Patents by Inventor Tetsuo Sugahara

Tetsuo Sugahara 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: 11975616
    Abstract: An electric vehicle drive system includes: a reactor; and electric vehicle control apparatuses that control electric motors for driving an electric vehicle. Each of the electric vehicle control apparatuses includes: a capacitor that defines a filter circuit together with the reactor; an inverter circuit that supplies power to the corresponding one of the electric motors; and a control unit that controls the inverter circuit. The inverter circuit is housed in a housing together with the capacitor and the control unit. The reactor is connectable to each of the housings through an electric wire having any desired length. At least one of the electric wires connecting the reactor and the housings has a length of 2 meters or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Kitanaka, Tetsuo Sugahara, Hirokazu Takabayashi
  • Publication number: 20220314806
    Abstract: An electric vehicle drive system includes: a reactor; and electric vehicle control apparatuses that control electric motors for driving an electric vehicle. Each of the electric vehicle control apparatuses includes: a capacitor that defines a filter circuit together with the reactor; an inverter circuit that supplies power to the corresponding one of the electric motors; and a control unit that controls the inverter circuit. The inverter circuit is housed in a housing together with the capacitor and the control unit. The reactor is connectable to each of the housings through an electric wire having any desired length. At least one of the electric wires connecting the reactor and the housings has a length of 2 meters or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2019
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hidetoshi KITANAKA, Tetsuo SUGAHARA, Hirokazu TAKABAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20220286066
    Abstract: An electric vehicle control device includes a first inverter controlling a first group defined by induction motors, and a second inverter controlling a second group defined by induction motors. The first inverter and the induction motors of the first group are connected to each other by a first conductor. The second inverter and the induction motors of the second group are connected by a second conductor. A first length is equal to or less than three times the average value of a second length and a third length. The first length is an inter-center distance between the first conductor and the second conductor, the second length is the maximum length of a conductor portion of the first conductor in the cross section of the first conductor, and the third length is the maximum length of a conductor portion of the second conductor in the cross section of the second conductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki NISHIO, Yasuhiro SHIRAKI, Takayoshi MIKI, Shinsuke KADOI, Hisanori YAMASAKI, Sho KATO, Tetsuo SUGAHARA
  • Patent number: 11396236
    Abstract: An electric vehicle control device includes a plurality of drive control systems that controls travelling of an electric vehicle. Each of the drive control systems includes an induction motor, an inverter that drives the induction motor, and a controller that controls the inverter. Each of the controllers of the plurality of drive control systems includes a miswiring detector that calculates a torque estimation value on a basis of motor currents and voltage command values and detects miswiring between the induction motor and the inverter on a basis of the calculated torque estimation value and the torque command value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru Dairiki, Tetsuo Sugahara, Sho Kato
  • Publication number: 20200406762
    Abstract: An electric vehicle control device includes a plurality of drive control systems that controls travelling of an electric vehicle. Each of the drive control systems includes an induction motor, an inverter that drives the induction motor, and a controller that controls the inverter. Each of the controllers of the plurality of drive control systems includes a miswiring detector that calculates a torque estimation value on a basis of motor currents and voltage command values and detects miswiring between the induction motor and the inverter on a basis of the calculated torque estimation value and the torque command value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru DAIRIKI, Tetsuo SUGAHARA, Sho Kato
  • Patent number: 10486536
    Abstract: An electric vehicle control device includes: a main transformer to convert AC voltage input to an input winding thereof from an AC power source, and output converted AC voltage from each of a plurality of output windings; a plurality of converter main circuits, each connected to one of a plurality of secondary windings included in the output windings, to convert AC voltage output from connected secondary windings into DC voltage; and a plurality of converter controllers, each targeting for control one of the converter main circuits, to control by pulse width modulation the control-target converter main circuit, by comparing a signal wave and carrier wave. Each of the converter controllers determines a phase angle correction amount of the signal wave and/or the carrier wave, in response to operating state of a load supplied power through a predetermined output winding among the output windings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tetsuo Sugahara
  • Patent number: 9845013
    Abstract: A controller of an AC electric vehicle includes a first specific-frequency-current computation unit that extracts a current component corresponding to a first specific frequency set value from a main-transformer output current and outputs the current component as a first specific-frequency current, a subtractor that subtracts the first specific-frequency current from the main-transformer output current and outputs a subtraction result as a current deviation, a second specific-frequency-current computation unit that extracts a current component corresponding to a second specific frequency set value from the current deviation and outputs the current component as a second specific-frequency current, and a power-failure detection unit that compares the second specific-frequency current with a predetermined power-failure detection-current set value and outputs a power-failure detection signal when the second specific-frequency current is larger than the power-failure detection-current set value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuo Sugahara, Takumi Uemura
  • Patent number: 9825578
    Abstract: Object of the present disclosure is to improve accuracy of over-temperature protection of an electric motor. A control device controls an inverter main circuit for driving the electric motor. An electric power conversion circuit controller acquires DC voltage input to the inverter main circuit, output voltage of the inverter main circuit, motor amperage of current flowing through the electric motor, and motor frequencies indicating rotation rate of the electric motor. Based on at least one of the DC voltage, output voltage, motor amperage and motor frequencies, a motor loss estimator calculates a stator loss and rotor loss, each including fundamental and harmonic losses of the electric motor. Based on the inverter output voltage, stator loss and rotor loss, the electric power conversion circuit controller outputs an actual control value for control of the inverter main circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tetsuo Sugahara
  • Patent number: 9787214
    Abstract: Even when an overvoltage suppression circuit is not formed due to failure of an overvoltage suppression switch, overvoltage application to semiconductors and a filter capacitor is prevented. A control unit controls the overvoltage suppression circuit to short-circuit the filter capacitor when the voltage thereacross exceeds a predetermined value. Then when non-operation of the overvoltage suppression circuit is detected, the control unit opens an AC breaker and AC switch, and closes a charging switch. Thereafter, the control unit turns ON the converter element (or converter element) connecting to the filter capacitor terminal (or terminal) and a charging resistor, and turns ON converter element (or converter element) connecting to terminal (or terminal) of filter capacitor and connecting to the terminal of the transformer not connected to charging resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tetsuo Sugahara
  • Patent number: 9694689
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle, the control device including, in a housing that is installed under a floor of the vehicle: a power converter configured of a semiconductor switching circuit; a control unit that controls the output of the power converter so as to supply a required load to a power; a wiring that is connected to the power converter; a voltage detector that detects a voltage applied to the wiring and outputs the detected voltage to the control unit; and a shielding unit that shields radiation noise from the wiring to the voltage detector, wherein the control unit is disposed on a first side of the housing along a traveling direction of the vehicle, the power converter is disposed on a second side of the housing along the traveling direction of the vehicle and the voltage detector is disposed between the power converter and the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hisanori Yamasaki, Tetsuo Sugahara, Minoru Ikemoto
  • Publication number: 20170036549
    Abstract: An electric vehicle control device includes: a main transformer to convert AC voltage input to an input winding thereof from an AC power source, and output converted AC voltage from each of a plurality of output windings; a plurality of converter main circuits, each connected to one of a plurality of secondary windings included in the output windings, to convert AC voltage output from connected secondary windings into DC voltage; and a plurality of converter controllers, each targeting for control one of the converter main circuits, to control by pulse width modulation the control-target converter main circuit, by comparing a signal wave and carrier wave. Each of the converter controllers determines a phase angle correction amount of the signal wave and/or the carrier wave, in response to operating state of a load supplied power through a predetermined output winding among the output windings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuo SUGAHARA
  • Publication number: 20160380576
    Abstract: Object of the present disclosure is to improve accuracy of over-temperature protection of an electric motor. A control device controls an inverter main circuit for driving the electric motor. An electric power conversion circuit controller acquires DC voltage input to the inverter main circuit, output voltage of the inverter main circuit, motor amperage of current flowing through the electric motor, and motor frequencies indicating rotation rate of the electric motor. Based on at least one of the DC voltage, output voltage, motor amperage and motor frequencies, a motor loss estimator calculates a stator loss and rotor loss, each including fundamental and harmonic losses of the electric motor. Based on the inverter output voltage, stator loss and rotor loss, the electric power conversion circuit controller outputs an actual control value for control of the inverter main circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuo SUGAHARA
  • Publication number: 20160329824
    Abstract: Even when an overvoltage suppression circuit is not formed due to failure of an overvoltage suppression switch, overvoltage application to semiconductors and a filter capacitor is prevented. A control unit controls the overvoltage suppression circuit to short-circuit the filter capacitor when the voltage thereacross exceeds a predetermined value. Then when non-operation of the overvoltage suppression circuit is detected, the control unit opens an AC breaker and AC switch, and closes a charging switch. Thereafter, the control unit turns ON the converter element (or converter element) connecting to the filter capacitor terminal (or terminal) and a charging resistor, and turns ON converter element (or converter element) connecting to terminal (or terminal) of filter capacitor and connecting to the terminal of the transformer not connected to charging resistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuo SUGAHARA
  • Patent number: 9313933
    Abstract: A power converter, which performs cooling of a switching element by using a boiling cooling apparatus that makes use of a boiling phenomenon of a coolant incorporated therein, includes a control unit to control an operation of the power converter based on a deviation between an element attachment surface temperature, which is a temperature of an attachment surface of the switching element, and a cooling apparatus intake air temperature. When the deviation between the element attachment surface temperature and the cooling apparatus intake air temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control unit performs control of stopping the power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuo Sugahara, Tomohiro Kobayashi, Ryosuke Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 9083244
    Abstract: In a power conversion apparatus that is configured to cool switching elements by using a boiling-refrigerant-type cooling device that uses a boiling phenomenon of a refrigerant included therein, an inverter control unit that controls the switching elements (Su to Sz) by generating a gate command capable of stabilizing boiling of the refrigerant includes a modulation-mode selection unit that determines stability of the cooling device based on an element-temperature estimation value that is an estimated temperature of the switching elements (Su to Sz), and that decides and selects a modulation mode PM for controlling the switching elements (Su to Sz) based on a determination result, and a gate-command generation unit that generates a gate command G based on the modulation mode PM selected by the modulation-mode selection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tetsuo Sugahara
  • Publication number: 20150191086
    Abstract: A controller of an AC electric vehicle includes a first specific-frequency-current computation unit that extracts a current component corresponding to a first specific frequency set value from a main-transformer output current and outputs the current component as a first specific-frequency current, a subtractor that subtracts the first specific-frequency current from the main-transformer output current and outputs a subtraction result as a current deviation, a second specific-frequency-current computation unit that extracts a current component corresponding to a second specific frequency set value from the current deviation and outputs the current component as a second specific-frequency current, and a power-failure detection unit that compares the second specific-frequency current with a predetermined power-failure detection-current set value and outputs a power-failure detection signal when the second specific-frequency current is larger than the power-failure detection-current set value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuo Sugahara, Takumi Uemura
  • Publication number: 20150049527
    Abstract: A power converter, which performs cooling of a switching element by using a boiling cooling apparatus that makes use of a boiling phenomenon of a coolant incorporated therein, includes a control unit to control an operation of the power converter based on a deviation between an element attachment surface temperature, which is a temperature of an attachment surface of the switching element, and a cooling apparatus intake air temperature. When the deviation between the element attachment surface temperature and the cooling apparatus intake air temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control unit performs control of stopping the power converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuo Sugahara, Tomohiro Kobayashi, Ryosuke Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 8956606
    Abstract: A malignant tumor cell suppressor protein (a) or (b): (a) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID No. 1; or (b) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID No. 1, wherein one or more amino acid are deleted, substituted or added in the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID No. 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Inventors: Toshiwo Andoh, Tetsuo Sugahara, Yoshihide Hayashizaki, Yasushi Okazaki
  • Publication number: 20130249460
    Abstract: In a power conversion apparatus that is configured to cool switching elements by using a boiling-refrigerant-type cooling device that uses a boiling phenomenon of a refrigerant included therein, an inverter control unit that controls the switching elements (Su to Sz) by generating a gate command capable of stabilizing boiling of the refrigerant includes a modulation-mode selection unit that determines stability of the cooling device based on an element-temperature estimation value that is an estimated temperature of the switching elements (Su to Sz), and that decides and selects a modulation mode PM for controlling the switching elements (Su to Sz) based on a determination result, and a gate-command generation unit that generates a gate command G based on the modulation mode PM selected by the modulation-mode selection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tetsuo Sugahara
  • Publication number: 20120063176
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle, the control device including, in a housing that is installed under a floor of the vehicle: a power converter configured of a semiconductor switching circuit; a control unit that controls the output of the power converter so as to supply a required load to a power; a wiring that is connected to the power converter; a voltage detector that detects a voltage applied to the wiring and outputs the detected voltage to the control unit; and a shielding unit that shields radiation noise from the wiring to the voltage detector, wherein the control unit is disposed on a first side of the housing along a traveling direction of the vehicle, the power converter is disposed on a second side of the housing along the traveling direction of the vehicle and the voltage detector is disposed between the power converter and the control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hisanori Yamasaki, Tetsuo Sugahara, Minoru Ikemoto