Patents by Inventor Chihiro Tomimatsu
Chihiro Tomimatsu 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: 10830729Abstract: In a sensor control device which controls a sensor, a first filter unit extracts a first filtered signal obtained by attenuating a frequency component higher than a first cutoff frequency from a digital signal indicating a current-application control value for a pump current, and a second filter unit extracts a second filtered signal obtained by attenuating a frequency component higher than a second cutoff frequency from the first filtered signal. A cutoff frequency setting unit sets at least one of the first cutoff frequency and the second cutoff frequency such that the sensor control device can control at least two types of sensors.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2018Date of Patent: November 10, 2020Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventors: Junichiro Mitsuno, Satoru Abe, Chihiro Tomimatsu, Hidetoshi Makino
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Patent number: 10669963Abstract: An anomaly determination apparatus determines an anomaly of a current control apparatus which supplies a control current to a control target and includes a current anomaly determination section. The current anomaly determination section is configured to compare a normal numerical range within which a state quantity changing with the control current falls in a particular state with a particular state quantity which is the state quantity corresponding to the control current generated by the control current generation section in the particular state, and determine that at least one of the reference resistor, the reference current generation section, and the control current generation section is in an anomalous state in the case where the particular state quantity has deviated from the normal numerical range. By using the current anomaly determination section, the anomaly determination apparatus can determine an anomaly of the current control apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2018Date of Patent: June 2, 2020Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., LTD.Inventors: Junichiro Mitsuno, Satoru Abe, Chihiro Tomimatsu, Hidetoshi Makino
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Publication number: 20180335400Abstract: In a sensor control device which controls a sensor, a first filter unit extracts a first filtered signal obtained by attenuating a frequency component higher than a first cutoff frequency from a digital signal indicating a current-application control value for a pump current, and a second filter unit extracts a second filtered signal obtained by attenuating a frequency component higher than a second cutoff frequency from the first filtered signal. A cutoff frequency setting unit sets at least one of the first cutoff frequency and the second cutoff frequency such that the sensor control device can control at least two types of sensors.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2018Publication date: November 22, 2018Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventors: Junichiro MITSUNO, Satoru ABE, Chihiro TOMIMATSU, Hidetoshi MAKINO
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Publication number: 20180306136Abstract: An anomaly determination apparatus determines an anomaly of a current control apparatus which supplies a control current to a control target and includes a current anomaly determination section. The current anomaly determination section is configured to compare a normal numerical range within which a state quantity changing with the control current falls in a particular state with a particular state quantity which is the state quantity corresponding to the control current generated by the control current generation section in the particular state, and determine that at least one of the reference resistor, the reference current generation section, and the control current generation section is in an anomalous state in the case where the particular state quantity has deviated from the normal numerical range. By using the current anomaly determination section, the anomaly determination apparatus can determine an anomaly of the current control apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2018Publication date: October 25, 2018Applicant: NGK Spark Plug Co., LTD.Inventors: Junichiro MITSUNO, Satoru ABE, Chihiro TOMIMATSU, Hidetoshi MAKINO
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Publication number: 20180067073Abstract: A multi-gas detection apparatus includes a concentration output computation section, a concentration computation section and a weighted average computation section. The concentration computation section computes the concentration of ammonia and the concentration of NO2 on the basis of a first pumping current and first and second ammonia electromotive forces. The concentration output computation section and the concentration computation section computes the concentration of NOx on the basis of the computed ammonia concentration, the computed NO2 concentration, and second pumping current. The weighted average computation section decreases the response speed of the first pumping current, which changes in accordance with the oxygen concentration, by digital filter processing. The weighted average computation sections decrease the response speeds of the first and second ammonia electromotive forces, which change in accordance with the ammonia concentration and the NO2 concentration, by digital filter processing.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 6, 2017Publication date: March 8, 2018Applicant: NGK Spark Plug Co., LTD.Inventors: Chihiro TOMIMATSU, Satoru TODA, Yoshihiro NAKANO
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Patent number: 9558134Abstract: An in-vehicle sensor (1) connected to a communication bus CAN includes a bus connection connector (40) including external communication terminals T3, T4, and external setting terminals T5, T6 each of which is brought into one of a plurality of connection states; judgment means S1-S7 for judging the connection states of the external terminals for setting T5, T6 when electric power is supplied in a state in which the bus connection connector (40) is connected to the communication bus CAN; identifier generation means S8 for generating an identifier ID of the in-vehicle sensor (1) based on the judged connection states; a nonvolatile storage section (11) for storing the identifier ID; communication means (10) for performing communications through the communication bus CAN using the stored identifier ID; and storing means S9 for storing a first generated initial identifier IDS in the storage section (11) as the identifier ID.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2014Date of Patent: January 31, 2017Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventors: Tomonori Uemura, Chihiro Tomimatsu
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Publication number: 20150149682Abstract: An in-vehicle sensor (1) connected to a communication bus CAN includes a bus connection connector (40) including external communication terminals T3, T4, and external setting terminals T5, T6 each of which is brought into one of a plurality of connection states; judgment means S1-S7 for judging the connection states of the external terminals for setting T5, T6 when electric power is supplied in a state in which the bus connection connector (40) is connected to the communication bus CAN; identifier generation means S8 for generating an identifier ID of the in-vehicle sensor (1) based on the judged connection states; a nonvolatile storage section (11) for storing the identifier ID; communication means (10) for performing communications through the communication bus CAN using the stored identifier ID; and storing means S9 for storing a first generated initial identifier IDS in the storage section (11) as the identifier ID.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 20, 2014Publication date: May 28, 2015Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventors: Tomonori UEMURA, Chihiro TOMIMATSU
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Patent number: 9020686Abstract: A sensor control apparatus connected to a gas sensor includes a microcomputer containing a ROM (first storage section), and an EEPROM (second storage section) independently of the ROM. The ROM stores an anomaly diagnosis program containing at least one type of anomaly determination process. The EEPROM stores one or more flags set so as to represent whether the corresponding anomaly determination process is valid or invalid. The states of the one or more flags can be readily changed from an externally connected PC. A CPU executes a series of processing steps of the anomaly determination processes, and then obtains a determination result thereof when the CPU determines that the anomaly determination process is valid, with reference to the one or more flags.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2011Date of Patent: April 28, 2015Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.Inventors: Chihiro Tomimatsu, Katsunori Yazawa
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Publication number: 20120078461Abstract: A sensor control apparatus (1) connected to a gas sensor (2) includes a microcomputer (10) containing a ROM (12) (first storage section), and an EEPROM (30) (second storage section) independently of the ROM (12). The ROM (12) stores an anomaly diagnosis program containing at least one type of anomaly determination process. The EEPROM (30) stores one or more flags set so as to represent whether the corresponding anomaly determination process is valid or invalid. The states of the one or more flags can be readily changed from an externally connected PC (3). A CPU (11) executes a series of processing steps of the anomaly determination processes, and then obtains a determination result thereof when the CPU (11) determines that the anomaly determination process is valid, with reference to the one or more flags.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2011Publication date: March 29, 2012Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventors: Chihiro TOMIMATSU, Katsunori YAZAWA
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Publication number: 20060218340Abstract: In an electronic control system, it is determined whether leading end identification information in a data verification space of a flash EEPROM of an electronic control unit is an expected value. When it is yes, it is then determined whether terminal identification information in the data verification space is the expected value. Then, when it is yes, it is determined whether the leading end identification information and the trailing end identification information are identical to each other. When it is yes, it is determined that data between the leading end identification information and the trailing end identification information is valid. Otherwise, it is determined that the data is invalid.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2006Publication date: September 28, 2006Applicant: Denso CorporationInventors: Yoichi Fujita, Kyouichi Suzuki, Chihiro Tomimatsu