a state before execution of the recovery processing.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2020Publication date: August 6, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tomohiko KANEKO, Masayuki ITO, Hideyuki KUMEI
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Publication number: 20200203739Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; a supply device; and a control unit configured to lower output voltage of the fuel cell to a target value so as to execute recovery processing to recover power generation performance of the fuel cell. In a case of having an execution request of the recovery processing, the control unit restarts power generation of the fuel cell when open circuit voltage of the fuel cell is lowered to or smaller than a threshold value higher than the target value by controlling a flow rate of a cathode gas while the power generation of the fuel cell is paused, and the control unit executes the recovery processing while controlling an output current value of the fuel cell to be smaller than an idle current value that is an output current value of the fuel cell in an idle operation state.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2019Publication date: June 25, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tomohiko KANEKO, Masayuki ITO
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Publication number: 20200185739Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a first fuel cell stack having a discharge manifold, a second fuel cell stack having a discharge manifold, a first auxiliary machine used for power generation of the first fuel cell stack, a second auxiliary machine used for power generation of the second fuel cell stack, and a controller configured to control operation of the first auxiliary machine and the second auxiliary machine. The controller is configured to control operation of the first auxiliary machine and the second auxiliary machine, such that one of the first fuel cell stack and the second fuel cell stack, of which a discharge direction of reaction gas discharged from the discharge manifold forms a smaller angle with a vertical downward direction, starts generating power earlier than the other fuel cell stack, after power generation of the first fuel cell stack and the second fuel cell stack is stopped.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 25, 2019Publication date: June 11, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masayuki ITO, Hideyuki KUMEI, Tomohiko KANEKO
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Publication number: 20200185736Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell unit; a temperature acquiring unit acquiring an ambient temperature of a first fuel cell stack of the fuel cell unit; and a power generation control unit. The power generation control unit is configured to, when required power for the fuel cell unit is less than a predetermined threshold value, temporarily stop power generation of the first fuel cell stack and to switch the first fuel cell stack from stopped power generation to power generation when a continuous power generation stopped time of the first fuel cell stack is greater than a predetermined time such that the continuous power generation stopped time is shorter when the ambient temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature based on a temperature at which liquid water in the first fuel cell stack freezes than when the ambient temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 19, 2019Publication date: June 11, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masayuki ITO, Hideyuki KUMEI, Tomohiko KANEKO
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Publication number: 20200185744Abstract: A fuel cell system is equipped with a fuel cell unit that is composed of a plurality of fuel cells including a first fuel cell and a second fuel cell, a first supply device and a second supply device that supply reactive gas to the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell respectively, and a control device that controls running of the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell and operation of the first supply device and the second supply device. The control device suspends electric power generation by the first fuel cell and drives the first supply device to hold an opening circuit voltage of the first fuel cell within a target range, and suspends electric power generation by the second fuel cell and stops driving the second supply device when an output P required of the fuel cell unit is equal to 0.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2019Publication date: June 11, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masayuki ITO, Yasushi ARAKI, Tomohiko KANEKO
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Patent number: 10647212Abstract: An output prediction device for a fuel cell includes: a first acquisition circuitry configured to acquire a first required output of the fuel cell, the first required output being calculated based on a predicted vehicle speed or a predicted acceleration of a vehicle on a scheduled traveling route for the vehicle, the vehicle traveling by using the fuel cell as a dynamic power source; a second acquisition circuitry configured to acquire a second required output of the fuel cell, the second required output being required by an air-conditioning device of the vehicle; and a calculation circuitry configured to calculate a parameter correlated with a predicted output value of the fuel cell, based on the first required output and the second required output, the predicted output value being predicted as an output on the scheduled traveling route.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2018Date of Patent: May 12, 2020Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masaaki Matsusue, Yasushi Araki, Masayuki Ito
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Publication number: 20200144640Abstract: A fuel cell system is equipped with a first fuel cell, a second fuel cell, a scavenging device that can scavenge the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell independently of each other, and a control device configured to control the scavenging device. An electric power generation volume of the second fuel cell is smaller than an electric power generation volume of the first fuel cell. The control device is configured to scavenge the second fuel cell.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2019Publication date: May 7, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tomohiko KANEKO, Masayuki ITO, Hideyuki KUMEI
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Publication number: 20200144652Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks, a power generation control unit that controls power generation of the plurality of fuel cell stacks based on a required power for the plurality of fuel cell stacks, and a refreshing control unit configured to perform a refreshing process of decreasing a voltage on the plurality of fuel cell stacks. The refreshing control unit performs the refreshing process on the first fuel cell stack when the required power changes from a state in which the required power is less than a first predetermined value to a state in which the required power is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value and when the required power is in a range which is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value and less than the second threshold value.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2019Publication date: May 7, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Masayuki ITO
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Publication number: 20200136157Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a first fuel cell stack and a second fuel cell stack; a supply passage connected to an inlet of oxidant gas in the first fuel cell stack; an discharge passage connected to an outlet of the oxidant gas in the second fuel cell stack; introduction unit that introduces water in the oxidant gas flowing through the discharge passage into the supply passage; and a controller configured to perform refresh control of the first fuel cell stack by lowering voltage of the first fuel cell stack, and operates, during the refresh control, the introduction unit while keeping the second fuel cell stack in an electric power generation state.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2019Publication date: April 30, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masayuki ITO, Tomohiko KANEKO
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Publication number: 20200127307Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a secondary battery; first and second fuel cells; first and second scavenging devices configured to scavenge the first and second fuel cells, respectively; and a control device configured to perform a first scavenging process of scavenging the first fuel cell by driving the first scavenging device using a charged power of the secondary battery when the first and second fuel cells are in a power generation stopped state and to perform a second scavenging process of scavenging the second fuel cell by driving the second scavenging device using a generated power of the first fuel cell when the first fuel cell is in a power generation state and the second fuel cell is in the power generation stopped state.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 6, 2019Publication date: April 23, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hideyuki KUMEI, Masayuki ITO, Tomohiko KANEKO
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Publication number: 20200112041Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell unit; first and second supply systems; a switching device; a switching control unit; an open circuit voltage obtaining unit; and a supply system control unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2019Publication date: April 9, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masayuki ITO, Hideyuki KUMEI, Tomohiko KANEKO
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Publication number: 20200112039Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell unit; first and second supply systems; a switching device; a switching control unit, when required power of the fuel cell unit is equal to or smaller than a threshold; an open circuit voltage obtaining unit; and a supply system control unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2019Publication date: April 9, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masayuki ITO, Tomohiko KANEKO, Hideyuki KUMEI
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Patent number: 10593970Abstract: An output performance recovering device for a fuel cell includes: a diagnosis unit configured to determine whether it is necessary to recover a catalyst of a fuel cell mounted as a power source for traveling in a vehicle from short-term performance deterioration; a recovery unit configured to control a voltage of the fuel cell and to perform recovery processing for recovering the catalyst from the short-term performance deterioration; a calculation unit configured to calculate a parameter correlated with a predicted output value of the fuel cell which has been predicted to be output on a scheduled traveling route of the vehicle based on a gradient of the scheduled traveling route of the vehicle and a predicted vehicle speed of the vehicle on the scheduled traveling route; and a determination unit configured to determine whether the parameter indicates the predicted output value is greater than a first threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2017Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masaaki Matsusue, Yasushi Araki, Masayuki Ito
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Publication number: 20200067119Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a first fuel cell; a second fuel cell having a greater maximum power output than the first fuel cell; and a controller configured to cause the first fuel cell to generate greater electric power greater than the second fuel cell when the requested power is smaller than a first threshold, cause the second fuel cell to generate greater electric power than the first fuel cell when the requested power is a second threshold, which is the first threshold or greater and smaller than a third threshold that is greater than the second threshold, is 70% of the maximum power output of the second fuel cell or grater, and is 100% of the maximum power output of the second fuel cell or smaller, and cause both the first and second fuel cells to generate electric power when the requested power is the third threshold or greater.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 2019Publication date: February 27, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Masayuki ITO
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Publication number: 20200067117Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a first fuel cell; a second fuel cell having a greater maximum power output than a maximum power output of the first fuel cell; and a controller configured to cause the first fuel cell to generate greater electric power greater than the second fuel cell when the requested power is smaller than a first threshold, cause the second fuel cell to generate greater electric power than the first fuel cell when the requested power is a second threshold, which is the first threshold or greater, or greater and is smaller than a third threshold that is greater than the second threshold and is greater than 50% of a sum of the maximum power outputs of the first and second fuel cells, and cause both the first and second fuel cells to generate electric power when the requested power is the third threshold or greater.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 2019Publication date: February 27, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Masayuki ITO
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Publication number: 20200059565Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes means for storing data, means for dividing data into a plurality of pieces of element data, and means for performing virus check onto each of the plurality of pieces of element data in a designated order.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2019Publication date: February 20, 2020Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: Masayuki ITO, Kazuhiro TOMIYASU, Takatsugu KUNO, Hiroshi SUGIURA, Shin OHBA, Akito OTA
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Publication number: 20200006020Abstract: A push-button switch member includes: a movable contact and an operation key disposed facing the protruding side thereof, and in contact therewith or spaced therefrom. The movable contact includes: an upper contact portion disposed directly under a key body; an outer fixed portion in the upper contact portion or more outward therefrom in the radial direction, and fixed more outward in the radial direction than the key body; and a non-contacting outer portion provided more outward in the radial direction than the upper contact portion, and disposed to face in a non-contacting state another contact so as to be able to contact another contact which is disposed on an outer side in the radial direction and contacted by the upper contact portion when pushed by the key body. The non-contacting outer portion has a bottom portion for a line contact or a surface contact with another contact.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 15, 2017Publication date: January 2, 2020Inventors: Masayuki ITO, Toshihiro MOTOKI
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Patent number: 10468694Abstract: A fuel cell vehicle on which a fuel cell system including a fuel cell is mounted includes a discharge mechanism configured to discharge moisture, generated by the fuel cell, from the fuel cell system to an outside of the vehicle, a camera configured to capture an image outside the vehicle, and an electronic control unit configured to determine whether predetermined control based on an information obtained from the image and executed or stopped in response to a driving status or drive mode of the vehicle in an on-state of an ignition switch is being executed, and, when it is determined that the predetermined control is being executed, execute a low discharge process in which a discharge flow rate of water vapor that is discharged from the discharge mechanism to the outside of the vehicle is reduced as compared to when it is determined that the predetermined control is stopped.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2018Date of Patent: November 5, 2019Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Masayuki Ito
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Publication number: 20190305326Abstract: A fuel cell includes: an electrolyte membrane; first and second catalyst layers respectively formed on first and second surface of the electrolyte membrane; and a separator disposed opposite to the electrolyte membrane with respect to the first catalyst layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2019Publication date: October 3, 2019Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Nobuaki NONOYAMA, Norishige KONNO, Masayuki ITO
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Publication number: 20190305325Abstract: A fuel cell includes: an electrolyte membrane; first and second catalyst layers respectively formed on first and second surfaces of the electrolyte membrane; and a separator, the first catalyst layer being arranged between the separator and the electrolyte membrane, wherein the separator includes first and second grooves through which reactant gas flows between the first catalyst layer and the separator.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2019Publication date: October 3, 2019Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Nobuaki NONOYAMA, Norishige KONNO, Masayuki ITO