Patents by Inventor Akira GOTANI
Akira GOTANI 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).
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Patent number: 11897348Abstract: A power transmission device that wirelessly transmits power to a vehicle, the power transmission device including an information emitter that, in a case in which the position of the vehicle acquired by the information acquirer is located in a power transmission range of the power transmission coil and, also, the instruction receiver receives the instruction about power transmission, emits a first type of information that indicates a presence of the foreign object when the detector detects the foreign object, and in a case in which the instruction receiver does not receive the instruction about power transmission even though the position of the vehicle acquired by the position information acquirer is located in the power transmission range of the power transmission coil, does not emit the information that indicates the presence of the foreign object.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2021Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: TDK CORPORATIONInventor: Akira Gotani
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Patent number: 11881725Abstract: A foreign object detection device includes a plurality of coils (240) each including a first conductive pattern mounted on one surface of a detection coil substrate (220) to be excited and thus generate a vibration signal, a detector (26) to detect the existence of a foreign object on the basis of the vibration signal, a first connecting line (230) to connect one terminals (T1) of the individual coils (240) to the detector (26), and a second connecting line (232) to connect the other terminals (T2) of the individual coils (240) to the detector (26). The first connecting line (230) and the second connecting line (232) extend in substantially identical paths in at least segments mounted on the detection coil substrate (220).Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2020Date of Patent: January 23, 2024Assignee: TDK CORPORATIONInventors: Akira Gotani, Kazuki Kondo
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Patent number: 11833916Abstract: A foreign object detection device includes a detection coil unit including a detection coil substrate (220) and a plurality of coils (242), which are mounted on a surface of the detection coil substrate (220) and each include a conductive pattern turned around the Z axis, and a detector (26) connected to the coils (242) to detect the existence of a foreign object on the basis of a vibration signal output when each of the coils (242) is excited. The coils (242) each define an opening. The detection coil substrate (220) has a through hole (228) extending through the detection coil substrate (220), and a component space for accommodating a switch (248) or a wiring pattern (250), within each of the openings of the coils (242) as seen in the Z-axis direction.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2020Date of Patent: December 5, 2023Assignee: TDK CORPORATIONInventors: Akira Gotani, Kazuki Kondo
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Patent number: 11777343Abstract: A power transmission device wirelessly transmits electric power to a power reception device. A power transmission coil is configured by winding a conductive wire. A foreign object detection device detects a foreign object. Sensor coils are placed to cover the power transmission coil. A detector executes determination processing of determining existence of the foreign object on each of the sensor coils, based on a comparison result between a comparison target value based on output voltage output from one sensor coil of the sensor coils and a threshold value set to the one sensor coil. The detector executes threshold value change processing of changing the threshold value set to the one sensor coil on each of the sensor coils, based on induced voltage induced in the one sensor coil by magnetic flux generated by the power transmission coil.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2021Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignee: TDK CORPORATIONInventors: Kazuki Kondo, Akira Gotani, Masahide Ohnishi
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Publication number: 20230155421Abstract: A power transmission device wirelessly transmits electric power to a power reception device. A power transmission coil is configured by winding a conductive wire. A foreign object detection device detects a foreign object. Sensor coils are placed to cover the power transmission coil. A detector executes determination processing of determining existence of the foreign object on each of the sensor coils, based on a comparison result between a comparison target value based on output voltage output from one sensor coil of the sensor coils and a threshold value set to the one sensor coil. The detector executes threshold value change processing of changing the threshold value set to the one sensor coil on each of the sensor coils, based on induced voltage induced in the one sensor coil by magnetic flux generated by the power transmission coil.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 19, 2021Publication date: May 18, 2023Applicant: TDK CORPORATIONInventors: Kazuki KONDO, Akira GOTANI, Masahide OHNISHI
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Publication number: 20220360113Abstract: A foreign object detection device includes a plurality of coils (240) each including a first conductive pattern mounted on one surface of a detection coil substrate (220) to be excited and thus generate a vibration signal, a detector (26) to detect the existence of a foreign object on the basis of the vibration signal, a first connecting line (230) to connect one terminals (T1) of the individual coils (240) to the detector (26), and a second connecting line (232) to connect the other terminals (T2) of the individual coils (240) to the detector (26). The first connecting line (230) and the second connecting line (232) extend in substantially identical paths in at least segments mounted on the detection coil substrate (220).Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2020Publication date: November 10, 2022Applicant: TDK CORPORATIONInventors: Akira GOTANI, Kazuki KONDO
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Publication number: 20220266703Abstract: A foreign object detection device includes a detection coil unit including a detection coil substrate (220) and a plurality of coils (242), which are mounted on a surface of the detection coil substrate (220) and each include a conductive pattern turned around the Z axis, and a detector (26) connected to the coils (242) to detect the existence of a foreign object on the basis of a vibration signal output when each of the coils (242) is excited. The coils (242) each define an opening. The detection coil substrate (220) has a through hole (228) extending through the detection coil substrate (220), and a component space for accommodating a switch (248) or a wiring pattern (250), within each of the openings of the coils (242) as seen in the Z-axis direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2020Publication date: August 25, 2022Applicant: TDK CORPORATIONInventors: Akira GOTANI, Kazuki KONDO
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Publication number: 20220242257Abstract: A foreign object detection device includes coils (242) arranged adjacent to each other on an arrangement surface, each of which is excited and thus generates a vibration signal, and a detector (26) connected to the coils (242) to detect the existence of a foreign object on the basis of the responding signal output from each of the coils (242). The arrangement surface has a first region in which the coils (242) are grouped into a plurality of first coil groups each containing at least two coils (242). The detector (26) detects the existence of a foreign object on the basis of the vibration signal output from each of the coils (242) contained in the first coil groups. The first coil groups contain mutually different combinations of coils (242), and one coil (242) contained in at least one first coil group is also contained in another first coil group.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2020Publication date: August 4, 2022Applicant: TDK CORPORATIONInventor: Akira GOTANI
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Publication number: 20220037931Abstract: In a case in which an excess sensor which is a sensor in which the value for comparison exceeds the threshold value is present in one of the consecutive comparison processes, the detector determines that a foreign substance is present when the number of times of excess, which is the number of times at which the value for comparison exceeds the threshold value in the excess sensor reaches the first number of times. In a case in which the excess sensors of which the number is a first count that is more than one are present in one of the consecutive comparison processes, the detector determines that the foreign substance is present when the number of times of excess in each of the excess sensors of which the number is the first count reaches the second number of times, which is less than the first number of times.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2021Publication date: February 3, 2022Applicant: TDK CORPORATIONInventor: Akira GOTANI
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Publication number: 20220032792Abstract: A power transmission device that wirelessly transmits power to a vehicle, the power transmission device including an information emitter that, in a case in which the position of the vehicle acquired by the information acquirer is located in a power transmission range of the power transmission coil and, also, the instruction receiver receives the instruction about power transmission, emits a first type of information that indicates a presence of the foreign object when the detector detects the foreign object, and in a case in which the instruction receiver does not receive the instruction about power transmission even though the position of the vehicle acquired by the position information acquirer is located in the power transmission range of the power transmission coil, does not emit the information that indicates the presence of the foreign object.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2021Publication date: February 3, 2022Applicant: TDK CORPORATIONInventor: Akira GOTANI
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Publication number: 20220037932Abstract: The detector of a foreign substance detection device determines the presence or absence of a foreign substance on the basis of the results of comparison between a value for comparison, based on an output value from a sensor, and threshold values. The threshold values include a first threshold value and a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value. The detector determines that the foreign substance is present when the number of times at which the value for comparison exceeds the first threshold value reaches the first number of times, and determines that the foreign substance is present when the number of times at which the value for comparison exceeds the second threshold value reaches the second number of times smaller than the first number of times.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2021Publication date: February 3, 2022Applicant: TDK CORPORATIONInventor: Akira GOTANI
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Patent number: 11175428Abstract: A metallic foreign object detector is used in a wireless power transmission system that transmits power by wireless from a feeding coil to a receiving coil and includes an antenna coil, a capacitor that forms a resonance circuit together with the antenna coil, a vibration detection circuit configured to detect generation of a vibration signal in the resonance circuit, and a determination circuit that detects the presence/absence of a metallic foreign object according to the vibration signal. The vibration detection circuit is configured to output a detection state signal indicating the detection state of generation of the vibration signal. The determination circuit is configured to execute an operation of detecting the presence/absence of a metallic foreign object according to the detection state signal.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2018Date of Patent: November 16, 2021Assignee: TDK CORPORATIONInventors: Kazunori Oshima, Akira Gotani, Kazuki Kondo
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Patent number: 11152821Abstract: An object of the present invention is to suppress deterioration in detection accuracy during power feeding in the detection of the metallic foreign object using the antenna coil. A metallic foreign object detector includes: an antenna coil; a capacitor that constitutes a resonance circuit RC together with the antenna coil; a power supply that applies voltage to the resonance circuit to generate a vibration signal in the resonance circuit; a determination circuit that determines the presence/absence of a metallic foreign object based on the waveform of the vibration signal; a resonance capacitor switch inserted into the resonance circuit; and a control circuit that controls the open/close state of the resonance capacitor switch. The control circuit brings the resonance capacitor switch into a closed state responding to the power supply starting application of voltage to the resonance circuit.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2017Date of Patent: October 19, 2021Assignee: TDK CORPORATIONInventors: Kazunori Oshima, Akira Gotani, Kazuki Kondo, Narutoshi Fukuzawa
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Patent number: 11088573Abstract: An object of the present invention is to improve the accuracy of detection of the metallic foreign object. A metallic foreign object detector includes a sensor part having at least one antenna coil that receives a magnetic field or current to generate a vibration signal, an integration circuit that acquires the integral value of a waveform of a signal corresponding to the vibration signal, and a determination circuit that determines the presence/absence of a metallic foreign object approaching the antenna coil based on the integral value and a criterion integral value which is the integral value obtained in the absence of the approaching metallic foreign object. The integral value and the criterion integral value are obtained by integrating the waveform having the same wavenumber.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2017Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignee: TDK CORPORATIONInventors: Kazuki Kondo, Kazunori Oshima, Akira Gotani, Narutoshi Fukuzawa
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Patent number: 11056925Abstract: An object of the present invention is to reduce the possibility of failure in the detection of metallic foreign object. A metallic foreign object detector includes a sensor part having at least one antenna coil that receives a magnetic field or current to generate a vibration signal a vibration time length measurement circuit that measures a vibration time length indicating the length of time required for the vibration of the vibration signal output from the sensor part corresponding to a predetermined wavenumber larger than 1, and a determination circuit that determines the presence/absence of a metallic foreign object approaching the antenna coil based on the vibration time length and a criterion vibration time length which is the vibration time length obtained in the absence of the approaching metallic foreign object.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2017Date of Patent: July 6, 2021Assignee: TDK CORPORATIONInventors: Kazuki Kondo, Kazunori Oshima, Akira Gotani, Narutoshi Fukuzawa
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Patent number: 10862349Abstract: A metallic foreign object detector, used in a wireless power transmission system that transmits power using an alternating magnetic field, includes antenna coils that generate a vibration signal by receiving a magnetic field or current, one or more capacitors that constitute a resonance circuit together with each of the antenna coils, and a detection part that detects a metallic foreign object by sequentially using the antenna coils. The detection part has detection modes that detect the presence/absence of the metallic foreign object based on changes in mutually different characteristics of the resonance circuit. The detection part selects one mode from the detection modes in accordance with at least one of the power feeding state of the wireless power transmission system and the position of each of the plurality of antenna coils and performs the detection of the metallic foreign object in the selected detection mode.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2017Date of Patent: December 8, 2020Assignee: TDK CORPORATIONInventors: Narutoshi Fukuzawa, Kazunori Oshima, Akira Gotani, Kazuki Kondo
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Patent number: 10862314Abstract: An object of the present invention is to improve detection accuracy of a metallic foreign object between a feeding coil and a receiving coil during wireless power feeding. A wireless power transmitting device is a device that performs power transmission by wireless using an alternating magnetic field vibrating at a predetermined power transmission frequency and includes a feeding coil, an antenna coil, a capacitor that constitutes a resonance circuit RC together with the antenna coil, a noise detection part that detects noise vibrating at a frequency higher than the power transmission frequency, and a foreign object detection part 140 that detects the presence/absence of a metallic foreign object based on a change in voltage or current generated in the resonance circuit RC and a noise detection result from the noise detection part.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2017Date of Patent: December 8, 2020Assignee: TDK CORPORATIONInventors: Narutoshi Fukuzawa, Akira Gotani, Kazuki Kondo, Kazunori Oshima
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Publication number: 20200091776Abstract: An object of the present invention is to reduce the possibility of failure in the detection of metallic foreign object. A metallic foreign object detector includes a sensor part having at least one antenna coil that receives a magnetic field or current to generate a vibration signal a vibration time length measurement circuit that measures a vibration time length indicating the length of time required for the vibration of the vibration signal output from the sensor part corresponding to a predetermined wavenumber larger than 1, and a determination circuit that determines the presence/absence of a metallic foreign object approaching the antenna coil based on the vibration time length and a criterion vibration time length which is the vibration time length obtained in the absence of the approaching metallic foreign object.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2017Publication date: March 19, 2020Inventors: Kazuki KONDO, Kazunori OSHIMA, Akira GOTANI, Narutoshi FUKUZAWA
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Publication number: 20200076246Abstract: A metallic foreign object detector, used in a wireless power transmission system that transmits power using an alternating magnetic field, includes antenna coils that generate a vibration signal by receiving a magnetic field or current, one or more capacitors that constitute a resonance circuit together with each of the antenna coils, and a detection part that detects a metallic foreign object by sequentially using the antenna coils. The detection part has detection modes that detect the presence/absence of the metallic foreign object based on changes in mutually different characteristics of the resonance circuit. The detection part selects one mode from the detection modes in accordance with at least one of the power feeding state of the wireless power transmission system and the position of each of the plurality of antenna coils and performs the detection of the metallic foreign object in the selected detection mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2017Publication date: March 5, 2020Inventors: Narutoshi FUKUZAWA, Kazunori OSHIMA, Akira GOTANI, Kazuki KONDO
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Publication number: 20200012007Abstract: A metallic foreign object detector is used in a wireless power transmission system that transmits power by wireless from a feeding coil to a receiving coil and includes an antenna coil, a capacitor that forms a resonance circuit together with the antenna coil, a vibration detection circuit configured to detect generation of a vibration signal in the resonance circuit, and a determination circuit that detects the presence/absence of a metallic foreign object according to the vibration signal. The vibration detection circuit is configured to output a detection state signal indicating the detection state of generation of the vibration signal. The determination circuit is configured to execute an operation of detecting the presence/absence of a metallic foreign object according to the detection state signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 29, 2018Publication date: January 9, 2020Applicant: TDK CorporationInventors: Kazunori OSHIMA, Akira GOTANI, Kazuki KONDO