Patents by Inventor Hikaru Miura

Hikaru Miura 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: 20240124071
    Abstract: A rear vehicle body structure of a vehicle includes: a rear floor panel provided below a rear seat; a rear cross member to which a rear edge part of the rear floor panel is coupled; a tunnel-shaped raised part that is provided by bending the rear floor panel at a center region in a vehicle width direction of the vehicle, and extends in a forward-rearward direction of a vehicle's body; and a flange that is provided by bending the rear cross member at a center region in the vehicle width direction, and protrudes toward a forward side of the vehicle body from a front wall of the rear cross member. The rear edge part of the rear floor panel is coupled to the rear cross member, in a state where left and right side walls on a rear end side of the raised part are abutted on the flange.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Inventor: Hikaru MIURA
  • Publication number: 20240109587
    Abstract: A vehicle body frame structure includes side sill front pieces, side sill rear pieces, front side frames and rear side frames. The front side frames extend in a vehicle longitudinal direction from respective vehicle-frontward ends of the side sill front pieces, and are provided on vehicle-widthwise either side and vehicle-widthwise inwardly of the side sill front pieces. The side sill front pieces and the side sill rear pieces are coupled linearly at first couplings while extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The front side frames and the rear side frames are coupled linearly at second couplings while extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The second couplings are provided vehicle-rearwardly of the first couplings. The front side frames are coupled, at the first couplings, to the side sill front pieces and the side sill rear pieces, to overlap with the side sill front pieces and the side sill rear pieces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventor: Hikaru MIURA
  • Patent number: 11862998
    Abstract: To improve reliability in balancing while suppressing power consumption during balancing. A battery management device 1 includes cell cons 41 and 42 that perform balancing for adjusting voltages of a plurality of battery cells 2 that are secondary batteries, and a control unit 3 that controls the cell cons 41 and 42. The cell con 41 includes the main timer 412 that measures the elapsed time for stopping the cell con 41, and the stop management unit 413 that stops the cell con 41 when the main timer 412 is abnormal. In the battery management device 1, the battery cell 2 that supplies power to the main timer 412 and the stop management unit 413, and the lead storage battery 7 that supplies power to the control unit 3 are power supplies different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomonori Kanai, Hikaru Miura, Tomoyuki Arima
  • Publication number: 20230343742
    Abstract: An ultrasonic horn (50) includes: a vibration source part (53) to which an ultrasonic vibrator (58) is mounted; a tip end part (56) to which a capillary (18) is mounted; and an intermediate part (54) which is interposed between the tip end part (56) and the vibration source part (53) and propagates vibration generated by the ultrasonic vibrator (58) to the tip end part (56). The intermediate part (54) is formed with a single spiral hole (68) which is a hole penetrating in a radial direction of the ultrasonic horn (50) and advances in an axial direction as the spiral hole advances in a circumferential direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Applicant: SHINKAWA LTD.
    Inventors: Yuhei ITO, Nobuyuki AOYAGI, Mitsuaki SAKAKURA, Takuya ASAMI, Hikaru MIURA
  • Publication number: 20230230788
    Abstract: In a case where a load current flows in an energized state where a power supply is connected to a load, it is assumed that a measured voltage fluctuates due to a voltage drop caused by contact resistance of a relay contact, and thus the relay state cannot be accurately diagnosed. A relay control device that controls a relay connected between a secondary battery and a load device calculates, in a failure diagnosis during energization with the relay being closed, a contact resistance value of the relay based on a voltage applied to the relay and a current flowing through the secondary battery, and determines a first threshold set as a variable value in accordance with a temperature change amount of the relay and compares the calculated contact resistance value with the first threshold to diagnose a failure of the relay.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Applicant: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hikaru MIURA, Tatsumi YAMAUCHI, Mutsumi KIKUCHI
  • Patent number: 11418042
    Abstract: A battery management unit capable of more reliably turning off a high-voltage relay. A battery management unit 1 includes a high-voltage relay 5 serving as a switch unit that turns on/off electrical connection between a high-voltage battery 102, which is a secondary battery, and an external device, and a power source IC 6 serving as a disconnection control unit having a first disconnection processing function of turning off the high-voltage relay 5 at the time of abnormality of the battery management unit 1 and a second disconnection processing function of detecting an abnormality of the first disconnection processing function and turning off the high-voltage relay 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsumi Yamauchi, Hikaru Miura, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Akihiro Machida, Masahiro Ueda, Kenichiro Tsuru
  • Patent number: 11380502
    Abstract: Provided is an electromagnetic switch control device capable of stabilizing a contact pressure by predicting a near-future value of an operation coil current and performing control such that the near-future value does not fall below a holding current threshold value by a control unit. An electromagnetic switch control device 1 opens and closes 13 by an electromagnetic force corresponding to energization of operation coils 16 and 17, and includes PWM control units 21 to 23 that perform PWM pulse width modulation control of a current value A flowing through the operation coils 16 and 17. The PWM control units 21 to 23 estimate the near-future predicted current value flowing through the operation coils 16 and 17 by using a terminal voltage V of the operation coils 16 and 17, and perform PWM control based on the estimated current value. The predicted current value Y is estimated by using an impedance Z of the operation coils 16 and 17.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hikaru Miura, Tomonori Kanai, Akihiro Machida, Tatsumi Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 11376627
    Abstract: An ultrasonic horn is provided with: a vibration generating unit configured to generate longitudinal vibration having a frequency in the ultrasonic band on the basis of a signal having a frequency in the ultrasonic band input from an oscillator; a vibration amplifying unit configured to amplify the vibration generating unit while transmitting the longitudinal vibration from the vibration generating unit; and a longitudinal-torsional vibration conversion slit unit having slits formed in a groove-like shape on the surfaces of the vibration amplifying unit and configured to convert the longitudinal vibration into torsional vibration. The vibration amplifying unit has a polygonal shape in a plane view, and has a plurality of surfaces provided with slits along with a surface not provided with slits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: SHINKAWA LTD.
    Inventors: Hikaru Miura, Takuya Asami, Yasumoto Togashi, Nobuyuki Aoyagi
  • Publication number: 20210408804
    Abstract: A cell controller includes: a balancing unit which performs balancing of states of charge of a plurality of secondary batteries by discharging or charging each of the plurality of secondary batteries; a first timer which measures an elapsed time after a start of the balancing; a receiving unit which receives a balancing command signal including information regarding balancing times for the secondary batteries; and a first control unit which controls the balancing unit on a basis of the elapsed time after the start of the balancing, and the balancing command signal, the elapsed time being measured by the first timer and the balancing command signal being received by the receiving unit, in which the receiving unit receives the information on the plurality of secondary batteries through the single balancing command signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Tomonori KANAI, Hikaru MIURA
  • Publication number: 20210391133
    Abstract: Provided is an electromagnetic switch control device capable of stabilizing a contact pressure by predicting a near-future value of an operation coil current and performing control such that the near-future value does not fall below a holding current threshold value by a control unit. An electromagnetic switch control device 1 opens and closes 13 by an electromagnetic force corresponding to energization of operation coils 16 and 17, and includes PWM control units 21 to 23 that perform PWM pulse width modulation control of a current value A flowing through the operation coils 16 and 17. The PWM control units to 23 estimate the near-future predicted current value flowing through the operation coils 16 and 17 by using a terminal voltage V of the operation coils 16 and 17, and perform PWM control based on the estimated current value. The predicted current value Y is estimated by using an impedance Z of the operation coils 16 and 17.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Inventors: Hikaru MIURA, Tomonori KANAI, Akihiro MACHIDA, Tatsumi YAMAUCHI
  • Patent number: 11201614
    Abstract: Disconnection of a circulation path through which a circulation current flows is detected while suppressing an increase in circuit scale. A battery monitoring device includes switching circuits that control currents flowing through coils of main contactors by being controlled to be turned on and off, freewheeling diodes that are connected to the coils of the main contactors to form circulation paths for circulating the currents, and a control unit. The control unit measures output voltages of the freewheeling diodes at an input terminal, and detects the disconnection of the circulation paths based on the output voltages of the freewheeling diodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hikaru Miura, Akihiro Machida, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Tatsumi Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20210265845
    Abstract: To improve reliability in balancing while suppressing power consumption during balancing. A battery management device 1 includes cell cons 41 and 42 that perform balancing for adjusting voltages of a plurality of battery cells 2 that are secondary batteries, and a control unit 3 that controls the cell cons 41 and 42. The cell con 41 includes the main timer 412 that measures the elapsed time for stopping the cell con 41, and the stop management unit 413 that stops the cell con 41 when the main timer 412 is abnormal. In the battery management device 1, the battery cell 2 that supplies power to the main timer 412 and the stop management unit 413, and the lead storage battery 7 that supplies power to the control unit 3 are power supplies different from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomonori KANAI, Hikaru MIURA, Tomoyuki ARIMA
  • Publication number: 20210104902
    Abstract: A battery management unit capable of more reliably turning off a high-voltage relay. A battery management unit 1 includes a high-voltage relay 5 serving as a switch unit that turns on/off electrical connection between a high-voltage battery 102, which is a secondary battery, and an external device, and a power source IC 6 serving as a disconnection control unit having a first disconnection processing function of turning off the high-voltage relay 5 at the time of abnormality of the battery management unit 1 and a second disconnection processing function of detecting an abnormality of the first disconnection processing function and turning off the high-voltage relay 5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsumi YAMAUCHI, Hikaru MIURA, Mutsumi KIKUCHI, Akihiro MACHIDA, Masahiro UEDA, Kenichiro TSURU
  • Publication number: 20210091763
    Abstract: Disconnection of a circulation path through which a circulation current flows is detected while suppressing an increase in circuit scale. A battery monitoring device includes switching circuits that control currents flowing through coils of main contactors by being controlled to be turned on and off, freewheeling diodes that are connected to the coils of the main contactors to form circulation paths for circulating the currents, and a control unit. The control unit measures output voltages of the freewheeling diodes at an input terminal, and detects the disconnection of the circulation paths based on the output voltages of the freewheeling diodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Hikaru MIURA, Akihiro MACHIDA, Mutsumi KIKUCHI, Tatsumi YAMAUCHI
  • Patent number: 10788539
    Abstract: Provided are a battery monitoring device capable of suppressing a current flowing to individual battery cells and enhancing the safety thereof, even when there is a short circuit, for example, in a connection line connecting substrates having integrated circuits mounted thereon and a substrate having a microcomputer mounted thereon or a connection line connecting the substrates having the integrated circuits mounted thereon, and a battery system using the same. Resistors are provided in a positive electrode input line 13a connecting a positive electrode side of a battery pack group 200 and a total voltage detecting unit 13 and/or a negative electrode input line 13b connecting a negative electrode side of the battery pack group 200 and the total voltage detecting unit 13 and the resistors of the positive electrode input line 13a and/or negative electrode input line 13b are arranged on individual cell monitoring circuit boards 31 and 32.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hikaru Miura, Akihiko Kudoh, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Tomonori Kanai
  • Patent number: 10495692
    Abstract: The present invention enables correct detection of the state of a relay provided on each of the positive and negative terminal sides of a secondary battery. A positive-side main relay makes or breaks continuity between first and second positive contact points, and a negative-side main relay makes or breaks continuity between first and second negative contact points. A microcomputer can measure a first voltage between the first positive and first negative contact points, a second voltage between the second positive and first negative contact points, and a third voltage between the first positive and second negative contact points. The microcomputer detects the state of the positive-side main relay based on a voltage measurement result obtained when the first and second voltages are measured synchronously, and detects the state of the negative-side main relay based on a voltage measurement result obtained when the first and third voltages are measured synchronously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hikaru Miura, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Akihiko Kudoh, Tomonori Kanai
  • Patent number: 10495696
    Abstract: A battery system includes a battery module having a plurality of assembled batteries. Battery monitoring circuits are provided to correspond to each of the assembled batteries of the battery module. A control circuit controls operation of the battery monitoring circuits. A first signal transmission path transmits signals that are input and output between the battery monitoring circuits and the control circuit. A first isolation element is connected to the control circuit, and a second isolation element is connected to the battery monitoring circuit. The first signal transmission path is isolated from the control circuit by the second isolation element. The electrical potential of the first signal transmission path is a floating potential in relation to the electrical potentials of the control circuit and battery monitoring circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hikaru Miura, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Akihiko Kudoh, Tomonori Kanai
  • Publication number: 20190049523
    Abstract: A battery system includes a battery module having a plurality of assembled batteries. Battery monitoring circuits are provided to correspond to each of the assembled batteries of the battery module. A control circuit controls operation of the battery monitoring circuits. A first signal transmission path transmits signals that are input and output between the battery monitoring circuits and the control circuit. A first isolation element is connected to the control circuit, and a second isolation element is connected to the battery monitoring circuit. The first signal transmission path is isolated from the control circuit by the second isolation element. The electrical potential of the first signal transmission path is a floating potential in relation to the electrical potentials of the control circuit and battery monitoring circuits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hikaru MIURA, Mutsumi KIKUCHI, Akihiko KUDOH, Tomonori KANAI
  • Publication number: 20180345318
    Abstract: An ultrasonic horn is provided with: a vibration generating unit configured to generate longitudinal vibration having a frequency in the ultrasonic band on the basis of a signal having a frequency in the ultrasonic band input from an oscillator; a vibration amplifying unit configured to amplify the vibration generating unit while transmitting the longitudinal vibration from the vibration generating unit; and a longitudinal-torsional vibration conversion slit unit having slits formed in a groove-like shape on the surfaces of the vibration amplifying unit and configured to convert the longitudinal vibration into torsional vibration. The vibration amplifying unit has a polygonal shape in a plane view, and has a plurality of surfaces provided with slits along with a surface not provided with slits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Applicant: SHINKAWA LTD.
    Inventors: Hikaru MIURA, Takuya ASAMI, Yasumoto TOGASHI, Nobuyuki AOYAGI
  • Patent number: 10132871
    Abstract: A battery system includes a battery module having a plurality of assembled batteries. Battery monitoring circuits are provided to correspond to each of the assembled batteries of the battery module. A control circuit controls operation of the battery monitoring circuits. A first signal transmission path transmits signals that are input and output between the battery monitoring circuits and the control circuit. A first isolation element is connected to the control circuit, and a second isolation element is connected to the battery monitoring circuit. The first signal transmission path is isolated from the control circuit by the second isolation element. The electrical potential of the first signal transmission path is a floating potential in relation to the electrical potentials of the control circuit and battery monitoring circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hikaru Miura, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Akihiko Kudoh, Tomonori Kanai