Patents by Inventor Hiroshi KITAMOTO

Hiroshi KITAMOTO 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: 10560046
    Abstract: A first PWM count computation unit computes a first PWM count for each of three phases in a first system. A second PWM count computation unit computes a second PWM count for each of three phases in a second system. Upper and lower switching elements for each phase in the first system are controlled in accordance with a first pattern in which the upper and lower switching elements are varied in the order of an upper on state, a lower on state, and the upper on state from the time of start of PWM cycles. Upper and lower switching elements for each phase in the second system are controlled in accordance with a second pattern in which the upper and lower switching elements are varied in the order of a lower on state, an upper on state, and the lower on state from the time of start of PWM cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sumasu, Hiroshi Kitamoto
  • Patent number: 10505363
    Abstract: An overcurrent protection circuit includes an amplifier configured to amplify an inter-terminal voltage of a shunt resistor, an offset application circuit configured to allow the amplifier to provide an output with a predetermined offset voltage additionally applied thereto, a first comparator that compares an output voltage from the amplifier with a predetermined first reference voltage higher than the offset voltage to output a through-current sensing signal when the output voltage from the amplifier is higher than a first reference voltage, and an amplifier failure determination circuit that compares the output voltage from the amplifier with a predetermined second reference voltage that is higher than zero and lower than the offset voltage to output an amplification circuit failure determination signal corresponding to a result of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kitamoto, Nobuhiro Uchida
  • Patent number: 10333382
    Abstract: In an electric power converter, a driver unit includes an output unit, an auxiliary power source, a switch circuit unit, and a diode. The output unit includes first and second MISFETs and selectively outputs an on signal or an off signal to a gate electrode of a first HEMT. The auxiliary power source outputs a predetermined positive voltage. The switch circuit unit selectively connects a source electrode of the first MISFET to the auxiliary power source or a drain electrode of the first HEMT. The diode is connected to a source electrode of the second MISFET and is oriented such that forward current flows to a source electrode of the first HEMT. In the event of a short circuit in a certain HEMT, a microcomputer connects the source electrode of the first MISFET to the auxiliary power source and outputs an off command to the driver unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kitamoto
  • Publication number: 20190149078
    Abstract: A first PWM count computation unit computes a first PWM count for each of three phases in a first system. A second PWM count computation unit computes a second PWM count for each of three phases in a second system. Upper and lower switching elements for each phase in the first system are controlled in accordance with a first pattern in which the upper and lower switching elements are varied in the order of an upper on state, a lower on state, and the upper on state from the time of start of PWM cycles. Upper and lower switching elements for each phase in the second system are controlled in accordance with a second pattern in which the upper and lower switching elements are varied in the order of a lower on state, an upper on state, and the lower on state from the time of start of PWM cycles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi SUMASU, Hiroshi KITAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20190149031
    Abstract: In an electric power converter, a driver unit includes an output unit, an auxiliary power source, a switch circuit unit, and a diode. The output unit includes first and second MISFETs and selectively outputs an on signal or an off signal to a gate electrode of a first HEMT. The auxiliary power source outputs a predetermined positive voltage. The switch circuit unit selectively connects a source electrode of the first MISFET to the auxiliary power source or a drain electrode of the first HEMT. The diode is connected to a source electrode of the second MISFET and is oriented such that forward current flows to a source electrode of the first HEMT. In the event of a short circuit in a certain HEMT, a microcomputer connects the source electrode of the first MISFET to the auxiliary power source and outputs an off command to the driver unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi KITAMOTO
  • Patent number: 10156832
    Abstract: In an electric power steering system, an offset correction value setting unit corrects second offset correction values in a state where 100% of current command values is distributed to a first control unit, and 0% of the current command values is distributed to a second control unit. The offset correction value setting unit corrects first offset correction values in a state where 100% of the current command values is distributed to the second control unit, and 0% of the current command values is distributed to the first control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kitamoto
  • Patent number: 9956989
    Abstract: An inverter includes a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal, upper-arm switching elements and lower-arm switching elements, and a voltage divider that supplies partial voltages of a voltage between the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal to a gate and a drain, respectively, of the lower-arm switching element. The lower-arm switching element includes an HEMT. In the voltage divider, the partial voltages are set to turn the lower-arm switching element off when a positive electrode and a negative electrode of a DC power supply are reversely connected to the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kitamoto
  • Publication number: 20170365997
    Abstract: An overcurrent protection circuit includes an amplifier configured to amplify an inter-terminal voltage of a shunt resistor, an offset application circuit configured to allow the amplifier to provide an output with a predetermined offset voltage additionally applied thereto, a first comparator that compares an output voltage from the amplifier with a predetermined first reference voltage higher than the offset voltage to output a through-current sensing signal when the output voltage from the amplifier is higher than a first reference voltage, and an amplifier failure determination circuit that compares the output voltage from the amplifier with a predetermined second reference voltage that is higher than zero and lower than the offset voltage to output an amplification circuit failure determination signal corresponding to a result of the comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi KITAMOTO, Nobuhiro UCHIDA
  • Patent number: 9831807
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus includes an inverter, a driver, a negative voltage circuit, a voltage dividing circuit, and a detection unit. The inverter includes an upper-arm switching element and a lower-arm switching element to supply a voltage of a node between the upper-arm switching element and the lower-arm switching element to a motor as a phase voltage. The driver applies a first voltage or a second voltage to the upper-arm switching element to control and turn the upper-arm switching element on and off. The negative voltage circuit supplies a voltage lower than the voltage of the node to the driver as the second voltage. The voltage dividing circuit performs voltage division between the negative voltage circuit and a negative power supply. The detection unit outputs a signal based on a voltage resulting from the voltage division by the voltage dividing circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kitamoto
  • Publication number: 20170315514
    Abstract: In an electric power steering system, an offset correction value setting unit corrects second offset correction values in a state where 100% of current command values is distributed to a first control unit, and 0% of the current command values is distributed to a second control unit. The offset correction value setting unit corrects first offset correction values in a state where 100% of the current command values is distributed to the second control unit, and 0% of the current command values is distributed to the first control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2017
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi KITAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20170240200
    Abstract: An inverter includes a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal, upper-arm switching elements and lower-arm switching elements, and a voltage divider that supplies partial voltages of a voltage between the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal to a gate and a drain, respectively, of the lower-arm switching element. The lower-arm switching element includes an HEMT. In the voltage divider, the partial voltages are set to turn the lower-arm switching element off when a positive electrode and a negative electrode of a DC power supply are reversely connected to the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2017
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi KITAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20170229983
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus includes an inverter, a driver, a negative voltage circuit, a voltage dividing circuit, and a detection unit. The inverter includes an upper-arm switching element and a lower-arm switching element to supply a voltage of a node between the upper-arm switching element and the lower-arm switching element to a motor as a phase voltage. The driver applies a first voltage or a second voltage to the upper-arm switching element to control and turn the upper-arm switching element on and off. The negative voltage circuit supplies a voltage lower than the voltage of the node to the driver as the second voltage. The voltage dividing circuit performs voltage division between the negative voltage circuit and a negative power supply. The detection unit outputs a signal based on a voltage resulting from the voltage division by the voltage dividing circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi KITAMOTO
  • Patent number: 9341695
    Abstract: In an abnormality detection system for a rotation angle sensor, a fact that an abnormality has occurred in one of sine signals (S1, S2) or in one of cosine signals (S3, S4) is detected based on a sum of the electrical signals (S1, S2), and a sum of the electrical signals (S3, S4) (first detection result). A fact that an abnormality has occurred in one of the positive sine and cosine signals (S1, S3) or in one of the negative sine and cosine signals (S2, S4) by comparing a first temperature computed using a correlation between an amplitude and a temperature and based on the electrical signals (S1, S3), a second temperature computed using a correlation between the amplitude and a temperature and based on the electrical signals (S2, S4), and a third temperature detected by a temperature sensor with each other (second detection result). A microcomputer identifies which of the electrical signals is abnormal by comparing the first and second detection results with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kitamoto
  • Patent number: 9297877
    Abstract: In an abnormality detection system for a rotation angle sensor, a fact that an abnormality has occurred in one of sine signals (S1, S2) or in one of cosine signals (S3, S4) is detected based on a sum of the electrical signals (S1, S2), and a sum of the electrical signals (S3, S4) (first detection result). A fact that an abnormality has occurred in one of the positive sine and cosine signals (S1, S3) or in one of the negative sine and cosine signals (S2, S4) by comparing a first temperature computed using a correlation between an amplitude and a temperature and based on the electrical signals (S1, S3), a second temperature computed using a correlation between the amplitude and a temperature and based on the electrical signals (S2, S4), and a third temperature detected by a temperature sensor with each other (second detection result). A microcomputer identifies which of the electrical signals is abnormal by comparing the first and second detection results with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kitamoto
  • Patent number: 8957671
    Abstract: A motor rotation angle sensor includes a plurality of Hall elements and a plurality of switches, each a which is able to interrupt supply of power for operating a corresponding one of these Hall elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kitamoto
  • Patent number: 8786228
    Abstract: The electrical power steering apparatus 10 includes the 1st MOS-FET 13 and the 2nd MOS-FET 14 accommodating the 1st parasitic diode 15 and the 2nd parasitic diode 16 in the conducting path between the battery 100 and the motor driving circuit 11 and being connected in series at the opposite direction respectively, and the condenser 18 in an output side of the latter 2nd MOS-FET 14. The ECU 6 of the controller of the electrical power steering apparatus controls to turn on or off the 1st MOS-FET 13 and the 2nd MOS-FET 14 in accordance with the predetermined sequence after the ignition switch 17 is turned on, detecting the fault of the 1st MOS-FET 13, the 2nd MOS-FET 14 and the 1st parasitic diode 15 and the 2nd parasitic diode 16 on the basis of the output voltage from each of the 1st MOS-FET 13 and the 2nd MOS-FET 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kitamoto
  • Publication number: 20140191625
    Abstract: In an abnormality detection system for a rotation angle sensor, a fact that an abnormality has occurred in one of sine signals (S1, S2) or in one of cosine signals (S3, S4) is detected based on a sum of the electrical signals (S1, S2), and a sum of the electrical signals (S3, S4) (first detection result). A fact that an abnormality has occurred in one of the positive sine and cosine signals (S1, S3) or in one of the negative sine and cosine signals (S2, S4) by comparing a first temperature computed using a correlation between an amplitude and a temperature and based on the electrical signals (S1, S3), a second temperature computed using a correlation between the amplitude and a temperature and based on the electrical signals (S2, S4), and a third temperature detected by a temperature sensor with each other (second detection result). A microcomputer identifies which of the electrical signals is abnormal by comparing the first and second detection results with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi KITAMOTO
  • Patent number: 8525451
    Abstract: In a motor control device that is used for, for example, an electric power steering system or another vehicle steering system equipped with a motor, a relay circuit (40) that serves as a power supply breaker is provided in a power feed line (Lp2) of a pre-driver (22) of a circuit that is a component of the motor control device. The operation of the relay circuit (40) is controlled by a relay signal (S_rly) output from a microcomputer (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kitamoto
  • Patent number: 8474895
    Abstract: An inner rack structure for a saddle-ride type vehicle which can easily form an inner rack with a distinctive outward appearance. An inner rack opening that opens upwardly is provided in an upper cover, and an inner rack body portion formed to bulge in a forward direction is provided in the upper portion of a lower cover. The inner rack opening is covered from below and the front by the inner rack body portion, and the inner rack body portion is covered from a rear direction by a lower-side rear wall portion that extends downwardly from the inner rack opening of the upper cover, thereby forming an inner rack serving as a storage portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Michisaka, Hiroshi Kitamoto, Kengo Yano, Toshiharu Tomomatsu, Fujio Nakamura, Yu Miyajima
  • Patent number: 8448734
    Abstract: A canister mounting structure for a motorcycle includes an engagement member and a lock tab. The engagement member is provided to a canister. The lock tab protrudes from an upper surface of a rear fender supported by a rear portion of a vehicle body frame to cover a rear wheel. The lock tab is engaged with the engagement member so as to hold the canister on the rear fender.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuaki Maeda, Akira Komaki, Akiko Ishikawa, Kazuya Minowa, Hiroshi Kitamoto