Patents by Inventor Akira Baba

Akira Baba 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: 20200056780
    Abstract: The present invention provides a solid fuel burner which ensures ignition performance and flame holding performance of a fuel nozzle. The present invention provides a solid fuel burner which achieves cost reduction by simplifying the structure of the fuel nozzle, for example, and which ensures the ignition performance and flame holding performance of the fuel nozzle. Further, the present invention provides a burner which enables stable combustion by both solid fuel and oil combustion with the suppression of soot and dust and mist generated during the oil start-up envisaged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventors: Junya WATANABE, Koji KURAMASHI, Akira BABA, Kosuke KITAKAZE, Kenichi OCHI, Kenji KIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20190366871
    Abstract: A electricity management device increases a counter value as an electric vehicle is charged from grid power that is supplied from an electrical grid, retains the counter value when the electric vehicle is charged from electricity generated by an electricity generation device, and reduces the counter value as electricity in the electric vehicle is discharged to a distribution board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventor: Akira BABA
  • Patent number: 10483761
    Abstract: Power management device includes memory, classification portion, planning portion and indication portion. Classification portion classifies a change in monitoring power during a unit period with respect to each of buildings, stored in memory, into any one of kinds of electric power patterns. Planning portion determines pattern sets based on the kinds of electric power patterns, and determines control content for charging and discharging of electric storage apparatus with respect to each pattern set under condition of minimizing any one of amount of electric power to be received from power grid, compensation of amount of electric power to be received from power grid, and amount of carbon dioxide to be exhausted. Indication portion indicates control content corresponding to each of pattern sets determined by planning portion to electric storage apparatus of a building, which each pattern set conforms with, of the buildings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Baba, Haruka Nakasone
  • Patent number: 10432006
    Abstract: A charge/discharge control apparatus includes: a controller which performs a discharge control to discharge a rechargeable battery and a charge control to charge the rechargeable battery using excess power which is power, among generated power, which is not to be consumed by a load; and a setter which sets a threshold value for remaining energy in the rechargeable battery, according to a planned discharged energy amount which is planned as a discharged energy amount to be supplied from the rechargeable battery to the load during a specified time period. The controller performs a discharge prohibition control to prohibit a discharge of the rechargeable battery when the remaining energy in the rechargeable battery is equal to or below the threshold value prior to the specified time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Baba, Haruka Nakasone
  • Patent number: 10406927
    Abstract: A electricity management device increases a counter value as an electric vehicle is charged from grid power that is supplied from an electrical grid, retains the counter value when the electric vehicle is charged from electricity generated by an electricity generation device, and reduces the counter value as electricity in the electric vehicle is discharged to a distribution board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Akira Baba
  • Patent number: 10381793
    Abstract: A ground connection structure is a structure for collectively connecting, to a body of a vehicle, a plurality of grounding wires which are connected to respective electrical components installed in the vehicle. The ground connection structure includes: a connection box to which the plurality of grounding wires are connected; a grounding terminal part connected to the vehicle in an electrically conducting state; and an electrically conducting connection part having one end connected to the connection box and the other end connected to the grounding terminal part, the electrically conducting connection part connecting the connection box and the grounding terminal part in an electrically conducting manner. The electrically conducting connection part is made of a low-inductance material having low inductance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yukinari Naganishi, Akira Baba, Takashi Odajima, Hirohito Habara, Hideaki Saitoh, Takao Ota, Akihiro Koyama, Atsushi Nakata
  • Patent number: 10359193
    Abstract: In accordance with the flow distribution of combustion gas including an unburned portion, an after-air port (AAP) arranged downstream of the two-stage combustion burner can effectively reduce the unburned portion by dividing as appropriate so as to avoid interaction, and by mixing together, two types of after-air having functions of linearity and spreading. As the configuration of this AAP, a primary nozzle for supplying primary after-air and having a vertical height greater than the horizontal width is provided in the center in the opening of the AAP, a secondary nozzle for supplying secondary after-air is provided in the opening outside of the primary nozzle, and one or more secondary after-air guide vanes having a fixed or variable tilt angle relative to the after-air port center axis are provided at the outlet of the said secondary nozzle to deflect and supply the secondary after-air horizontally to the left or right.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Kiyama, Miki Shimogori, Toshihiko Mine, Satoshi Tadakuma, Kenichi Ochi, Koji Kuramashi, Yusuke Ochi, Akira Baba, Yuki Kondo
  • Publication number: 20180339945
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a ceramic plate-shaped body that efficiently manufactures a ceramic plate-shaped body having high smoothness without requiring polishing after firing. The method includes preparing an unsintered plate-shaped body, preparing a plurality of resin sheets by a resin slurry containing a spherical resin powder that is composed of a resin material being poorly-soluble in an organic solvent and burning out during firing, producing an unsintered laminate by laminating and press-bonding the unsintered plate-shaped body and the resin sheet, firing the unsintered laminate so that the unsintered plate-shaped body is sintered to form a ceramic plate-shaped body, and the ceramic plate-shaped bodies are bonded to each other with scattered fine bonding portions interposed therebetween to form a ceramic laminate, and breaking the bonding portions in the ceramic laminate so that the ceramic laminate is divided into a plurality of ceramic plate-shaped bodies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Publication date: November 29, 2018
    Inventor: AKIRA BABA
  • Publication number: 20180195716
    Abstract: A solid fuel burner is provided with a nozzle that is provided around the central axis of the burner, that includes a straight tube section having an opening opposed to a furnace, and a curved tube section continuous with the straight tube section, and that sprays out, from the opening to the furnace, a fluid mixture which is of a solid fuel and carrier gas of the solid fuel and which is flowing in the curved tube section; a first swirler that gives the fluid mixture a swirl at the burner central axis side of the straight tube section; and a second swirler that gives, at the burner central axis side downstream of the first swirler, the thud mixture a swirl opposite to that given by the first swirler.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Masayuki Taniguchi, Akira Baba, Koji Kuramashi, Shota Ishii
  • Publication number: 20180142887
    Abstract: A burner includes: an inner gas nozzle which extends along an axis while surrounding the axis, and which is capable of supplying a furnace with an inner combustion oxygen containing gas; a fuel supply nozzle surrounding the inner gas nozzle as seen in a direction along the axis, the fuel supply nozzle being capable of supplying the furnace with a fluid mixture of a solid powder fuel and a carrier gas; an outer gas nozzle surrounding the fuel supply nozzle as seen in the direction along the axis, the outer gas nozzle being capable of supplying the furnace with an outer combustion oxygen containing gas; and a flow-velocity-ratio adjustment apparatus capable of adjusting a relative flow velocity ratio of a discharge flow velocity of the inner combustion oxygen containing gas to a discharge flow velocity of the outer combustion oxygen containing gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2016
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Kiyama, Toshimitsu Ichinose, Miki Shimogori, Toshihiko Mine, Kenji Yamamoto, Ryuichiro Tanaka, Akira Baba, Koji Kuramashi, Koutaro Fujimura, Keigo Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20180138731
    Abstract: A charge/discharge control apparatus includes: a controller which performs a discharge control to discharge a rechargeable battery and a charge control to charge the rechargeable battery using excess power which is power, among generated power, which is not to be consumed by a load; and a setter which sets a threshold value for remaining energy in the rechargeable battery, according to a planned discharged energy amount which is planned as a discharged energy amount to be supplied from the rechargeable battery to the load during a specified time period. The controller performs a discharge prohibition control to prohibit a discharge of the rechargeable battery when the remaining energy in the rechargeable battery is equal to or below the threshold value prior to the specified time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2016
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventors: Akira BABA, Haruka NAKASONE
  • Patent number: 9954371
    Abstract: An electric power acquisition section acquires a power demand of a load. An assist control section determines that an assist condition is satisfied when the power demand exceeds a threshold value within a time slot for permitting electric power to be supplied to the load. When determining that the assist condition is satisfied, the assist control section presents a selection prompt to inquire whether or not to activate an assist operation for supplying the electric power from a power storage device, on an operation display device through a notification control section. If there is a response for requesting activation of the assist operation from the operation display device in response to the selection prompt, the assist operation is started. The assist condition is set in a storage unit by a condition setting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Takehara, Akira Baba, Shinpei Hibiya
  • Patent number: 9639074
    Abstract: A demand measurement unit measures load demand power and a power generation measurement unit measures solar cell output power. A threshold storage unit stores a discharge control threshold for determining whether to discharge remaining storage cell power. When demand power exceeds generated power, a command unit controls storage cell discharge by comparing remaining storage cell power with the discharge control threshold and transmits a control command to a power conditioner. If the remaining storage cell power exceeds the discharge control threshold, then the command unit commands storage cell discharge. A threshold setting unit sets the discharge control threshold, and updates the discharge control threshold when that value changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinpei Hibiya, Kiyotaka Takehara, Akira Baba, Kenji Nakakita
  • Patent number: 9533594
    Abstract: A vehicle-mounted apparatus comprising: a communication unit which is connected to the charger/discharger and exchanges information with the charger/discharger; an input unit receiving various types of information; a storage unit which uses the information acquired through the input unit and the communication unit to store: a vehicle ID identifying the vehicle; a charger/discharger ID identifying the charger/discharger which can be connected to the vehicle; and history information indicating a history of charges and discharges for the vehicle, which are related to one another; and a presentation unit presenting to a user of the vehicle, the history information stored in the storage unit in relation to a pair of the vehicle ID and the charger/discharger which charges/discharges the vehicle and is identified by the charger/discharger ID.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Haruka Nakasone, Akira Baba, Hitoshi Nomura, Yasuhiro Yanagi
  • Patent number: 9523991
    Abstract: A controller executes local generation and local consumption pathways of: supplying power from a solar cell to an appliance, and charging a storage cell with power that remains after subtracting power consumed by the appliance from the solar cell power. In the absence of excess power, the storage cell and solar cell supply power. Power supply from a commercial electrical grid covers a power shortage that remains after subtracting solar cell power and storage cell power from the power consumed by the appliance. The controller also executes a second excess power selling mode pathway wherein excess power flows into the commercial electrical grid, and an assist mode wherein all solar cell power flows into the commercial electrical grid, and storage cell power flows to the appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Baba, Kiyotaka Takehara
  • Publication number: 20160146463
    Abstract: In accordance with the flow distribution of combustion gas including an unburned portion, an after-air port (AAP) arranged downstream of the two-stage combustion burner can effectively reduce the unburned portion by dividing as appropriate so as to avoid interaction, and by mixing together, two types of after-air having functions of linearity and spreading. As the configuration of this AAP, a primary nozzle for supplying primary after-air and having a vertical height greater than the horizontal width is provided in the center in the opening of the AAP, a secondary nozzle for supplying secondary after-air is provided in the opening outside of the primary nozzle, and one or more secondary after-air guide vanes having a fixed or variable tilt angle relative to the after-air port center axis are provided at the outlet of the said secondary nozzle to deflect and supply the secondary after-air horizontally to the left or right.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Inventors: Kenji KIYAMA, Miki SHIMOGORI, Toshihiko MINE, Satoshi TADAKUMA, Kenichi OCHI, Koji KURAMASHI, Yusuke OCHI, Akira BABA, Yuki KONDO
  • Patent number: 9343926
    Abstract: Residential system includes photovoltaic power system including solar battery, and electrical storage device including battery. Electric load of residential system is selectively supplied with energy from power supply system, power generator and electrical storage device. Power generator allows energy to flow back to power supply system. Energy surplus judgment part calculates difference between generating energy of power generator and demand power for electric load (excess generating energy). Overall operation controller applies stored energy in electrical storage device to demand energy for electric load when excess generating energy is produced, and charges electrical storage device without applying generating energy of power generator to demand energy when excess generating energy is not produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Baba, Kiyotaka Takehara, Takeshi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 9293915
    Abstract: A controller installed at each consumer side comprises: a power generation amount acquisition unit acquiring the amount of electricity that has been generated in a solar cell; a power selling amount acquisition unit acquiring the amount of electricity for sale that has been allowed to flow into an electric power system by reverse power flow, among the electricity generated in the solar cell; and a power selling suppression control unit configured to set a threshold value for the amount of the electricity for sale, as proportional to the amount of the generated electricity acquired by the power generation amount acquisition unit, and configured to suppress the reverse power flow into the electric power system so that the amount of the electricity for sale is set to the threshold value or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Baba, Kiyotaka Takehara, Kenji Nakakita, Shinpei Hibiya
  • Patent number: 9153963
    Abstract: An electric power control apparatus enables a surplus electric power from a distributed power source to be stored in a storage battery in a consumer unit provided with a distributed power source and a storage battery. The electric power control apparatus is characterized in being provided with a compensation calculating unit which calculates the compensation of electric power by using a unit price of electricity for sale when charging the storage battery and a unit price of electricity for purchase when discharging from the storage battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Baba, Kiyotaka Takehara, Akiko Takamiya
  • Publication number: 20150207323
    Abstract: A power flow control system controls power flow in a first power network shared by customer facilities. The first power network is shared by a customer facility group that includes first customer facilities each including at least a load device and a power generator, and second customer facilities each including at least a load device and an electric storage device. Each of measurement devices measures, for each unit time period, electric power consumed by a load device and electric power generated by a power generator. A management device instructs timings of charging and discharging of the electric storage devices in the customer facility group such that the power flow at a connection node between the first power network and a second power network transmitting electric power from a power plant to the first power network satisfies a predetermined constraint condition using data on electric power acquired from the measurement devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Inventors: Akira Baba, Haruka Nakasone