Patents by Inventor Akira Nakajo

Akira Nakajo 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: 10440797
    Abstract: The lighting device includes a power conversion circuit and a control circuit. The power conversion circuit includes a high voltage side output terminal and a low voltage side output terminal to be connected to a light source, and a step-down chopper circuit. The control circuit performs a lighting operation of controlling the power conversion circuit to develop a DC output voltage between the high voltage side output terminal and the low voltage side output terminal. The control circuit starts a protective operation of limiting a current to be supplied to the light source when the output voltage is equal to or higher than a threshold value. The threshold value is in a range of 1.2 to 1.3 times a rated voltage of the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Harada, Akira Nakajo
  • Patent number: 9999104
    Abstract: A lighting device that supplies current to light-emitting units includes: a DC-to-DC converter; a switch unit connected to the light-emitting units; and a control circuit which controls the DC-to-DC converter and the switch unit. The DC-to-DC converter includes: an inductor through which current from the DC-to-DC converter is provided to the light-emitting units; and a first switch element connected in series with the inductor and which switches ON/OFF. The control circuit includes: a zero-crossing detector that detects that current flowing in the inductor is substantially zero due to the first switch element switching OFF, and outputs a zero-current detection signal; and a switch controller that selects one of the light-emitting units and controls the switch unit to cause the current from the DC-to-DC converter to be supplied to the selected light-emitting unit when the first switch element subsequently switches ON, each time the switch controller receives the zero-current detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Naruo, Kenichi Fukuda, Shinji Makimura, Akira Nakajo
  • Publication number: 20170347414
    Abstract: The lighting device includes a power conversion circuit and a control circuit. The power conversion circuit includes a high voltage side output terminal and a low voltage side output terminal to be connected to a light source, and a step-down chopper circuit. The control circuit performs a lighting operation of controlling the power conversion circuit to develop a DC output voltage between the high voltage side output terminal and the low voltage side output terminal. The control circuit starts a protective operation of limiting a current to be supplied to the light source when the output voltage is equal to or higher than a threshold value. The threshold value is in a range of 1.2 to 1.3 times a rated voltage of the light source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: Kazuhiko HARADA, Akira NAKAJO
  • Patent number: 9771250
    Abstract: A hydraulic control device for a forklift includes a hydraulic pump, a single electric motor for driving the hydraulic pump, an outflow control mechanism provided between a lift cylinder and the hydraulic pump, a flow control valve provided between the outflow control mechanism and a draining portion, and a controller. When a lowering operation of a fork and either forward or rearward mast tilting operations of a mast are performed at the same time, the controller controls the electric motor based on a target speed of the hydraulic pump. The flow control valve controls the flow rate of hydraulic fluid from the lift cylinder to the hydraulic pump and the flow rate from the lift cylinder to the draining portion in accordance with the difference between the actual rotation speed of the hydraulic pump and the target rotation speed of the hydraulic pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI, NISHINA INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Ueda, Tsutomu Matsuo, Hirohiko Ishikawa, Tetsuya Goto, Junichi Morita, Toshinari Fukatsu, Akira Nakajo, Ryo Yazawa
  • Patent number: 9723666
    Abstract: Provided is a lighting device including two switching elements, a control circuit, a resonance circuit, a rectification circuit, and a feedback circuit. The control circuit controls two switching elements such that the two switching elements operate separately from each other. The control circuit changes the switching frequencies of the two switching elements from high frequencies to low frequencies, relative to one another, when the operation (switching operation) of the switching elements is started. The control circuit controls the feedback circuit such that the difference output from an error amplifier approaches zero within a period of time from a point of time at which the switching operation is stopped to a point of time at which the switching operation is next started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Akira Nakajo
  • Publication number: 20160270178
    Abstract: A lighting device that supplies current to light-emitting units includes: a DC-to-DC converter; a switch unit connected to the light-emitting units; and a control circuit which controls the DC-to-DC converter and the switch unit. The DC-to-DC converter includes: an inductor through which current from the DC-to-DC converter is provided to the light-emitting units; and a first switch element connected in series with the inductor and which switches ON/OFF. The control circuit includes: a zero-crossing detector that detects that current flowing in the inductor is substantially zero due to the first switch element switching OFF, and outputs a zero-current detection signal; and a switch controller that selects one of the light-emitting units and controls the switch unit to cause the current from the DC-to-DC converter to be supplied to the selected light-emitting unit when the first switch element subsequently switches ON, each time the switch controller receives the zero-current detection signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: Masahiro NARUO, Kenichi FUKUDA, Shinji MAKIMURA, Akira NAKAJO
  • Publication number: 20160198532
    Abstract: Provided is a lighting device including two switching elements, a control circuit, a resonance circuit, a rectification circuit, and a feedback circuit. The control circuit controls two switching elements such that the two switching elements operate separately from each other. The control circuit changes the switching frequencies of the two switching elements from high frequencies to low frequencies, relative to one another, when the operation (switching operation) of the switching elements is started. The control circuit controls the feedback circuit such that the difference output from an error amplifier approaches zero within a period of time from a point of time at which the switching operation is stopped to a point of time at which the switching operation is next started.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Inventor: Akira NAKAJO
  • Patent number: 9313844
    Abstract: A lighting device includes: a DC/DC converter including two switching elements connected in series and a resonant circuit connected to a connection point between the two switching elements; and a control unit configured to control driving of the two switching elements. The control unit is configured to: perform intermittent driving in which a switching period and a non-switching period are alternately repeated, the switching period being a period in which the control unit switches ON and OFF the two switching elements respectively and inversely; and the non-switching period being a period in which the control unit stops switching ON and OFF the two switching elements; and provide, in an initial part of the switching period, a frequency gradual decrease period in which a driving frequency for driving the two switching elements is gradually decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Nakajo
  • Publication number: 20160073457
    Abstract: A lighting device includes: a DC/DC converter including two switching elements connected in series and a resonant circuit connected to a connection point between the two switching elements; and a control unit configured to control driving of the two switching elements. The control unit is configured to: perform intermittent driving in which a switching period and a non-switching period are alternately repeated, the switching period being a period in which the control unit switches ON and OFF the two switching elements respectively and inversely; and the non-switching period being a period in which the control unit stops switching ON and OFF the two switching elements; and provide, in an initial part of the switching period, a frequency gradual decrease period in which a driving frequency for driving the two switching elements is gradually decreased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventor: Akira NAKAJO
  • Patent number: 9167658
    Abstract: The light emitting element lighting device in accordance with the present invention, includes: a light emitting unit including a light emitting element; and a power supply circuit configured to supply a supply voltage to the light emitting unit. The power supply circuit is configured to increase the supply voltage from a first voltage lower than a lighting start voltage of the light emitting element to a second voltage higher than the lighting start voltage to light up the light emitting unit. The power supply circuit is configured to, in a process of increasing the supply voltage from the first voltage to the second voltage, decrease a rate of increase in the supply voltage as the supply voltage gets closer to the second voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Nakajo, Hiroshi Kido
  • Patent number: 9131564
    Abstract: A light emitting element lighting device includes: a rectifying unit which rectifies an AC voltage; a smoothing unit which smoothes a ripple voltage from the rectifying unit; a power supply unit having a switching element; and a control unit which controls on/off of the switching element. Further, the smoothing unit servers as a partial smoothing circuit for partially smoothing a low voltage period of the ripple voltage outputted from the rectifying unit. The power supply unit supplies a lighting power to a light source unit including one or more light emitting elements. The control unit controls a switching frequency of the switching element to decrease as the output voltage of the smoothing unit decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Nakajo, Hiroshi Kido, Shigeru Ido
  • Patent number: 8912730
    Abstract: A wireless power supply system for lighting includes: a power transmission unit including a power transmission coil; and a power reception unit including a power reception coil. The power transmission coil generates an AC magnetic field in response to a supplied AC power. The power reception coil receives an electric power from the power transmission unit through an electromagnetic induction due to the AC magnetic field generated by the power transmission coil. The power reception unit further includes a power circuit and a receive-side control section. The power circuit receives an output power from the power reception coil and to perform Buck-Boost operation so as to output a predetermined electric power to a lighting load. The receive-side control section controls the Buck-Boost operation of the power circuit. The power circuit is configured to be capable of boosting and stepping-down of the output power from said power reception coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Nakajo, Nadda Chawalarat, Hiroshi Kido
  • Publication number: 20140331662
    Abstract: A hydraulic control device for a forklift includes a hydraulic pump, a single electric motor for driving the hydraulic pump, an outflow control mechanism provided between a lift cylinder and the hydraulic pump, a flow control valve provided between the outflow control mechanism and a draining portion, and a controller. When a lowering operation of a fork and either forward or rearward mast tilting operations of a mast are performed at the same time, the controller controls the electric motor based on a target speed of the hydraulic pump. The flow control valve controls the flow rate of hydraulic fluid from the lift cylinder to the hydraulic pump and the flow rate from the lift cylinder to the draining portion in accordance with the difference between the actual rotation speed of the hydraulic pump and the target rotation speed of the hydraulic pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicants: NISHINA INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD., KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventors: Yuki Ueda, Tsutomu Matsuo, Hirohiko Ishikawa, Tetsuya Goto, Junichi Morita, Toshinari Fukatsu, Akira Nakajo, Ryo Yazawa
  • Patent number: 8779664
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an organic EL element lighting device whereby surge current can be reduced at start-up while controlling start-up variation, along with a lighting fixture using the same. Provided are a current supply part for supplying lighting current to a light source formed of one or more organic EL elements and connected between output terminals of the current supply part, a current detection part for detecting the lighting current, a target setting part for setting a target value of the lighting current, and a control part for performing feedback control of the lighting current by controlling the current supply part so that the detected value of the current detection part matches the target value of the lighting current. The target setting part has a sweep period during which the target value is gradually increased at start-up of the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Nakajo, Hiroshi Kido
  • Publication number: 20140015443
    Abstract: The light emitting element lighting device in accordance with the present invention, includes: a light emitting unit including a light emitting element; and a power supply circuit configured to supply a supply voltage to the light emitting unit. The power supply circuit is configured to increase the supply voltage from a first voltage lower than a lighting start voltage of the light emitting element to a second voltage higher than the lighting start voltage to light up the light emitting unit. The power supply circuit is configured to, in a process of increasing the supply voltage from the first voltage to the second voltage, decrease a rate of increase in the supply voltage as the supply voltage gets closer to the second voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Inventors: Akira NAKAJO, Hiroshi KIDO
  • Publication number: 20130026937
    Abstract: A light emitting element lighting device includes: a rectifying unit which rectifies an AC voltage; a smoothing unit which smoothes a ripple voltage from the rectifying unit; a power supply unit having a switching element; and a control unit which controls on/off of the switching element. Further, the smoothing unit servers as a partial smoothing circuit for partially smoothing a low voltage period of the ripple voltage outputted from the rectifying unit. The power supply unit supplies a lighting power to a light source unit including one or more light emitting elements. The control unit controls a switching frequency of the switching element to decrease as the output voltage of the smoothing unit decreases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira NAKAJO, Hiroshi KIDO, Shigeru IDO
  • Patent number: 8310162
    Abstract: A lighting apparatus includes a lighting circuit unit, a timer unit, a life judgment unit, a timing adjustment unit, and an indication unit. The lighting circuit unit is configured to activate a light source. The timer unit is configured to measure accumulated operation time of the lighting circuit unit. The life judgment unit is configured to store a first judgment time and a second judgment time longer than the first judgment time. The life judgment unit is configured to compare the accumulated operation time with the first judgment time and output a first judgment signal when the accumulated operation time becomes equal to the first judgment time. The life judgment unit is configured to compare the accumulated operation time with the second judgment time and output a second judgment signal when the accumulated operation time becomes equal to the second judgment time. The timing adjustment unit is configured to vary timing at which the life judgment unit outputs the first judgment signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Nakajo, Hiroshi Kido, Ryusuke Ura, Hidenori Kakehashi, Kohji Hiramatsu, Katsuyoshi Goto
  • Patent number: 8247987
    Abstract: An induction lamp lighting device includes an induction coil arranged adjacent to an induction lamp; a direct current power supply circuit for outputting a direct current voltage; a high-frequency power supply circuit for converting the direct current voltage to an alternating current voltage and supplying the alternating current voltage to the induction coil; and a control circuit for controlling the direct current power supply circuit and the high-frequency power supply circuit. The control circuit performs a startup preparation operation by which to control the high-frequency power supply circuit so that, immediately after the alternating current voltage begins to be outputted from the high-frequency power supply circuit to the induction coil, the alternating current voltage is gradually increased to such a voltage value as not to generate arc discharge in the induction lamp and then kept at the voltage value for a specified time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Nakajo, Hiroshi Kido, Shinji Makimura
  • Publication number: 20110095691
    Abstract: A lighting apparatus includes a lighting circuit unit, a timer unit, a life judgment unit, a timing adjustment unit, and an indication unit. The lighting circuit unit is configured to activate a light source. The timer unit is configured to measure accumulated operation time of the lighting circuit unit. The life judgment unit is configured to store a first judgment time and a second judgment time longer than the first judgment time. The life judgment unit is configured to compare the accumulated operation time with the first judgment time and output a first judgment signal when the accumulated operation time becomes equal to the first judgment time. The life judgment unit is configured to compare the accumulated operation time with the second judgment time and output a second judgment signal when the accumulated operation time becomes equal to the second judgment time. The timing adjustment unit is configured to vary timing at which the life judgment unit outputs the first judgment signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Nakajo, Hiroshi Kido, Ryusuke Ura, Hidenori Kakehashi, Kohji Hiramatsu, Katsuyoshi Goto
  • Publication number: 20090322239
    Abstract: An induction lamp lighting device includes an induction coil arranged adjacent to an induction lamp; a direct current power supply circuit for outputting a direct current voltage; a high-frequency power supply circuit for converting the direct current voltage to an alternating current voltage and supplying the alternating current voltage to the induction coil; and a control circuit for controlling the direct current power supply circuit and the high-frequency power supply circuit. The control circuit performs a startup preparation operation by which to control the high-frequency power supply circuit so that, immediately after the alternating current voltage begins to be outputted from the high-frequency power supply circuit to the induction coil, the alternating current voltage is gradually increased to such a voltage value as not to generate arc discharge in the induction lamp and then kept at the voltage value for a specified time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Nakajo, Hiroshi Kido, Shinji Makimura