Patents by Inventor Toru Kawai

Toru Kawai 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: 11932263
    Abstract: A travel sickness estimation system includes an estimation unit and an output unit. The estimation unit is configured to perform estimation processing of estimating, based on person information indicating conditions of a person who is on board a moving vehicle, whether or not the person is in circumstances that would cause travel sickness for him or her. The output unit is configured to output a result of the estimation processing performed by the estimation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuta Moriura, Yoshitaka Nakamura, Yasufumi Kawai, Hiroyuki Handa, Yohei Morishita, Toru Okino, Hiroyuki Hagino, Toru Sakuragawa, Satoshi Morishita
  • Patent number: 11929467
    Abstract: A secondary battery including an electrode assembly having a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator arranged between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, an electrolyte, and an exterior body housing the electrode assembly and the electrolyte. The exterior body has at least two step portions adjacent to each other and having top surfaces with different heights, the at least two step portions including a low step portion and a high step portion. A stepped surface is formed between the top surface of the low step portion and the top surface of the high step portion, and at least part of a board is arrangeable on the top surface of the low step portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toru Kawai, Masahiro Otsuka
  • Patent number: 11866029
    Abstract: A wagon includes a communication part configured to communicate with other device, an electric motor configured to generate a traveling driving force, a battery configured to supply electric power to the electric motor, a position sensor configured to acquire position information indicating a position of a host wagon, an attitude detection unit configured to acquire inclination information indicating a tilt of the host wagon, and a controller configured to transmit the position information and the inclination information, which were acquired in a same region, to other device via the communication part while associating the position information and the inclination information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toru Kawai, Masaya Honji
  • Patent number: 11853078
    Abstract: An autonomous work system comprises a plurality of autonomous work machines. The plurality of autonomous work machines each comprises: a distance specifying unit configured to specify a distance to another autonomous work machine based on image information obtained by imaging surroundings; and a communication unit configured to receive a GNSS signal of a self-machine, and GNSS signal information that has been acquired based on a GNSS signal that has been received by the another autonomous work machine and position information of the another autonomous work machine; and a position specifying unit configured to specify a self-position in a self-work area, based on the position information of the another autonomous work machine and a distance to the another autonomous work machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Toru Kawai
  • Patent number: 11811022
    Abstract: A secondary battery that includes an electrode assembly having a plurality of electrode configuration layers, each electrode configuration layer including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and an exterior body enclosing the electrode assembly. The electrode assembly has a substantially circular plan view shape with a single partial notch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Toru Kawai
  • Patent number: 11702141
    Abstract: In a vehicle subframe 1, a first side member has a first extending portion that extends while being deflected outward on one side in a width direction as approaching from a rear side to a front side, a second side member has a second extending portion that extends while being deflected outward on the other side in the width direction as approaching from the rear side to the front side, and a second cross member is further included which is opposed to the first cross member on the front side thereof and couples a portion of the first extending portion in which the degree of outward deflection on the one side in the width direction becomes large and a portion of the second extending portion in which the degree of outward deflection on the other side in the width direction becomes large to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: F-TECH INC.
    Inventors: Toru Kawai, Hiroyuki Uchida
  • Patent number: 11577716
    Abstract: There is provided a cart. An electric motor generates a travel driving force based on a control signal from an external control unit configured to perform control related a travel path of the cart. A battery supplies power to the electric motor. An engine drives a power generator which is configured to be capable of charging the battery. A determination unit determines whether the engine is to be operated, based on a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toru Kawai, Masaya Honji
  • Publication number: 20220289169
    Abstract: A truck is provided. An electric motor generates a traveling drive force. A battery supplies power to the electric motor. An engine drives a generator capable of charging the battery. The battery is provided between the electric motor and the engine in a front-and-rear direction of the truck.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toru Kawai, Runa Nakamura, Masaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11437653
    Abstract: A laminated secondary battery that includes an electrode assembly and an electrolyte accommodated in an exterior body. In the electrode assembly, a positive and negative electrode laminate body including an electrode current collector and electrode multi-units having two or more electrode material layers formed on the electrode current collector with non-forming regions interposed between them is bent in the non-forming regions of the electrode multi-unit, and the electrode multi-units have a collector tab extended from sides adjacent to the non-forming regions among all sides defining the two or more electrode material layers in a plan view thereof before being bent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toru Kawai, Masahiro Otsuka
  • Patent number: 11417868
    Abstract: A manufacturing method for a secondary battery that includes coating a metal current collector sheet material with an electrode material layer raw material such that a shape of a coating surface of the electrode material layer raw material is changed based on a shape of a non-rectangular electrode to be formed to form an electrode precursor, and cutting the electrode precursor into a non-rectangular electrode shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Retsu Tahara, Toru Kawai, Masahiro Otsuka
  • Patent number: 11411241
    Abstract: A secondary battery in which an electrode assembly including positive electrodes, negative electrodes, and separators disposed between the positive electrodes and the negative electrodes, and an electrolyte are housed in an exterior body. The electrode assembly has a step structure including a first region having a relatively high cross-sectional height and a second region having a relatively low cross-sectional height adjacent to the first region. The electrode assembly includes at least one of a positive electrode side connecting portion and a negative electrode side connecting portion in the first region. At least one of a positive electrode side extended portion and a negative electrode side extended portion in the second region is configured to be electrically connected to an external terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toru Kawai, Masahiro Otsuka, Yuji Mizuguchi
  • Patent number: 11411252
    Abstract: A lithium ion secondary battery that includes an electrode assembly having a plate-shaped positive electrode and a plate-shaped negative electrode stacked with a separator interposed therebetween, and an outer package made of a laminate film housing the electrode assembly. The lithium ion secondary battery has a polygonal shape having at least one set of a width and a length in a plan view thereof, and C/(A×B) is 0.50 (N/mm2) to 1.20 (N/mm2), where A is a thickness of the lithium ion secondary battery, B is a width of the lithium ion secondary battery, and C is a three-point bending strength of the lithium ion secondary battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Toru Kawai
  • Patent number: 11387493
    Abstract: A secondary battery having an electrode assembly and an electrolyte in an exterior body. The electrode assembly includes a step structure including a first region and a second region lower than and adjacent to the first region. The electrode assembly includes at least one of a positive electrode side connecting portion that connects each of positive electrode side connecting tabs of all positive electrodes in the first region and a negative electrode side connecting portion that connects each of the negative electrode side connecting tabs of all negative electrodes in the first region. At least one of a positive electrode side extended tab of at least one of the positive electrodes and a negative electrode side extended tab of at least one of the negative electrodes in the second region are configured to be electrically connected to an external terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toru Kawai, Masahiro Otsuka, Yuji Mizuguchi
  • Patent number: 11342590
    Abstract: A secondary battery which includes an electrode assembly having a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and an electrolyte, the electrode assembly and the electrolyte being accommodated in an exterior body. The positive electrode and the negative electrode have curved surfaces adjacent to each other on parts of peripheral surfaces in a planar view. The negative electrode is disposed so as to protrude from the positive electrode so that a gap G is present between the positive electrode and the negative electrode in the planar view. A value (|R1-R2|/G) obtained by dividing an absolute value |R1-R2| of a difference between a curvature radius R1 of the curved surface of the negative electrode and a curvature radius R2 of the curved surface of the positive electrode by the gap G is 0.50 to 1.10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toru Kawai, Masahiro Otsuka
  • Publication number: 20220142045
    Abstract: A work machine which includes a GNSS sensor that detects a GNSS signal and a marker detection sensor that detects a predetermined marker, and which is a self-propelled work machine that performs work in a work region based on results of detection by the GNSS sensor and the marker detection sensor, the work machine comprising a specification unit configured to specify a region in which accuracy of specifying a self-position of the work machine based on the GNSS sensor is lower than a reference in the work region, and a notification unit configured to notify a user of an installation position of the marker based on a result of specification by the specification unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventor: Toru KAWAI
  • Publication number: 20220147056
    Abstract: A work machine which includes a GNSS sensor that detects a GNSS signal and a beacon signal detection sensor that detects a signal of a beacon, and which is a self-propelled work machine that performs work in a work region based on results of detection by the GNSS sensor and the beacon signal detection sensor, the work machine comprising a specification unit configured to specify a region in which accuracy of specifying a self-position of the work machine based on the GNSS sensor is lower than a reference in the work region, and a notification unit configured to notify a user of an installation position of a marker based on a result of specification by the specification unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventor: Toru KAWAI
  • Patent number: 11329323
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a secondary battery is provided to improve a manufacturing efficiency of a non-rectangular electrode. The manufacturing method is provided for a secondary battery and includes forming the non-rectangular electrode. The step of forming the electrode includes, prior to forming an electrode precursor by applying an electrode material layer raw material to a metal sheet material that becomes a current collector, controlling a wettability of a local portion of a surface of the metal sheet material to the electrode material layer raw material and forming a wettability control region in the local portion. The local portion becomes a cutaway region of the non-rectangular electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Retsu Tahara, Toru Kawai, Masato Fujioka, Takuya Kenko, Masahiro Otsuka
  • Patent number: 11329273
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a secondary battery in which the preparation of at least one of a positive electrode and ta negative electrode includes forming an electrode material layer on a metal sheet material to serve as an electrode current collector, thereby providing an electrode precursor, and cutting out electrodes from the electrode precursor to form a plurality of electrodes. Each of the electrodes has a non-rectangular shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Otsuka, Toru Kawai, Masashi Higuchi, Takuya Kenko
  • Publication number: 20220135135
    Abstract: In a vehicle subframe 1, fragile portions 124 and 144 of a first side member 110 are deformed to be bent by crash load applied from the front side to the rear side in frontal crash of a vehicle, from crushed portions of fragile portions 126 and 146 of the first side member 110 as start points, and fragile portions 164 and 184 of a second side member 150 are deformed to be bent by the crash load from crushed portions of fragile portions 166 and 186 of the second side member 150 as start points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Applicant: F-TECH INC.
    Inventors: Toru Kawai, Hiroyuki Uchida
  • Publication number: 20220137639
    Abstract: An autonomous work system comprises a plurality of autonomous work machines. The plurality of autonomous work machines each comprises: a distance specifying unit configured to specify a distance to another autonomous work machine based on image information obtained by imaging surroundings; and a communication unit configured to receive a GNSS signal of a self-machine, and GNSS signal information that has been acquired based on a GNSS signal that has been received by the another autonomous work machine and position information of the another autonomous work machine; and a position specifying unit configured to specify a self-position in a self-work area, based on the position information of the another autonomous work machine and a distance to the another autonomous work machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventor: Toru Kawai