Patents by Inventor Hiroyuki Kotani

Hiroyuki Kotani 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: 11329614
    Abstract: A high-frequency power supply circuit includes an amplifier circuit. In the amplifier circuit, one end of an inductor is connected to a direct-current power supply. One end of a switching element is connected to the other end of the inductor. A parallel capacitor is connected in parallel to the switching element. One end of an LC series circuit is connected to the one end of the switching element. A circuit capacitor is connected between the other end of the LC series circuit and the other end of the switching element. The amplifier circuit amplifies a signal having a unique frequency input to a control terminal of the switching element. The amplifier circuit outputs, to a load, a current having the frequency from a connection point between the other end of the LC series circuit and the circuit capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: DAIHEN Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kotani
  • Publication number: 20210111676
    Abstract: A high-frequency power supply circuit includes an amplifier circuit. In the amplifier circuit, one end of an inductor is connected to a direct-current power supply. One end of a switching element is connected to the other end of the inductor. A parallel capacitor is connected in parallel to the switching element. One end of an LC series circuit is connected to the one end of the switching element. A circuit capacitor is connected between the other end of the LC series circuit and the other end of the switching element. The amplifier circuit amplifies a signal having a unique frequency input to a control terminal of the switching element. The amplifier circuit outputs, to a load, a current having the frequency from a connection point between the other end of the LC series circuit and the circuit capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kotani
  • Patent number: 10919399
    Abstract: A vehicle system provided according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a power transmitter and a vehicle. The power transmitter is placed at one of at least one charge position. The vehicle includes: a power receiver, a capacitor, and a motor. The power receiver wirelessly receives first electric power from the power transmitter, and outputs second electric power deriving from the first electric power. The capacitor stores the second electric power output by the power receiver such that the capacitor is charged from a first voltage Vc1 to a second voltage Vc2. The motor is driven by the second electric power from the capacitor. The vehicle automatically travels a distance Dx along a route from one to a next one of the at least one charge position on the route. The distance Dx satisfies a certain relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: DAIHEN Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kotani, Masao Yokota
  • Patent number: 10336197
    Abstract: A power transmitter provided according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a high-frequency power source device, a power transmitting unit, and a transmitter-side controller. The high-frequency power source device generates high-frequency power. The power transmitting unit includes a power-transmitting coil. The power transmitting unit wirelessly transmits the high-frequency power received from the high-frequency power source device to a power receiver mounted on an electric vehicle. The transmitter-side controller calculates a transmitter usage rate. The transmitter-side controller causes the power transmitting unit to stop power transmission in response to the transmitter usage rate exceeding a predetermined threshold. The transmitter usage rate indicates a rate of time during which the power transmitting unit transmits power to the power receiver per unit time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: DAIHEN Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kotani, Masao Yokota
  • Patent number: 10336201
    Abstract: A contactless power transmission system is provided for supplying power contactlessly from a power transmission apparatus to a power reception apparatus. The power transmission apparatus includes a high-frequency power source device for outputting a constant high-frequency current, and power transmission units having serial resonance circuits. The power reception apparatus includes power reception units having parallel resonance circuits. A power transmission coil of the power transmission unit and a power reception coil of the power reception unit are magnetically coupled. The power transmission units are connected in series, while the power reception units are connected in parallel. Power is transmitted from the power transmission unit to the power reception unit by magnetic field resonance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: DAIHEN Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kotani
  • Publication number: 20170326995
    Abstract: A vehicle system provided according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a power transmitter and a vehicle. The power transmitter is placed at one of at least one charge position. The vehicle includes: a power receiver, a capacitor, and a motor. The power receiver wirelessly receives first electric power from the power transmitter, and outputs second electric power deriving from the first electric power. The capacitor stores the second electric power output by the power receiver such that the capacitor is charged from a first voltage Vc1 to a second voltage Vc2. The motor is driven by the second electric power from the capacitor. The vehicle automatically travels a distance Dx along a route from one to a next one of the at least one charge position on the route. The distance Dx satisfies a certain relationship.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Inventors: Hiroyuki KOTANI, Masao YOKOTA
  • Publication number: 20170326996
    Abstract: A power transmitter provided according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a high-frequency power source device, a power transmitting unit, and a transmitter-side controller. The high-frequency power source device generates high-frequency power. The power transmitting unit includes a power-transmitting coil. The power transmitting unit wirelessly transmits the high-frequency power received from the high-frequency power source device to a power receiver mounted on an electric vehicle. The transmitter-side controller calculates a transmitter usage rate. The transmitter-side controller causes the power transmitting unit to stop power transmission in response to the transmitter usage rate exceeding a predetermined threshold. The transmitter usage rate indicates a rate of time during which the power transmitting unit transmits power to the power receiver per unit time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Inventors: Hiroyuki KOTANI, Masao YOKOTA
  • Publication number: 20170207657
    Abstract: A contactless power supply system includes a power transmitter and a power receiver. The power transmitter generates high-frequency power and contactlessly transmits the power to the power receiver. The power transmitter detects reflected power from the power receiver and stops the transmission of the power to the power receiver with reference to the reflected power. The power receiver receives the high-frequency power from the power transmitter and converts the received power into direct current power for charging a power storage device. A switch is operated to electrically connect or disconnect a path to supply the direct current power to the power storage device. The power receiver includes a controller for operating the switch to electrically disconnect the power supply path when the power storage device is in the full charge state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Inventor: Hiroyuki KOTANI
  • Publication number: 20170129347
    Abstract: A contactless power transmission system is provided for supplying power contactlessly from a power transmission apparatus to a power reception apparatus. The power transmission apparatus includes a high-frequency power source device for outputting a constant high-frequency current, and power transmission units having serial resonance circuits. The power reception apparatus includes power reception units having parallel resonance circuits. A power transmission coil of the power transmission unit and a power reception coil of the power reception unit are magnetically coupled. The power transmission units are connected in series, while the power reception units are connected in parallel. Power is transmitted from the power transmission unit to the power reception unit by magnetic field resonance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2016
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Inventor: Hiroyuki KOTANI
  • Patent number: 9144736
    Abstract: A game control technique with high entertainment value is provided. In a game device, a confirmation sound output unit assigns a sound to each type of an operation input from a player; and upon the reception of the operation input from the player, the confirmation sound output unit outputs the sound assigned to the operation input. A command memory unit stores a plurality of types and patterns of the rhythms of the operation input in association with commands which is issued upon the reception of the operation inputs. A command determination unit acquires the type and rhythm of the operation input from the player and determines whether the type and rhythm of the operation input match the pattern stored in the command memory unit. A repetition unit outputs the sound corresponding to the pattern when the operation input from the player is determined to match the pattern stored in the command determination unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT INC.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kotani
  • Patent number: 8134816
    Abstract: A high-frequency power supply system includes an anomaly detector 3 which detects an anomaly occurring in a circuit on the side of a load L as from an outputting end A of a high-frequency power source 1. The anomaly detector 3 includes a first detector 21 which detects a voltage value Vf of a high-frequency forward wave, a second detector 22 which detects a voltage value Vr of a high-frequency reflected wave, a reflection coefficient calculator 23 and a differentiator 24 which calculate a reflection coefficient differential value d?/dt from the forward wave voltage value Vf and the reflected wave voltage value Vr, and an anomaly determiner 25 which determines of an occurrence of an anomaly based on the reflection coefficient differential value d?/dt. When the anomaly detector 3 outputs an anomaly detection signal to the high-frequency power source 1, high-frequency power source 1 stops its power output operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Daihen Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kotani, Hirotaki Takei, Yoshifumi Ibuki, Hiroaki Oichi
  • Patent number: 7925364
    Abstract: Provided is an audio reproduction device capable of immediately starting to reproduce audio data, particularly compressed audio data, from an arbitrary point in a forward or a backward direction at an arbitrary speed. In the case where data, to be reproduced, which is stored in a storage device is compressed data, the compressed data is temporarily stored in a RAM. Then, the stored compressed data is decoded by a decoder, thereby extracting a segment of PCM data. The segment of PCM data is supplied to a PCM data buffer formed in a RAM via a reproduction controlling microcomputer. Based on an operation of a rotational operation element, the PCM data stored in the PCM data buffer formed in the RAM is reproduced by a reproduction processing circuit, thereby reducing a rapid change in reproduction speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Mizoguchi, Hiroyuki Kotani, Masami Yasui, Toshikazu Murai, Nobuo Moritani
  • Patent number: 7887403
    Abstract: In a game system, a PC control unit controls an attack on an enemy character by a player's character. An enemy character control unit controls an attack on the player's character by the enemy character. An MP management unit stores, in an MP storage, a current value of a magic point indicative of the power required for a magic attack and manages an increase and decrease in the current value of the magic point. The magic point stored in the MP storage is used commonly by the player's character and the enemy character. When the player's character attacks the enemy character and the enemy character attacks the player's character, the MP management unit subtracts a value required for the attack, from the current value of the magic point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kotani, Yukihiko Hojo
  • Publication number: 20100277843
    Abstract: A high-frequency power supply system includes an anomaly detector 3 which detects an anomaly occurring in a circuit on the side of a load L as from an outputting end A of a high-frequency power source 1. The anomaly detector 3 includes a first detector 21 which detects a voltage value Vf of a high-frequency forward wave, a second detector 22 which detects a voltage value Vr of a high-frequency reflected wave, a reflection coefficient calculator 23 and a differentiator 24 which calculate a reflection coefficient differential value d?/dt from the forward wave voltage value Vf and the reflected wave voltage value Vr, and an anomaly determiner 25 which determines of an occurrence of an anomaly based on the reflection coefficient differential value d?/dt. When the anomaly detector 3 outputs an anomaly detection signal to the high-frequency power source 1, high-frequency power source 1 stops its power output operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Applicant: DAIHEN Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki KOTANI, Hirotaka Takei, Yoshifumi Ibuki, Hiroaki Oichi
  • Patent number: 7796368
    Abstract: A high-frequency power supply system includes an anomaly detector 3 which detects an anomaly occurring in a circuit on the side of a load L as from an outputting end A of a high-frequency power source 1. The anomaly detector 3 includes a first detector 21 which detects a voltage value Vf of a high-frequency forward wave, a second detector 22 which detects a voltage value Vr of a high-frequency reflected wave, a reflection coefficient calculator 23 and a differentiator 24 which calculate a reflection coefficient differential value d?/dt from the forward wave voltage value Vf and the reflected wave voltage value Vr, and an anomaly determiner 25 which determines of an occurrence of an anomaly based on the reflection coefficient differential value d?/dt. When the anomaly detector 3 outputs an anomaly detection signal to the high-frequency power source 1, high-frequency power source 1 stops its power output operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: DAIHEN Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kotani, Hirotaki Takei, Yoshifumi Ibuki, Hiroaki Oichi
  • Patent number: 7648416
    Abstract: A musical rhythm is expressed by the number of the timing marks (for example, three timing marks when in simple triple time); and a musical tempo is expressed by the distance among the timing marks and a timing ball that moves at a fixed speed among those timing marks. Accordingly, a player may easily grasp the tempo of the music and easily determine the rhythm of the music in a sound game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Chuuma, Hiroyuki Kotani
  • Patent number: 7630220
    Abstract: A high frequency power supply includes a DC source unit (19) that outputs a DC voltage Vdc having an output level corresponding to a target voltage, an oscillation unit (13) that outputs a high frequency voltage signal having an output level corresponding to a target power, an amplification unit (14) that includes a plurality of amplifying elements, and amplifies and outputs the high frequency voltage signal output by the oscillation unit (13) utilizing the DC voltage output by the DC source unit (19), an output voltage detection unit (21) that detects an amplitude of the voltage between the amplified-side terminals of the amplifying elements in the amplification unit (14), or an amplitude of a voltage that is proportional to the amplitude of the voltage between the amplified-side terminals, and a target voltage decision unit (22) that decides a target value of the DC source voltage Vdc to be outputted by the DC source unit (19) based on the detection result from the output voltage detection unit (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Daihen Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kotani, Michio Taniguchi, Tatsuya Ikenari, Hirotaka Takei
  • Patent number: 7489206
    Abstract: A high-frequency power device including: an oscillator; a high-frequency power supplier; a reflection coefficient calculator; a discharge signal output unit; and a frequency controller, wherein the frequency controller: instructs the oscillator to oscillate the oscillation signal at a first oscillation frequency for the period of time while a discharge signal is not in a state showing that the discharge has been commenced or in a state where the discharge is regarded as having been commenced; then instructs the oscillator to change the first oscillation frequency to a second oscillation frequency immediately after the discharge signal changes into the states; and then controls the oscillation frequency so that the absolute value is made small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Daihen Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kotani, Hirotaka Takei, Ryohei Tanaka, Hiroshi Matoba
  • Publication number: 20090036210
    Abstract: A game control technique with high entertainment value is provided. In a game device, a confirmation sound output unit assigns a sound to each type of an operation input from a player; and upon the reception of the operation input from the player, the confirmation sound output unit outputs the sound assigned to the operation input. A command memory unit stores a plurality of types and patterns of the rhythms of the operation input in association with commands which is issued upon the reception of the operation inputs. A command determination unit acquires the type and rhythm of the operation input from the player and determines whether the type and rhythm of the operation input match the pattern stored in the command memory unit. A repetition unit outputs the sound corresponding to the pattern when the operation input from the player is determined to match the pattern stored in the command determination unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kotani
  • Publication number: 20080048632
    Abstract: A high frequency power supply includes a DC source unit (19) that outputs a DC voltage Vdc having an output level corresponding to a target voltage, an oscillation unit (13) that outputs a high frequency voltage signal having an output level corresponding to a target power, an amplification unit (14) that includes a plurality of amplifying elements, and amplifies and outputs the high frequency voltage signal output by the oscillation unit (13) utilizing the DC voltage output by the DC source unit (19), an output voltage detection unit (21) that detects an amplitude of the voltage between the amplified-side terminals of the amplifying elements in the amplification unit (14), or an amplitude of a voltage that is proportional to the amplitude of the voltage between the amplified-side terminals, and a target voltage decision unit (22) that decides a target value of the DC source voltage Vdc to be outputted by the DC source unit (19) based on the detection result from the output voltage detection unit (21).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2005
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Applicant: DAIHEN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kotani, Michio Taniguchi, Tatsuya Ikenari, Hirotaka Takei