Patents by Inventor Hiroyuki Sako

Hiroyuki Sako 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: 9066407
    Abstract: A dedicated power source for LED lamps capable of reliably detecting attachment of an LED lamp is provided. A dedicated power source has a DC power source portion, and includes a lighting circuit which receives power supplied from the DC power source portion and light-controls an LED lamp including an LED element and a detection resistor connected in parallel to the LED element and an attachment detecting portion for detecting attachment of the LED lamp based on a voltage level changing in accordance with attachment/detachment of the detection resistor by attachment/detachment of the LED lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignees: Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Terasaka, Hiroshi Kubota, Masahiko Kamata, Naoko Iwai, Takeshi Saito, Hiroki Nakagawa, Katsunobu Hamamoto, Hiroyuki Sako
  • Patent number: 8575857
    Abstract: The LED lighting device includes a lighting circuit unit, a current detecting unit, a voltage detecting unit, and a control unit. The lighting circuit unit is adapted in use to be connected to a lamp socket to be connected to a LED lamp, and is configured to provide an output voltage in the form of a DC voltage to the lamp socket in a manner to turn on the LED lamp. The current detecting unit is configured to detect an output current which is caused by the output voltage and is supplied from said lighting circuit unit to said lamp socket. The voltage detecting unit is configured to detect the output voltage of said lighting circuit unit. The control unit configured to control the lighting circuit unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Sako, Katsunobu Hamamoto, Takeshi Saito, Hiroki Nakagawa, Hiroshi Terasaka
  • Patent number: 8339053
    Abstract: An LED dimming includes: current adjusting means (constant current circuit) for variably controlling a magnitude of a current flowing through an LED load; switching means (transistor) for intermittently controlling the current flowing through the LED load; and dimming controlling means (microcomputer) for controlling the current adjusting means and the switching means upon receiving a dimming signal outputted from a dimmer. In a case where the dimming signal outputted from the dimmer is on a higher brightness side than a predetermined level, the dimming controlling means flows a continuous current though the LED load, and dims the LED load based on a magnitude of the flowing current, and in a case where the dimming signal outputted from the dimmer is on a lower brightness side than the predetermined level, the dimming controlling means flows a pulse current through the LED load, and changes a mean value of waveforms of the pulse current, thereby dims the LED load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeaki Yamasaki, Hiroyuki Sako
  • Patent number: 8143809
    Abstract: A LED illuminating device includes: a power source device, a controller, an LED lighting device, and an LED unit 4 incorporating LEDs of a plurality of emission colors. The device is configured to mix the lights of the LEDs at an arbitrary proportion and set the lights in an arbitrary color mixture proportion on the basis of a dimming signal from the controller. The device is further configured so that: a coefficient specific to the LED unit at which an emission color of the LED unit becomes a desired color can be set to a signal value of the controller preliminarily set as a standard. The LED lighting device can control an emission amount of the LEDs having the respective emission colors by using a value calculated by a calculation expression employing the specific coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeaki Yamazaki, Hiroyuki Sako
  • Publication number: 20120019166
    Abstract: A dedicated power source for LED lamps capable of reliably detecting attachment of an LED lamp is provided. A dedicated power source has a DC power source portion, and includes a lighting circuit which receives power supplied from the DC power source portion and light-controls an LED lamp including an LED element and a detection resistor connected in parallel to the LED element and an attachment detecting portion for detecting attachment of the LED lamp based on a voltage level changing in accordance with attachment/detachment of the detection resistor by attachment/detachment of the LED lamp.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicants: TOSHIBA LIGHTING & TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION, PANASONIC ELECTRIC WORK CO., LTD, PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Terasaka, Hiroshi Kubota, Masahiko Kamata, Naoko Iwai, Takeshi Saito, Hiroki Nakagawa, Katsunobu Hamamoto, Hiroyuki Sako
  • Publication number: 20110316442
    Abstract: The LED lighting device includes a lighting circuit unit, a current detecting unit, a voltage detecting unit, and a control unit. The lighting circuit unit is adapted in use to be connected to a lamp socket to be connected to a LED lamp, and is configured to provide an output voltage in the form of a DC voltage to the lamp socket in a manner to turn on the LED lamp. The current detecting unit is configured to detect an output current which is caused by the output voltage and is supplied from said lighting circuit unit to said lamp socket. The voltage detecting unit is configured to detect the output voltage of said lighting circuit unit. The control unit configured to control the lighting circuit unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Sako, Katsunobu Hamamoto, Takeshi Saito, Hiroki Nakagawa, Hiroshi Terasaka
  • Publication number: 20100219764
    Abstract: An LED dimming includes: current adjusting means (constant current circuit) for variably controlling a magnitude of a current flowing through an LED load; switching means (transistor) for intermittently controlling the current flowing through the LED load; and dimming controlling means (microcomputer) for controlling the current adjusting means and the switching means upon receiving a dimming signal outputted from a dimmer. In a case where the dimming signal outputted from the dimmer is on a higher brightness side than a predetermined level, the dimming controlling means flows a continuous current though the LED load, and dims the LED load based on a magnitude of the flowing current, and in a case where the dimming signal outputted from the dimmer is on a lower brightness side than the predetermined level, the dimming controlling means flows a pulse current through the LED load, and changes a mean value of waveforms of the pulse current, thereby dims the LED load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicant: PANASONIC ELECTRIC WORKS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeaki Yamasaki, Hiroyuki Sako
  • Publication number: 20100019691
    Abstract: A LED illuminating device includes: a power source device, a controller, an LED lighting device, and an LED unit 4 incorporating LEDs of a plurality of emission colors. The device is configured to mix the lights of the LEDs at an arbitrary proportion and set the lights in an arbitrary color mixture proportion on the basis of a dimming signal from the controller. The device is further configured so that: a coefficient specific to the LED unit at which an emission color of the LED unit becomes a desired color can be set to a signal value of the controller preliminarily set as a standard. The LED lighting device can control an emission amount of the LEDs having the respective emission colors by using a value calculated by a calculation expression employing the specific coefficient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Inventors: Shigeaki Yamazaki, Hiroyuki Sako
  • Patent number: 6357542
    Abstract: Disclosed is an article storage box attachable to a vehicle having a front storage chamber and a rear storage chamber arranged in tandem. The storage box also includes a partition positioned between the storage chambers and defined by inner walls of the article storage box, wherein the partition has an accessible interior recess being capable of receiving and securably facilitating an accessory such as a helmet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Sako
  • Patent number: 6336579
    Abstract: A motorcycle having a storage box disposed below a rear seat. The storage box has a front storage area defined in a front portion thereof for storing a helmet in a vertically oriented attitude and a rear storage area defined in a rear portion thereof for storing another helmet in a laterally tilted attitude obliquely rearwardly from the first helmet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Sako
  • Patent number: 6246182
    Abstract: An electronic track lighting system comprises a power supply filter circuit having an input connected to an alternating current power supply AC, a rectifier circuit connected to an output of the power supply filter circuit, an inverter circuit connected to an output of the rectifier circuit and outputting a high frequency voltage by on/off operation of switching elements therein, a lamp load, and a power track providing supply voltage to the lamp load. The lighting system further comprises a first unit which is interposed between the AC power supply and an input of the power track and includes at least the power supply filter circuit, and a second unit which is provided as a structure independent from the first unit, is connected to the power track and outputs a high frequency voltage to the lamp load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeaki Yamasaki, Hiroyuki Sako
  • Patent number: 5771159
    Abstract: A power supply device in which an inverter circuit is supplied with power directly from a rectification circuit, the inverter circuit has a pair of switching elements connected in series with each other and connected between both ends of the rectification circuit through an impedance element, a series circuit of the impedance element, two capacitors and an inductor is connected in parallel to one of the switching elements of the inverter circuit connected to positive polarity one of the both ends of the rectification circuit, a load is connected across one of the capacitor, a valley filling circuit receives an output of the inverter circuit through a diode provided in the valley filling circuit and supplies it to a power supply capacitor provided therein and, when a DC output voltage of the rectification circuit drops, the valley filling circuit supplies power to the inverter circuit via the power supply capacitor and another diode provided therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Woks, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Sako, Koji Nishiura, Masahiro Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 5647450
    Abstract: A battery charger for an electric vehicle having a built-in heatsink provided with an air passage, and a built-in battery charger cooling fan for producing an air current through the air passage of the heatsink to cool the heatsink. The heatsink need not be provided with fins and hence the battery charger can be formed in a comparatively small size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1997
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masao Ogawa, Hiroyuki Sako, Kenji Kawaguchi, Masayuki Toriyama
  • Patent number: 5644480
    Abstract: A power source device for supplying a high frequency AC voltage to a load. An source voltage is changed by a rectifier into a into a DC voltage that is supplied to an inverter to produce the high frequency AC voltage. The high frequency AC voltage is fed back to the rectifier where a resonant circuit resonates with the high frequency AC voltage. The inverter may be self-excited through feedback of the high frequency AC voltage. In this power source device, any pausing in the AC source voltage is filled in through the feedback and resonant circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Sako, Tokushi Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 5613569
    Abstract: An electrically powered motor-scooter includes a scooter body having a step floor, a seat, a body cover mounted under the seat, and a storage compartment located below the seat. A battery case is mounted under the step floor which has at least one opening therein which is open to the surrounding air for allowing the flow of air therethrough. A rear compartment extends below and rearwardly of the storage compartment and extends rearwardly of the battery case. The storage compartment forms an upper wall of the rear compartment, and the body cover forms sidewalls of the rear compartment. A portion of the rear compartment is open to the surrounding air. A fan is mounted in a forward portion of the rear compartment for producing a movement of cooling air between the rear compartment and the battery case. The cooling air passes through the rear compartment and the opening in the battery case. A duct is connected between the fan and the battery case which forms a passage for the cooling air to pass therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kouichi Sugioka, Masao Ogawa, Hiroyuki Sako, Hidetoshi Takamatsu
  • Patent number: 5565740
    Abstract: An electronic ballast for hot cathode discharge lamp comprises a DC voltage source, a chopper, and an inverter. The chopper includes a switching element connected in series with an inductor across the DC voltage and driven to turn on and off for providing a periodically interrupted voltage which is smoothed by a capacitor to produce a smoothed DC voltage as a chopper output. The inverter includes at least one switching element which is coupled to the chopper output to produce therefrom a high frequency AC voltage as an inverter output to be applied to cathodes of the discharge lamp for lighting the discharge lamp. The ballast is characterized to include an inverter controller and a delay circuit. The inverter controller controls the inverter to operate selectively in a normal mode of providing the inverter output of a first level and in a limited mode of providing the inverter output of a second level which is lower than the first level and is determined to give a preheating current to the cathodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1996
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akinori Hiramatsu, Hiroyuki Sako, Kazuhiro Gotoh, Nobukazu Miki
  • Patent number: 5540312
    Abstract: A charging cord box has a first opening facing a cord outlet lid and a second opening at a substantially right angle to the first opening. A charging cord is passed through the first opening and the second opening. In storing the charging cord in the box, the charging cord can be lowered spontaneously by its own weight. Further, in drawing the charging cord from the box, a base portion of the charging cord is merely bent and no undue external force is applied to the charging cord. Accordingly, damage to the charging cord can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1996
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masao Ogawa, Hiroyuki Sako, Hiroyuki Shimmura, Kenji Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 5513721
    Abstract: A cover structure to improve a waterproof performance of a front surface of a battery storing case in an electric vehicle wherein subcovers are provided between a front fender covering a front wheel and a front surface of a battery storing case. In addition, a gap formed between the subcovers and the fender or the front surface of the battery storing case is formed like a maze so as to stop an upward flow of muddy water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1996
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masao Ogawa, Hiroyuki Sako, Hiroyuki Shimmura
  • Patent number: 5495149
    Abstract: A power supply for driving one or more loads includes a DC voltage source, an inverter connected to the DC voltage source for providing a high frequency AC voltage at its output end, and an output transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding. The primary winding is coupled to the output end of the inverter through a tuning inductor, while the secondary winding is coupled to the load. A tuning capacitor, which constitutes a resonant circuit in cooperation with the resonance inductance for supplying a resonance current to the load, is connected across the secondary winding of the output transformer in parallel relation to the load. The tuning capacitor is arranged in circuit on the opposite side of the secondary winding from the load such that the tuning capacitor is open-circuited when the load is disconnected from the secondary winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1996
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akinori Hiramatsu, Hiroyuki Sako, Kazuhiro Gotoh, Nobukazu Miki, Seiji Soga, Naokage Kishimoto
  • Patent number: 5477936
    Abstract: A battery for an electrically powered vehicle includes a vehicle body having a battery unit operatively connected to the vehicle body for supplying electricity to the electrically powered vehicle. The battery unit is of an elongated shape in outer configuration and is located under the vehicle body with the length direction extending along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. A battery unit for an electric motor vehicle includes a battery assembly including a plurality of elongated batteries extending in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle and being disposed adjacent to one another with a small gap being provided therebetween. A battery box is provided for accommodating the battery assembly. The battery box includes a front portion, side portions and a rear portion. Ventilation holes are provided in the front portion of the battery box for introducing cool air at positions corresponding to the gap spaces between adjacent individual batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1995
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kouichi Sugioka, Masao Ogawa, Hiroyuki Sako, Hidetoshi Takamatsu