Patents by Inventor Hirofumi Fukui

Hirofumi Fukui 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: 11964729
    Abstract: An operated component for a human-powered vehicle comprises a first wired communicator and a first wireless communicator. The first wired communicator has a first wired communication state in which the first wired communicator is configured to recognize a wired signal transmitted via a wired communication channel. The first wireless communicator has a first wireless communication state in which the first wireless communicator is configured to recognize a wireless signal transmitted via a wireless communication channel. The first wireless communicator is configured to be in the first wireless communication state while the first wired communicator is in the first wired communication state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: SHIMANO INC.
    Inventors: Akihiro Nozaki, Tomohiro Takimoto, Hirofumi Fukui
  • Patent number: 11414150
    Abstract: An operating device for a human-powered vehicle comprises a base member, an operating member, an electric switch, and a controller. The operating member is movably coupled to the base member. The electric switch is configured to receive a user input in response to a movement of the operating member to operate an additional device. The controller is configured to change a mode of the controller at least between a first mode in which the controller is configured to be under first power consumption and a second mode in which the controller is configured to be under second power consumption different from the first power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Takimoto, Hirofumi Fukui, Takaya Masuda
  • Publication number: 20220081068
    Abstract: An operated component for a human-powered vehicle comprises a first wired communicator and a first wireless communicator. The first wired communicator has a first wired communication state in which the first wired communicator is configured to recognize a wired signal transmitted via a wired communication channel. The first wireless communicator has a first wireless communication state in which the first wireless communicator is configured to recognize a wireless signal transmitted via a wireless communication channel. The first wireless communicator is configured to be in the first wireless communication state while the first wired communicator is in the first wired communication state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Applicant: SHIMANO INC.
    Inventors: Akihiro NOZAKI, Tomohiro TAKIMOTO, Hirofumi FUKUI
  • Publication number: 20210339814
    Abstract: An operating device for a human-powered vehicle comprises a base member, an operating member, an electric switch, and a controller. The operating member is movably coupled to the base member. The electric switch is configured to receive a user input in response to a movement of the operating member to operate an additional device. The controller is configured to change a mode of the controller at least between a first mode in which the controller is configured to be under first power consumption and a second mode in which the controller is configured to be under second power consumption different from the first power consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2020
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Applicant: SHIMANO INC.
    Inventors: Tomohiro TAKIMOTO, Hirofumi FUKUI, Takaya MASUDA
  • Patent number: 10048295
    Abstract: A current sensor includes magneto-electric conversion elements divided into a first and second group. The first and second groups are positioned so as to interpose a cut formed in a printed circuit board between them. The first and second groups are symmetrically positioned with respect to a first virtual line. The magneto-electric conversion elements in the first and second groups are symmetrically positioned with respect to a second virtual line orthogonal to the first virtual line at a positioning position at which a to-be-measured current path is positioned. The sensitivity axes of each of pairs of magneto-electric conversion elements that are symmetrical with respect to the positioning position are oriented in parallel in the same direction or opposite directions. An inter-element spacing between adjacent magneto-electric conversion elements in the first and second groups is narrower than an inter-group spacing, which is the narrowest spacing between the first and second groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hirofumi Fukui
  • Patent number: 9423429
    Abstract: A first magnetoelectric conversion element group including magnetoelectric conversion elements, and a second magnetoelectric conversion element group including magnetoelectric conversion elements are arranged across a cutout of a wiring board. The first and second groups are arranged line-symmetrically with respect to a first imaginary line. The elements in the first and second groups are arranged line-symmetrically with respect to a second imaginary line. The first imaginary line and the second imaginary line orthogonally intersect each other at a placement position at which a current path to be measured is placed. The orientation of the sensitivity axis of each of a plurality of magnetoelectric-conversion-element sets having point symmetry about the placement position is parallel or antiparallel. An element spacing, which is spacing between neighboring elements in the first and second groups, is narrower than a group spacing, which is the narrowest spacing between the first and second groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: ALPS GREEN DEVICES CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hirofumi Fukui
  • Publication number: 20160169941
    Abstract: A current sensor includes magneto-electric conversion elements divided into a first and second group. The first and second groups are positioned so as to interpose a cut formed in a printed circuit board between them. The first and second groups are symmetrically positioned with respect to a first virtual line. The magneto-electric conversion elements in the first and second groups are symmetrically positioned with respect to a second virtual line orthogonal to the first virtual line at a positioning position at which a to-be-measured current path is positioned. The sensitivity axes of each of pairs of magneto-electric conversion elements that are symmetrical with respect to the positioning position are oriented in parallel in the same direction or opposite directions. An inter-element spacing between adjacent magneto-electric conversion elements in the first and second groups is narrower than an inter-group spacing, which is the narrowest spacing between the first and second groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventor: Hirofumi FUKUI
  • Publication number: 20140320122
    Abstract: A first magnetoelectric conversion element group including magnetoelectric conversion elements, and a second magnetoelectric conversion element group including magnetoelectric conversion elements are arranged across a cutout of a wiring board. The first and second groups are arranged line-symmetrically with respect to a first imaginary line. The elements in the first and second groups are arranged line-symmetrically with respect to a second imaginary line. The first imaginary line and the second imaginary line orthogonally intersect each other at a placement position at which a current path to be measured is placed. The orientation of the sensitivity axis of each of a plurality of magnetoelectric-conversion-element sets having point symmetry about the placement position is parallel or antiparallel. An element spacing, which is spacing between neighboring elements in the first and second groups, is narrower than a group spacing, which is the narrowest spacing between the first and second groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventor: Hirofumi FUKUI
  • Patent number: 8847591
    Abstract: A current sensor includes a magnetic sensor including magnetoresistive sensors configured to detect induction fields generated by a measurement current passing through a current line, a magnetic field application unit configured to apply to the magnetoresistive sensors a magnetic field having a direction perpendicular to sensitivity directions of the magnetoresistive sensors; and a computing unit configured to calculate from an output of the magnetic sensor a compensation value for the output. The computing unit is configured to be capable of calculating the compensation value from the outputs of the magnetic sensor obtained in at least two states in which magnetic fields applied by the magnetic field application unit are different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: ALPS Green Devices Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hirofumi Fukui
  • Publication number: 20130082698
    Abstract: A current sensor includes a magnetic sensor including magnetoresistive sensors configured to detect induction fields generated by a measurement current passing through a current line, a magnetic field application unit configured to apply to the magnetoresistive sensors a magnetic field having a direction perpendicular to sensitivity directions of the magnetoresistive sensors; and a computing unit configured to calculate from an output of the magnetic sensor a compensation value for the output. The computing unit is configured to be capable of calculating the compensation value from the outputs of the magnetic sensor obtained in at least two states in which magnetic fields applied by the magnetic field application unit are different from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicant: ALPS GREEN DEVICES CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hirofumi FUKUI
  • Publication number: 20120290240
    Abstract: A current sensor includes an electric wire to be measured, a guide portion for guiding the electric wire to be measured, a holding portion for holding the electric wire to be measured, and four pairs of magnetic sensor elements arranged at intervals of 90 degrees along a circumference around a center axis which is a virtual arrangement axis of the electric wire to be measured. The outputs of the magnetic sensor elements of each pair are appropriately linearly combined and the linearly combined outputs of all the pairs are added. Hence, a space for guiding the electric wire to be measured can be easily allocated, and the effects of variation sources such as the displacement of the electric wire to be measured, a constant external magnetic field, and an external magnetic field generated by a neighboring electric wire are compensated for, whereby a small high-accuracy current sensor is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: ALPS GREEN DEVICES CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hirofumi FUKUI
  • Patent number: D662864
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirofumi Fukui, Kazumi Kowaki
  • Patent number: D662866
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirofumi Fukui, Kazumi Kowaki
  • Patent number: D665314
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirofumi Fukui, Kazumi Kowaki
  • Patent number: D667343
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirofumi Fukui, Kazumi Kowaki, Akira Ishiguro
  • Patent number: D679037
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirofumi Fukui, Daisuke Nagayasu
  • Patent number: D735906
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirofumi Fukui, Daisuke Nagayasu
  • Patent number: D775004
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirofumi Fukui, Manabu Kojima, Nobuyuki Tomatsu, Taketoshi Aoki
  • Patent number: D776580
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirofumi Fukui, Takafumi Ito, Nobuyuki Tomatsu, Taketoshi Aoki
  • Patent number: D899321
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoya Suzuki, Hirofumi Fukui, Sho Okazaki