Patents by Inventor Kazuto Kuroda

Kazuto Kuroda 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).

  • Publication number: 20170263985
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a vehicular storage battery device includes a housing, battery boxes, and a common cooling passage. The battery boxes are disposed in the housing. Each of the battery boxes houses an electric cell as a vehicle power source and includes a heat transporting part transporting heat generated in the battery box to outside of the battery box. The common cooling passage is disposed in the housing. The common cooling passage is provided with an inlet for taking in a fluid and an outlet for discharging the fluid having passed through the passage. The inlet and the outlet are open in a direction different from a traveling direction of the vehicle. The heat transporting part of each of the battery boxes is exposed to inside of the passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Akinobu NISHIKAWA, Shigeki KONO, Masaki SATO, Tatsuya ARAI, Kotaro OGAWA, Shinichiro KOSUGI, Masahiro SEKINO, Kazuto KURODA, Hideaki YASUI, Mai HONDA, Tomonao TAKAMATSU, Mitsunobu YOSHIDA, Takafumi NAKAHAMA, Akihiko UJIIE, Atsumi KONDO, Masahiro KUROSU
  • Publication number: 20170200987
    Abstract: A battery assembly system includes: a battery assembly; a temperature measuring part; and a monitoring device. The battery assembly includes a plurality of batteries connected in series. The temperature measuring part measures temperatures of connection parts used to connect electrodes of batteries included in the battery assembly. The monitoring device derives temperatures of the batteries on the basis of the temperatures measured by the temperature measuring part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Makoto MATSUOKA, Shinichiro KOSUGI, Katsuya UCHIDA, Kazuto KURODA, Massahiro SEKINO, Norihiro KANEKO
  • Publication number: 20170182907
    Abstract: A power control apparatus according to an embodiment includes acquisition circuitry and determination circuitry. The acquisition circuitry is configured to acquire a voltage of a secondary battery during charging. The determination circuitry is configured to determine a maximum current to be used during charging of the secondary battery using a difference between an upper limit voltage and the acquired voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Sonoka IKEDA, Shinichiro KOSUGI, Masahiro SEKINO, Kazuto KURODA, Osamu YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20170187203
    Abstract: A power control apparatus according to an embodiment includes an acquisition unit and a determination unit. The acquisition unit acquires information relating to a voltage and an electric current of a chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery during charging/discharging. The determination unit determines a maximum current of the secondary battery during charging on the basis of the information acquired by the acquisition unit so that the voltage of the secondary battery does not exceed a predetermined voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Sonoka IKEDA, Shinichiro KOSUGI, Masahiro SEKINO, Osamu YAMAZAKI, Kazuto KURODA
  • Publication number: 20170069888
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a battery pack includes a first housing, first plurality of battery modules, second plurality of battery modules and elastic members. The first housing includes a first outer wall and a second outer wall different from the first outer wall. The first plurality of battery modules are fixed to the first outer wall. Each includes a second housing and a plurality of battery cells accommodated in the second housing. The second plurality of battery modules are fixed to the second outer wall. Each includes a second housing and a plurality of battery cells accommodated in the second housing. The elastic members are for pressing the first plurality of battery modules onto the first outer wall and pressing the second plurality of battery modules onto the second outer wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Toshinori UCHIDA, Masahiro SEKINO, Shinichiro KOSUGI, Kazuto KURODA, Hideo SHIMIZU
  • Patent number: 9472941
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, battery module includes a main circuit, a resistive element, a current-amount detection circuit, and a breaker. A charge and discharge current of a battery flows through the main circuit via a positive connecting terminal and a negative connecting terminal. The resistive element is provided in a current path branched from the main circuit, and able to form a closed circuit with an external control device via one of the positive connecting terminal and the negative connecting terminal while an insulating state between the main circuit and the external control device is maintained. The current-amount detection circuit detects an amount of current flowing through the resistive element, and outputs a current-amount detection signal. The breaker circuit interrupts the current flowing through the main circuit when the amount of current flowing through the resistive element is smaller than a predetermined threshold current based on the current-amount detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazuto Kuroda, Shinichiro Kosugi, Minoru Gyoda, Fuyuki Kanbe
  • Publication number: 20160276846
    Abstract: A storage battery management device manages a plurality of battery units in a storage battery system including the battery units having a plurality of battery cells and a power adjustment device connected to the battery units via respective contactors and connected to a main circuit. The storage battery management device includes a minimum value determination unit and a controller. The minimum value determination unit, from the battery units in which a difference between a maximum cell voltage and a minimum cell voltage of the battery cells forming each of the battery units is equal to or less than a certain value, determines a minimum value of the minimum cell voltage. The controller controls a cell balance process of the battery unit managed by itself, by using the minimum value of the minimum cell voltage determined by the minimum value determination unit as a cell balance target voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Kazuto KURODA, Shinichiro KOSUGI, Masahiro SEKINO, Jun TAKAHASHI, Ryo OKABE, Yusuke KIKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20160226288
    Abstract: An overcharge protection device according to an embodiment includes a switching unit and a controller. The switching unit includes a plurality of switching elements connected in series. The plurality of switching elements is connected in parallel to a fuse and a rechargeable battery. The fuse is interposed between and connected to the rechargeable battery and a charger configured to charge the rechargeable battery. The controller detects output voltage of the rechargeable battery, and, if the detected output voltage exceeds a certain overcharge detection voltage, short-circuits a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal of the rechargeable battery by turning on the switching elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazuto Kuroda, Shinichiro Kosugi, Masahiro Sekino, Shigeru Nozawa, Minoru Gyoda, Yosuke Saeki, Fuyuki Kanbe
  • Publication number: 20160223616
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a cell monitoring device that performs monitoring of a cell module under control of a battery management device (BMD), includes a communication controller and a control device. The communication controller is capable of being connected to BMD through a communication line. The control device performs an activation processing of the communication controller at a time of initialization, and controls the cell monitoring device. The control device performs a reboot processing of the communication controller in a period shorter than a period of detecting an error condition of the communication controller by BMD when a second voltage drops to be below an operation allowable voltage of the communication controller in a state in which a first voltage is above a certain operation allowable voltage. The first voltage represents a power supply voltage of the control device. The second voltage represents a power supply voltage of the communication controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Koichi YOSHINO, Ryo Okabe, Norihiro Kaneko, Takehiro Usumori, Kazuto Kuroda
  • Publication number: 20160211494
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a railroad storage battery device includes a first and second resin assembled battery boxes, a battery management unit, and a metal box mountable on a railroad vehicle via an insulating member. The first resin assembled battery box possesses a certain insulating property and accommodates a first battery cell group and a first cell monitoring device monitoring charge and discharge of battery cells. The second resin assembled battery box possesses a certain insulating property and accommodates a second battery cell group connected in series with the first battery cell group and a second cell monitoring device monitoring charge and discharge of the battery cells. The battery management unit controls the first and second cell monitoring devices. The metal box accommodates the first and second assembled battery boxes and the battery management unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masahiro Kurosu, Shinichiro Kosugi, Masahiro Sekino, Kazuto Kuroda, Hideaki Yasui, Mai Honda, Masaki Sato, Tatsuya Arai, Akinobu Nishikawa, Kotaro Ogawa, Tomonao Takamatsu, Mitsunobu Yoshida, Takafumi Nakahama, Akihiko Ujiie, Atsumi Kondo
  • Publication number: 20160181836
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a storage battery device includes a battery group, a charge-and-discharge control FET unit, and a drive controller. The battery group includes a plurality of battery cells connected in series. The charge-and-discharge control FET unit is connected to a low potential side of the battery group and includes at least a pair of N-channel MOSFETs source terminals of which are back-to-back connected. The drive controller outputs a drive control signal to a gate terminal of the respective N-channel MOSFETs included in the charge-and-discharge control FET unit. The drive control signal is generated based on a potential level of the source terminals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Fuyuki Kanabe, Kazuto Kuroda, Shinichiro Kosugi, Masahiro Sekino, Minoru Gyoda, Yosuke Saeki
  • Patent number: 9356469
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a storage battery device includes a battery unit, a charging unit, a terminal, and a first circuit breaking unit. The battery unit includes a lithium ion battery and is connectable in parallel to other storage battery device that charges an external lithium ion battery. The charging unit is supplied with electric power from an external electric power source and charges the battery unit. The terminal is connectable to a wire connecting the other storage battery device with the battery unit. The first circuit breaking unit is connected between the battery unit and the terminal, and blocks an electric current flowing from the terminal to the battery unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazuto Kuroda, Shinichiro Kosugi, Ryo Okabe, Manabu Murakami
  • Patent number: 9239363
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed that includes a resistance measuring unit operable to determine a solution resistance Rsol and a charge transfer resistance Rct of a battery; and at least one computer-readable non-transitory storage medium comprising code, that, when executed by at least one processor, is operable to provide an estimate of the present value of the battery by: comparing Rsol and Rct to historical deterioration transition information; estimating the number of remaining charge cycles before a discharge capacity lower limit is reached by the battery using the comparison; and estimating the number of remaining charge cycles before a discharge time lower limit is reached by the battery using the comparison. The estimate of the present value of the battery includes the smaller of the number of remaining charge cycles before a discharge capacity lower limit is reached or the number of remaining charge cycles before a discharge time lower limit is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Toshiba Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro Matsui, Kazuto Kuroda, Yasuhiro Harada, Shinichiro Kosugi, Hisashi Oya, Mami Mizutani, Takashi Morimoto, Takeo Hayase, Yukitaka Monden, Norio Takami
  • Patent number: 9207286
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed that includes a resistance measuring unit operable to determine a solution resistance Rsol and a charge transfer resistance Rct of a battery; and at least one computer-readable non-transitory storage medium comprising code, that, when executed by at least one processor, is operable to provide an estimate of the present value of the battery by: comparing Rsol and Rct to historical deterioration transition information; estimating the number of remaining charge cycles before a discharge capacity lower limit is reached by the battery using the comparison; and estimating the number of remaining charge cycles before a discharge time lower limit is reached by the battery using the comparison. The estimate of the present value of the battery includes the smaller of the number of remaining charge cycles before a discharge capacity lower limit is reached or the number of remaining charge cycles before a discharge time lower limit is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Akihiro Matsui, Kazuto Kuroda, Yasuhiro Harada, Shinichiro Kosugi, Hisashi Oya, Mami Mizutani, Takashi Morimoto, Takeo Hayase, Yukitaka Monden, Norio Takami
  • Publication number: 20150263395
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a battery pack device includes a plurality of battery modules, a cell detector, and a determiner. Each of the plurality of battery modules stores a plurality of cells. The cell detector detects a cell detection signal representing whether a cell is present or absent at each of a plurality of positions in each battery module. The determiner determines the arrangement state of the cells in each battery module based on the cell detection signal detected by the cell detector, determines the presence/absence of an abnormality from the determined arrangement state of the cells and the connection state of each battery module, and outputs an abnormal signal in case of the abnormality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Inventors: Ryo Okabe, Shinichiro Kosugi, Kazuto Kuroda, Manabu Murakami
  • Publication number: 20140265639
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, battery module includes a main circuit, a resistive element, a current-amount detection circuit, and a breaker. A charge and discharge current of a battery flows through the main circuit via a positive connecting terminal and a negative connecting terminal. The resistive element is provided in a current path branched from the main circuit, and able to form a closed circuit with an external control device via one of the positive connecting terminal and the negative connecting terminal while an insulating state between the main circuit and the external control device is maintained. The current-amount detection circuit detects an amount of current flowing through the resistive element, and outputs a current-amount detection signal. The breaker circuit interrupts the current flowing through the main circuit when the amount of current flowing through the resistive element is smaller than a predetermined threshold current based on the current-amount detection signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazuto Kuroda, Shinichiro Kosugi, Minoru Gyoda, Fuyuki Kanbe
  • Publication number: 20140203786
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a power supply apparatus includes a battery assembly, a fuse element, a switch unit, and a control unit. The fuse element is connected between the battery assembly and a load unit driven by being supplied with power from the battery assembly. The switch unit is connected in parallel to the load unit. The control unit causes, when an over voltage of at least one of the battery assembly and the load unit is detected, the switch unit to be in an ON state, provides an over current to flow from the battery assembly to the fuse element, and fusing the fuse element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takeshi Oosawa, Shinichiro Kosugi, Manabu Murakami, Kazuto Kuroda, Masahiro Sekino, Takashi Sudo, Hideaki Ohsawa, Ryo Okabe
  • Publication number: 20140203765
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a storage battery device includes a battery unit, a charging unit, a terminal, and a first circuit breaking unit. The battery unit includes a lithium ion battery and is connectable in parallel to other storage battery device that charges an external lithium ion battery. The charging unit is supplied with electric power from an external electric power source and charges the battery unit. The terminal is connectable to a wire connecting the other storage battery device with the battery unit. The first circuit breaking unit is connected between the battery unit and the terminal, and blocks an electric current flowing from the terminal to the battery unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazuto Kuroda, Shinichiro Kosugi, Ryo Okabe, Manabu Murakami
  • Publication number: 20140103934
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed that includes a resistance measuring unit operable to determine a solution resistance Rsol and a charge transfer resistance Rct of a battery; and at least one computer-readable non-transitory storage medium comprising code, that, when executed by at least one processor, is operable to provide an estimate of the present value of the battery by: comparing Rsol and Rct to historical deterioration transition information; estimating the number of remaining charge cycles before a discharge capacity lower limit is reached by the battery using the comparison; and estimating the number of remaining charge cycles before a discharge time lower limit is reached by the battery using the comparison. The estimate of the present value of the battery includes the smaller of the number of remaining charge cycles before a discharge capacity lower limit is reached or the number of remaining charge cycles before a discharge time lower limit is reached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Akihiro Matsui, Kazuto Kuroda, Yasuhiro Harada, Shinichiro Kosugi, Hisashi Oya, Mami Mizutani, Takashi Morimoto, Takeo Hayase, Yukitaka Monden, Norio Takami
  • Patent number: 8643328
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a device includes a power management module to which a power is supplied from an external power source, a power source supply circuit to which a power is supplied from the power management module via a first input terminal, a latch circuit configured to be operated by a power supplied from the power supply circuit or a power supplied via a second input terminal, a circuit configured to output a logic signal that sets a shutdown signal output from the latch circuit to a third input terminal, and a logic communication circuit to which a logic signal is supplied via the third input terminal and which supplies the logic signal to a forth terminal of the larch circuit. The shutdown signal output from the latch circuit is set to an predetermined level when the logic signal is set to a second level from a first level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Miyamoto, Shinichiro Kosugi, Yuki Kuwano, Nobuo Shibuya, Kazuto Kuroda