Patents by Inventor Akihiro Funamoto

Akihiro Funamoto 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: 10461637
    Abstract: A switching element with a small current capacity is provided to be able to be used in a DC-DC converter. The DC-DC converter includes a switching circuit in which a first switching element, a second switching element, a third switching element, and a fourth switching element are connected in series, a flying capacitor that is connected between a connection portion between the first switching element and the second switching element and a connection portion between the third switching element and the fourth switching element, a reactor that is connected between a connection portion between the second switching element and the third switching element and a positive electrode of an input unit, and a control circuit that turns on/off the switching element, in which the control circuit turns on/off the switching elements so that a peak value in a reactor current becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignees: OMRON Corporation, NAGAOKA University of Technology
    Inventors: Junichi Itoh, Katsutaka Tanabe, Akihiro Funamoto, Koji Ando
  • 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: 20190149044
    Abstract: A switching element with a small current capacity is provided to be able to be used in a DC-DC converter. The DC-DC converter includes a switching circuit in which a first switching element, a second switching element, a third switching element, and a fourth switching element are connected in series, a flying capacitor that is connected between a connection portion between the first switching element and the second switching element and a connection portion between the third switching element and the fourth switching element, a reactor that is connected between a connection portion between the second switching element and the third switching element and a positive electrode of an input unit, and a control circuit that turns on/off the switching element, in which the control circuit turns on/off the switching elements so that a peak value in a reactor current becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Applicants: OMRON Corporation, NAGAOKA University of Technology
    Inventors: Junichi ITOH, Katsutaka TANABE, Akihiro FUNAMOTO, Koji ANDO
  • 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: 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
  • Patent number: 9425679
    Abstract: An inverter apparatus comprising a first switch group that is connected to a DC power source and includes a first switch and a second switch connected in series; a capacitor that has one end thereof connected to a first connection point between the first switch and the second switch; a second switch group that is connected in parallel with the capacitor and includes a third switch and a fourth switch that are connected in series; a switch control section that controls an ON/OFF state of the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, and the fourth switch to convert DC voltage from the DC power source into AC voltage and output the AC voltage from a second connection point between the third switch and the fourth switch; and a smoothing circuit that is connected to the second connection point and normalizes a pulse waveform of the AC voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignees: OMRON CORPORATION, TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Masao Mabuchi, Kenji Kobayashi, Takao Mizokami, Yasuhiro Tsubota, Akihiro Funamoto, Hideaki Fujita
  • Patent number: 9214894
    Abstract: A diagnosis device (17) for a solar power generation system, which diagnosis device (17) diagnoses a whole or a part of an output in the solar power generation system includes: a measurement data acquiring section (21) for acquiring an electric current value and a voltage value from an ammeter (12a) and a voltmeter (12b), respectively; and an diagnosing section (25) diagnoses the output on the basis of a motion of a power point indicated by the electric current value and the voltage value thus acquired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignees: OMRON CORPORATION, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Takuya Nakai, Takanori Ishii, Akira Enami, Akihiro Funamoto, Kazuhiko Kato
  • Patent number: 9035491
    Abstract: An output converter includes a DCDC conversion section, a secondary side voltage/current monitoring section detecting a power from the DCDC conversion section, a maximum operation point control section determining what voltage is to be set by the DCDC conversion section so that the power detected by the secondary side voltage/current monitoring section is maximum, a DCDC short-circuit switch via which a current from a module bypasses the DCDC conversion section to outside, a primary side voltage/current monitoring section measuring the current from the module, a module short-circuit switch switching between a state where a secondary side cathode and a secondary side anode are short-circuited and a state where they are not short-circuited, the maximum operation point control section causing the DCDC short-circuit switch and the module short-circuit switch to switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takanori Ishii, Akira Enami, Takuya Nakai, Akihiro Funamoto
  • Publication number: 20130307352
    Abstract: An inverter apparatus comprising a first switch group that is connected to a DC power source and includes a first switch and a second switch connected in series; a capacitor that has one end thereof connected to a first connection point between the first switch and the second switch; a second switch group that is connected in parallel with the capacitor and includes a third switch and a fourth switch that are connected in series; a switch control section that controls an ON/OFF state of the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, and the fourth switch to convert DC voltage from the DC power source into AC voltage and output the AC voltage from a second connection point between the third switch and the fourth switch; and a smoothing circuit that is connected to the second connection point and normalizes a pulse waveform of the AC voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicants: TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masao MABUCHI, Kenji KOBAYASHI, Takao MIZOKAMI, Yasuhiro TSUBOTA, Akihiro FUNAMOTO, Hideaki FUJITA
  • Patent number: 8575476
    Abstract: An alloy substrate formed on an alloy of Ni and Mo is formed by electroforming. The alloy substrate has graded composition in which alloy composition varies in a thickness direction thereof. A lower surface side is mainly composed of Ni, and a upper surface side is mainly composed of Mo. An upper surface of the alloy substrate is formed with a large number of minute and pyramidal unevenness having high light scattering property. A CIS light absorbing layer is formed on the upper surface of the alloy substrate, and an upper electrode is provided thereabove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Morihisa Ota, Taizo Kobayashi, Akihiro Funamoto, Shigeru Aoyama
  • Publication number: 20120303298
    Abstract: A diagnosis device (17) for a solar power generation system, which diagnosis device (17) diagnoses a whole or a part of an output in the solar power generation system includes: a measurement data acquiring section (21) for acquiring an electric current value and a voltage value from an ammeter (12a) and a voltmeter (12b), respectively; and an diagnosing section (25) diagnoses the output on the basis of a motion of a power point indicated by the electric current value and the voltage value thus acquired.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicants: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuya Nakai, Takanori Ishii, Akira Enami, Akihiro Funamoto, Kazuhiko Kato
  • Publication number: 20120242303
    Abstract: An output converter includes a DCDC conversion section, a secondary side voltage/current monitoring section detecting a power from the DCDC conversion section, a maximum operation point control section determining what voltage is to be set by the DCDC conversion section so that the power detected by the secondary side voltage/current monitoring section is maximum, a DCDC short-circuit switch via which a current from a module bypasses the DCDC conversion section to outside, a primary side voltage/current monitoring section measuring the current from the module, a module short-circuit switch switching between a state where a secondary side cathode and a secondary side anode are short-circuited and a state where they are not short-circuited, the maximum operation point control section causing the DCDC short-circuit switch and the module short-circuit switch to switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takanori Ishii, Akira Enami, Takuya Nakai, Akihiro Funamoto
  • Publication number: 20100269906
    Abstract: An alloy substrate formed on an alloy of Ni and Mo is formed by electroforming. The alloy substrate has graded composition in which alloy composition varies in a thickness direction thereof. A lower surface side is mainly composed of Ni, and a upper surface side is mainly composed of Mo. An upper surface of the alloy substrate is formed with a large number of minute and pyramidal unevenness having high light scattering property. A CIS light absorbing layer is formed on the upper surface of the alloy substrate, and an upper electrode is provided thereabove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2008
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Applicant: OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Morihisa Ota, Taizo Kobayashi, Akihiro Funamoto, Shigeru Aoyama
  • Patent number: 7471355
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display has a light guide plate having a light-emitting plane on its one end surface, a light source arranged on a side surface of the light guide plate, and a liquid crystal panel arranged opposite the light-emitting plane of the light guide plate. Deflection patterns are formed on a surface opposite the light-emitting plane of the light guide plate, and the deflection patterns are arranged so that two independent components on the surface opposite the light-emitting plane of the light guide plate are random. In a certain region on the surface opposite the light-emitting plane, when an average value of the number of the deflection patterns included in each region opposite each pixel of the liquid crystal panel is designated by ?n and a standard deviation is designated by on, their ratio satisfies the relationship: 0<?n/?n?0.154.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Ken Watanuki, Gouo Kurata, Kenji Sakurai, Akihiro Funamoto, Shigeru Aoyama
  • Patent number: 7434976
    Abstract: A double-side LCD having a surface light source device including a light guide plate and a light source facing one end face of the light guide plate. A plurality of deflection patterns are formed in a surface facing a light outgoing plane of the light guide plate, the deflection pattern includes an inclined plane facing the light source side and a re-incident plane substantially perpendicular to the light outgoing plane. Light from the light source is reflected by the inclined plane and outputted from the light outgoing plane to the LCD. A tilt angle (?) of the inclined plane satisfies: 45°?[Sin?1(Sin ?/n)]/2???45°+[Sin?1(Sin ?/n)]/2, wherein ? is an angle between a direction of peak brightness of outputted light and a direction perpendicular to the light outgoing plane, n is a refractive index of the light guide plate, and ? is within 6-15°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Sakurai, Makoto Ohhira, Gouo Kurata, Akihiro Funamoto, Shigeru Aoyama
  • Patent number: 7324179
    Abstract: A reflector is used in a display device and is disposed parallel to a predetermined plane, and has plural unit reflecting portions each having a reflection face for reflecting incident light in a direction different from that of regular reflection light of the predetermined plane. Further, the distance between a first tangential plane abutting on a first reflection face arranged in an arbitrarily extracted first unit reflecting portion at a reference point arranged in an arbitrary position on the first reflection face, and a second tangential plane abutting on a second reflection face arranged in a second unit reflecting portion adjacent to the first unit reflecting portion in parallel with the first tangential plane is preferably half or more of a coherent length of the incident light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Ohhira, Motohiko Matsushita, Akihiro Funamoto, Shigeru Aoyama
  • Publication number: 20070035680
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display has a light guide plate having a light-emitting plane on its one end surface, a light source arranged on a side surface of the light guide plate, and a liquid crystal panel arranged opposite the light-emitting plane of the light guide plate. Deflection patterns are formed on a surface opposite the light-emitting plane of the light guide plate, and the deflection patterns are arranged so that two independent components on the surface opposite the light-emitting plane of the light guide plate are random. In a certain region on the surface opposite the light-emitting plane, when an average value of the number of the deflection patterns included in each region opposite each pixel of the liquid crystal panel is designated by ?n and a standard deviation is designated by ?n, their ratio satisfies the relationship: 0<?n/?n?0.154.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2006
    Publication date: February 15, 2007
    Applicant: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Ken Watanuki, Gouo Kurata, Kenji Sakurai, Akihiro Funamoto, Shigeru Aoyama
  • Patent number: 7163332
    Abstract: A front light and a reflective display using the same are provided. A light guide of the front light includes a plurality of patterns on the upper surface, each of the patterns including a first surface inclining relative to the light-emitting surface toward the light-entering surface, a second surface substantially perpendicular to the light-emitting surface or inclining relative to the light-emitting surface opposite to the light-entering surface, and a third surface inclining relative to the light-emitting surface toward the light-entering surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsu Shimizu, Motohiko Matsushita, Akihiro Funamoto, Shigeru Aoyama
  • Patent number: 7163330
    Abstract: According to a front light comprising an optical waveguide 25 and a light source 24 arranged on the side of the optical waveguide 25, the optical waveguide 25 comprises a light input surface and light emission surface 28, and a plurality of deflection patterns 26 are formed on the surface opposed to the light emission surface 28. Light from the light source 24 is input from the light input surface of the optical waveguide 25 and propagated in the optical waveguide 25. The light totally reflected by the deflection patterns 26 among the light propagated in the optical waveguide 25 is emitted from the light emission surface 28 in the direction oblique to the normal direction of the light emission surface 28. The light is emitted from the light emission surface 28 so as to be aligned in one direction regardless of its position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Yuki Matsui, Makoto Ohhira, Motohiko Matsushita, Akihiro Funamoto, Shigeru Aoyama
  • Patent number: 7162139
    Abstract: In a front light equipped with a light source and a transparent plate emitting light from a light emitting surface which is situated at the reverse side against an observation side surface by conducting light from the light source, the reflection preventive patterns comprising the minute unevennesses 30 for prevention of reflection are formed on the light emitting surface. When a wavelength of visible light with the shortest wavelength among light which is emitted from the light source 24 is ?min, the refractive index of the transparent plate is n1 and the refractive index of air is n0, the period p of the minute unevennesses 30 satisfies the following equation. p<?min/(n0+n1). Thereby, it can be prevented that the diffracted light is emitted from the reflection preventive patterns (light emitting surface) of the transparent plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignees: Omron Corporation, Osaka University
    Inventors: Yuki Matsui, Akihiro Funamoto, Shigeru Aoyama