Patents by Inventor Akihiko Sano

Akihiko Sano 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: 20240074678
    Abstract: A system for evaluating a degree of brain dysfunction of a subject, such as a decline in cognitive function, calculates a difference in movement functions between both hands in a coordination movement. The system includes a storage device for storing time-series data on a finger movement task of each of both hands of a test subject acquired by a movement sensor; a data processing device for analyzing the time-series data stored in the storage device; and a display device for displaying an analysis result analyzed by the data processing device. The data processing device includes a movement waveform generation unit for generating a movement waveform corresponding to the time-series data stored in the storage device; and a difference-between-hands feature quantity generation unit for generating a difference-between-hands feature quantity which represents a difference in respective finger movement tasks between both hands, based on the respective movement waveforms of both hands.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Applicant: Maxell, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiko KANDORI, Yuko SANO
  • Patent number: 10727357
    Abstract: A defect number determination unit determines whether or not a solar cell string is defective in a plurality of positions on the basis of whether or not a combined impedance found from impedances in the case where an inspection signal is applied to a P terminal and an N terminal of the solar cell string deviates from a reference impedance by greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Takeuchi, Akihiko Sano, Kohei Tomita
  • Patent number: 10707809
    Abstract: The disclosure is provided to improve the accuracy of a ground fault position detected from a power conditioning system. A ground fault position calculation part (41) calculates a ground fault position (Pg) by using a power supply voltage of a solar cell string (11), a ground fault current (Ig), and a ground potential of an input terminal (N) measured by a power conditioning system (12). The ground fault position calculation part (41) sets a lower limit value of the power supply voltage to be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiko Sano, Kotaro Nakamura, Kenji Kobayashi, Kohei Nakagawa, Makoto Ide
  • Patent number: 10509068
    Abstract: A bypass diode with a disconnection fault is identified. A test device includes: a signal introduction circuit that applies a disconnection position identification signal to between a positive electrode and a negative electrode of a solar battery string; and a fault calculating part that identifies the bypass diode with a disconnection fault on the basis of an AC component of a voltage between a frame ground and the positive electrode or an AC component of a voltage between the frame ground and the negative electrode when the disconnection position identification signal is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Takeuchi, Shuichi Misumi, Akihiko Sano
  • Patent number: 10466293
    Abstract: Provided is an inspection device that can determine by itself whether a power-supply-side circuit (11, 22, 23) including a solar-cell string (11) is electrically isolated from a PCS (13, 130). The inspection device (14, 140) measures the impedance of the power-supply-side circuit including the solar-cell string (11) and determines whether the power-supply-side circuit is electrically isolated from the PCS (13, 130) on the basis of the capacitive component of the measured impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Shuichi Misumi, Akihiko Sano
  • Patent number: 10424951
    Abstract: In a solar power generation system, a solar battery string is connected to a PCS via an electric path. In the solar battery string, a plurality of solar battery units having a solar battery module and an optimizer that optimizes an output voltage of the solar battery module are connected in series. In an arc detection apparatus, capacitors form bypass current paths that bypass the optimizer, and an electric current sensor is provided on the electric path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Kohei Tomita, Akihiko Sano
  • Publication number: 20190288642
    Abstract: The disclosure provides an I-V curve measurement device for providing a user with an I-V curve suitable for judging the state of a solar cell array. The I-V curve measurement device includes a measuring unit for measuring the I-V curve of the solar cell array while lowering an output voltage of the solar cell array and then measuring a short-circuit current of the solar cell array when measurement of the I-V curve is instructed; and an outputting unit for outputting a measurement result of the I-V curve obtained by the measuring unit when the short-circuit current measured by the measuring unit exceeds a predetermined current and outputting information indicating that illuminance is insufficient when the short-circuit current measured by the measuring unit is equal to or less than the predetermined current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Applicant: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto OHASHI, Akihiko SANO, Yoshihiko YAMAGUCHI, Tsuyoshi TAKEUCHI
  • Patent number: 10374548
    Abstract: A storage unit stores a defect correlation table indicating what influence a given type of defect will have on the inspection of the other types of defects. When an obtainment unit obtains an inspection result of inspecting for a defect, an influence determination unit refers to the defect correlation table and determines the influence of the other types of defects on the inspection result. Information pertaining to the determined influence is outputted via an output unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiko Sano, Kohei Tomita, Tsuyoshi Takeuchi, Takuya Nakai, Akihiro Funamoto
  • Publication number: 20190190444
    Abstract: A solar cell array inspection system includes a measurement part configured to measure a characteristic curve which is an I-V curve or a P-V curve of a solar cell array including a plurality of strings when a current from each of the strings is input through a blocking diode; and a determination part configured to search for an inflection point in the characteristic curve measured by the measurement part, determine whether the state of the solar cell array is an abnormal state in which at least one string has an abnormality based on the results of searching for an inflection point, and notify a user of the determination result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2018
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Applicant: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiko SANO, Makoto OHASHI, Yoshihiko YAMAGUCHI, Tsuyoshi TAKEUCHI
  • Patent number: 10305424
    Abstract: A solar photovoltaic system inspection apparatus sequentially applies AC inspection signals to a positive electrode and a negative electrode of a solar cell string, and is provided with: an impedance calculation unit configured to measure an indicator value when the signal is applied to the positive electrode, and an indicator value when the signal is applied to the negative electrode, the indicator values varying depending on the number of solar cell modules from the terminal to which the inspection signal was applied to a failure position; and a control unit configured to obtain the failure position based on the ratio of the indicator value measured when the inspection signal was applied to the positive electrode, to the indicator value measured when the inspection signal was applied to the negative electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Takeuchi, Shuichi Misumi, Akihiko Sano, Kosuke Morita
  • Publication number: 20190131925
    Abstract: The disclosure is provided to improve the accuracy of a ground fault position detected from a power conditioning system. A ground fault position calculation part (41) calculates a ground fault position (Pg) by using a power supply voltage of a solar cell string (11), a ground fault current (Ig), and a ground potential of an input terminal (N) measured by a power conditioning system (12). The ground fault position calculation part (41) sets a lower limit value of the power supply voltage to be used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiko SANO, Kotaro NAKAMURA, Kenji KOBAYASHI, Kohei NAKAGAWA, Makoto IDE
  • Publication number: 20180356453
    Abstract: Provided is an inspection device that can determine by itself whether a power-supply-side circuit (11, 22, 23) including a solar-cell string (11) is electrically isolated from a PCS (13, 130). The inspection device (14, 140) measures the impedance of the power-supply-side circuit including the solar-cell string (11) and determines whether the power-supply-side circuit is electrically isolated from the PCS (13, 130) on the basis of the capacitive component of the measured impedance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2016
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Applicant: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Shuichi MISUMI, Akihiko SANO
  • Publication number: 20180269679
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a technique for appropriately recovering an output reduction due to PID. A solar power generation system which has a solar cell, converts an output of the solar cell to predetermined AC power and outputs the converted AC power includes a voltage application part configured to apply an DC voltage to the solar cell and to perform an output recovery operation, and a stop control part configured to stop applying of the DC voltage when a stop condition is satisfied after the DC voltage is applied. Further, when an output correspondence information acquisition part that acquires output correspondence information indicating a value corresponding to an output value of the solar cell is provided, stop control part determines that the stop control part satisfies the stop condition and stops the applying of the DC voltage when the output value corresponding to the output correspondence information exceeds a threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Applicant: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiko Sano, Yasuhiro Tsubota, Nobuyuki Toyoura
  • Publication number: 20180233902
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a solar cell string has a plurality of solar cell parts connected in series. In each of the solar cell parts, a solar cell module is connected to/separated from a cable run by an optimizer. A ground fault detection device instructs the optimizer to perform switching to the connection or the separation, and, after the instruction, determines the presence/absence of a ground fault in the solar cell string.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Applicant: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiko SANO, Kosuke MORITA, Akihiro FUNAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20180226919
    Abstract: In a photovoltaic power generation system, a solar battery string is connected to a string optimizer via power lines, and a solar battery string is connected to the string optimizer via power lines. The string optimizer is connected to a PCS via power lines. In an arc detection apparatus, capacitors form a bypass current route bypassing the string optimizer, and a current sensor is provided in the power line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Applicant: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Kohei TOMITA, Akihiko SANO, Arno van Zwam
  • Publication number: 20180219394
    Abstract: In a solar power generation system, a solar battery string is connected to a PCS via an electric path. In the solar battery string, a plurality of solar battery units having a solar battery module and an optimizer that optimizes an output voltage of the solar battery module are connected in series. In an arc detection apparatus, capacitors form bypass current paths that bypass the optimizer, and an electric current sensor is provided on the electric path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Applicant: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Kohei TOMITA, Akihiko SANO
  • Publication number: 20180172751
    Abstract: A bypass diode with a disconnection fault is identified. A test device includes: a signal introduction circuit that applies a disconnection position identification signal to between a positive electrode and a negative electrode of a solar battery string; and a fault calculating part that identifies the bypass diode with a disconnection fault on the basis of an AC component of a voltage between a frame ground and the positive electrode or an AC component of a voltage between the frame ground and the negative electrode when the disconnection position identification signal is applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Applicant: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi TAKEUCHI, Shuichi MISUMI, Akihiko SANO
  • Publication number: 20180167029
    Abstract: A storage unit stores a defect correlation table indicating what influence a given type of defect will have on the inspection of the other types of defects. When an obtainment unit obtains an inspection result of inspecting for a defect, an influence determination unit refers to the defect correlation table and determines the influence of the other types of defects on the inspection result. Information pertaining to the determined influence is outputted via an output unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2017
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Applicant: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiko SANO, Kohei TOMITA, Tsuyoshi TAKEUCHI, Takuya NAKAI, Akihiro FUNAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20180166589
    Abstract: A defect number determination unit determines whether or not a solar cell string is defective in a plurality of positions on the basis of whether or not a combined impedance found from impedances in the case where an inspection signal is applied to a P terminal and an N terminal of the solar cell string deviates from a reference impedance by greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Applicant: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi TAKEUCHI, Akihiko SANO, Kohei TOMITA
  • Publication number: 20180041164
    Abstract: A ground fault detection apparatus includes a PV current detection unit, a ground fault current detection circuit, an electric power delivery path switching switch that switches the connection of a solar cell string from a PCS side to the ground fault current detection circuit, and a control unit that, when the solar cell string is in a switchable state, switches the electric power delivery path switching switch to the ground fault current detection circuit side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2017
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Applicant: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiko SANO, Kosuke MORITA, Shuichi MISUMI