Patents by Inventor Hirokazu Kitami

Hirokazu Kitami 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: 8725432
    Abstract: A signal processing method for a Coriolis flowmeter including: performing frequency conversion to combine an oscillation frequency to each of two flow rate signals obtained by A/D conversion on input signals of the phase difference and/or the vibration frequency proportional to the Coriolis force acting on the at least one flow tube; measuring a frequency of a composite waveform associated with at least one of the vibration detection sensors; transmitting a control signal based on the measured frequency; controlling so that a sum frequency component or a difference frequency component of a composite component of a composite frequency signal is constant; and measuring phases from a sum signal or a difference signal of each of controlled converted composite frequencies, to thereby obtain a phase difference signal component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Oval Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kitami, Hideki Shimada
  • Patent number: 8725433
    Abstract: A signal processing method, a signal processing apparatus, and a Coriolis flowmeter are capable of always performing measurement with constant precision and performing phase measurement with high filtering performance and a small amount of computation even when a temperature of a fluid to be measured changes, air bubbles are mixed into the fluid to be measured, or the fluid to be measured rapidly changes from a gas to a liquid. The Coriolis flowmeter detects at least one of a phase difference and a vibration frequency proportional to a Coriolis force acting on at least one flow tube or a pair of flow tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Oval Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kitami, Hideki Shimada
  • Patent number: 8700343
    Abstract: A signal processing method for a Coriolis flowmeter including: performing frequency conversion to combine an oscillation frequency to each of two flow rate signals obtained by A/D conversion on input signals of the phase difference and/or the vibration frequency proportional to the Coriolis force acting on the at least one flow tube; measuring a frequency of a composite waveform associated with at least one of the vibration detection sensors; transmitting a control signal based on the measured frequency; controlling so that a sum frequency component or a difference frequency component of a composite component of a composite frequency signal is constant; and measuring phases from a sum signal or a difference signal of each of controlled converted composite frequencies, to thereby obtain a phase difference signal component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Oval Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kitami, Hideki Shimada
  • Patent number: 8676517
    Abstract: A signal processing method for a Coriolis flowmeter including: performing frequency conversion of a first digital signal, the frequency conversion performed on the first digital signal modulating the frequency of the first digital signal so that the frequency of the first digital signal after the frequency conversion is 1/Nth of the frequency of the first digital signal before the frequency conversion, where N is an integer; performing frequency conversion of a second digital signal, the frequency conversion performed on the second digital signal modulating the frequency of the second digital signal so that the frequency of the second digital signal after the frequency conversion is 1/Nth of the frequency of the second digital signal before the frequency conversion; and measuring a phase difference between (i) the frequency converted first digital signal and (ii) the frequency converted second digital signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Oval Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kitami, Hideki Shimada
  • Patent number: 8676518
    Abstract: A signal processing method for a Coriolis flowmeter, the signal processing method including: measuring a frequency of a first digital signal obtained by converting a first input signal from one of a pair of vibration detection sensors into the first digital signal; transmitting a modulatable frequency signal based on the measured frequency of the first digital signal; performing frequency conversion to add or subtract the frequency of the modulatable frequency signal to or from the frequency of the first digital signal; performing frequency conversion to add or subtract the frequency of the modulatable frequency signal to or from the frequency of a second digital signal obtained by converting a second input signal from the other one of the pair of vibration detection sensors into the second digital signal; and measuring a phase difference between (i) the frequency converted first digital signal and (ii) the frequency converted second digital signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Oval Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kitami, Hideki Shimada
  • Publication number: 20120255367
    Abstract: Disclosed is a positive displacement gas-liquid two-phase flowmeter and a multi phase flow rate measurement system, and more specifically to a positive displacement gas-liquid two-phase flowmeter capable of measuring a flow rate of each of a gas and a liquid of a gas-liquid two-phase flow including the liquid and the gas flowing in a pipe line and a multiphase flow rate measurement system that includes the flowmeter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: OVAL Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kitami, Hiraku Kawaoto
  • Patent number: 8212769
    Abstract: A hierarchical structure display device according to the present invention includes operation condition output means for outputting operation condition information for a switch operation condition of a first switch or a second switch to cause an operator to recognize the operation. condition information, and screen transition means for operating only when a detected switch operation of the first switch or the second switch satisfies the switch operation condition related to the operation condition information output from the operation condition output means to carry out a screen transition of a display screen. Further, the operation condition information is a display image which is displayed within the display screen and repeatedly inverted at predetermined timing during a switch operation, and a necessary number of times of inversion for the switch operation condition is displayed as the display image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Oval Corporation
    Inventor: Hirokazu Kitami
  • Patent number: 8184017
    Abstract: A processing method for an operation system which performs operation processing in accordance with a detection amount detected by detection means and pulse output processing in which an operation result from the operation processing is transmitted as a pulse output, including: controlling transmission of the pulse output performed in the pulse output processing to make the transmission of the pulse output asynchronous with a timing of an end of the operation processing; and transmitting, by repeating the controlling, a pulse train having time-series continuity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Oval Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kitami, Shunji Saitoh, Hideki Shimada
  • Publication number: 20120059601
    Abstract: [Object] To provide a signal processing apparatus which may always perform measurement with constant precision and performs phase measurement with high filtering performance and a small amount of computation even when a temperature of a fluid to be measured changes, air bubbles are mixed into the fluid to be measured, or the fluid to be measured rapidly changes from a gas to a liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kitami, Hideki Shimada
  • Publication number: 20110203389
    Abstract: A signal processing method, a signal processing apparatus, and a Coriolis flowmeter are capable of always performing measurement with constant precision and performing phase measurement with high filtering performance and a small amount of computation even when a temperature of a fluid to be measured changes, air bubbles are mixed into the fluid to be measured, or the fluid to be measured rapidly changes from a gas to a liquid. The Coriolis flowmeter detects at least one of a phase difference and a vibration frequency proportional to a Coriolis force acting on at least one flow tube or a pair of flow tubes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Inventors: Hirokazu KITAMI, Hideki Shimada
  • Publication number: 20110203388
    Abstract: [Object] To provide a signal processing apparatus with which, even when a temperature of a fluid to be measured changes, even when air bubbles are mixed into the fluid, to be measured, or even when the fluid to be measured rapidly changes from gas to liquid, measurement may be always performed with constant precision and phase and density measurements may be performed with a small computing amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Inventors: Hirokazu KITAMI, Hideki Shimada
  • Publication number: 20110016989
    Abstract: [Summary] [Object] To provide a signal processing method, a signal processing apparatus, and a Coriolis flowmeter, which may always perform measurement with constant precision and performs phase measurement with high filtering performance and a small amount of computation even when a temperature of a fluid to be measured changes, air bubbles are mixed into the fluid to be measured, or the fluid to be measured rapidly changes from a gas to a liquid. [Solving Means] In a Coriolis flowmeter, a phase difference and/or a vibration frequency proportional to a Coriolis force acting on at least one flow tube or a pair of flow tubes are/is detected, to thereby obtain a mass flow rate and/or density of the fluid to be measured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kitami, Hideki Shimada
  • Publication number: 20110011187
    Abstract: [Object] To provide a signal processing apparatus which may always perform measurement with constant precision and performs phase measurement with high filtering performance and a small amount of computation even when a temperature of a fluid to be measured changes, air bubbles are mixed into the fluid to be measured, or the fluid to be measured rapidly changes from a gas to a liquid. [Solving Means] In a Coriolis flowmeter, a vibrator is operated to vibrate at least one flow tube or a pair of flow tubes (2 and 3). A phase difference and/or a vibration frequency proportional to a Coriolis force acting on the flow tubes (2 and 3) are/is detected by vibration detection sensors to obtain a mass flow rate and/or density of the fluid to be measured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kitami, Hideki Shimada
  • Patent number: 7827869
    Abstract: In order to extract a part of a three-phase flow from a pipe line, a pair of communication pipes, which are connected to upstream and downstream sides of an orifice provided in the pipe line, and a gas-liquid extraction tank are used. Flowing of a slag flow or the like into the pipe line causes a periodical change in a pressure difference between input and output sides of the orifice. This causes extraction of gas-liquid and discharge mainly of gas to be simultaneously effected in the pair of communication pipes and the gas-liquid extraction tank. Within the gas-liquid extraction tank, the gas-liquid is forcibly shaken horizontally, vertically, etc. for agitating, whereby gas-liquid of high liquid-phase rate remains. Then, the gas is removed from this gas-liquid of high liquid-phase rate to thereby extract mixture liquid, which is accumulated in a liquid storage tank. The mixture liquid flows from the liquid storage tank in an amount required at a Coriolis meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Oval Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kitami, Hiraku Kawaoto
  • Patent number: 7739920
    Abstract: A first inlet portion, a second inlet portion, a first outlet portion, and a second outlet portion are fixed to a fixing member, and a connecting tube portion is provided between the first outlet portion and the second inlet portion. Further, the first inlet portion and the second inlet portion 6 are arranged in a non-parallel state such that the distance between the two increases as they depart from the fixing member. The first outlet portion and the second outlet portion are similarly arranged in a non-parallel state, the first inlet portion and the second inlet portion and the first outlet portion and the second outlet portion being arranged symmetrically. Further, the first outlet portion, the second inlet portion, and the connecting tube portion are arranged such that their three tube axes are in a straight line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Oval Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kitami, Yuichi Nakao, Norio Sukemura
  • Publication number: 20090289810
    Abstract: Provided is a processing method for an operation system which performs operation processing in accordance with a detection amount detected by detection means and pulse output processing in which an operation result from the operation processing is transmitted as a pulse output, including: controlling transmission of the pulse output performed in the pulse output processing to make the transmission of the pulse output asynchronous with a timing of an end of the operation processing; and transmitting, by repeating the controlling, a pulse train having time-series continuity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Applicant: OVAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kitami, Shunji Saitoh, Hideki Shimada
  • Publication number: 20090199653
    Abstract: In order to extract a part of a three-phase flow from a pipe line (23), a pair of communication pipes (13), which are connected to upstream and downstream sides of an orifice (12) provided in the pipe line (23), and a gas-liquid extraction tank (14) are used. Flowing of a slag flow or the like into the pipe line (23) causes a periodical change in a pressure difference between input and output sides of the orifice (12). This causes extraction of gas-liquid and discharge mainly of gas to be simultaneously effected in the pair of communication pipes (13) and the gas-liquid extraction tank (14). Within the gas-liquid extraction tank (14), the gas-liquid is forcibly shaken horizontally, vertically, etc. for agitating, whereby gas-liquid of high liquid-phase rate remains. Then, the gas is removed from this gas-liquid of high liquid-phase rate to thereby extract mixture liquid, which is accumulated in a liquid storage tank (17).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kitami, Hiraku Kawaoto
  • Publication number: 20090167732
    Abstract: A hierarchical structure display device according to the present invention (1) includes operation condition output means (11) for outputting operation condition information (10) for a switch operation condition (9) of a first switch (4) or a second switch (5) to cause an operator to recognize the operation condition information, and screen transition means (12) for operating only when a detected switch operation of the first switch (4) or the second switch (5) satisfies the switch operation condition (9) related to the operation condition information (10) output from the operation condition output means (11) to carry out a screen transition of a display screen (6). Further, the operation condition information (10) is a display image which is displayed within the display screen (6) and repeatedly inverted at predetermined timing during a switch operation, and a necessary number of times of inversion for the switch operation condition (9) is displayed as the display image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Inventor: Hirokazu Kitami
  • Patent number: 7506551
    Abstract: A flow tube composed of a bent tube having a shape symmetrical with respect to a first axis is supported at its both ends by support portions having an outlet and inlet respectively. A drive device for alternately driving the flow tube rotationally about a second axis connecting the positions where the flow tube is supported is disposed on the vertical axis of a Coriolis flowmeter. A Pair of second drive devices for alternately driving the flow tube rotationally is disposed at positions laterally symmetrical with respect to the drive device. The paired second drive devices are driven in phase; the drive device is driven with the opposite phase to those of the second drive devices. A pair of vibration detecting sensors is disposed between the drive device and one of the second drive device and between the drive device and the other respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Oval Corporation
    Inventor: Hirokazu Kitami
  • Patent number: D601050
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Oval Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Satoh, Hirokazu Kitami