Patents by Inventor Kazutoshi Nomoto
Kazutoshi Nomoto 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).
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Patent number: 8222840Abstract: A fuel cell mount apparatus includes: a fuel cell system including a power generation unit for generating electric power by use of a fuel and air, a hydrogen occlusion cylinder for supplying the fuel to the power generation unit, an air supply means for supplying air to the power generation unit, and a control unit for controlling the power generating operation of the power generation unit; and a dog type robot mounted with the fuel cell system and operated by electric power outputted from the fuel cell, wherein a part of component elements of the fuel cell system and a part of component elements of the dog type robot are used in common with each other, i.e., one of the component elements functions also as the other of the component elements, whereby a component element can be made to function as both a part of an electronic apparatus and a part of the fuel cell, the wastefulness of component elements can be removed, and the fuel cell can be efficiently mounted on various electronic apparatuses.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2003Date of Patent: July 17, 2012Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Koichi Tanaka, Chiaki Kanai, Kazutoshi Nomoto, Yasuhiro Watanabe, Yuichi Takai
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Patent number: 8101311Abstract: A fuel cell and an electronic apparatus with same mounted thereon are provided. The fuel cell includes a power generation unit provided with a conduit for an oxidant gas containing at least oxygen, a heat radiation unit connected to the power generation unit so as to radiate heat from the power generation unit, a gas flow means for causing the oxidant gas to flow in the conduit, and a cooling means driven independently from the gas flow means so as to cool the heat radiation unit. By independently controlling the driving of the gas flow means and the cooling means, the fuel cell can be driven in such a manner that the temperature of the power generation unit and the amount of water remaining in the power generation unit are regulated into preferable conditions. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a fuel cell and an electronic apparatus with the same mounted thereon in which power generation can be performed stably and various apparatuses are contained therein in a compact form.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2003Date of Patent: January 24, 2012Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Yasuhiro Watanabe, Kazuhiko Otsuka, Masahiko Tahara, Kazutoshi Nomoto
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Patent number: 7880894Abstract: A vibration detection device that includes a light source that emits a laser beam; an interferometer, which includes two vibrating bodies that are capable of reflecting the laser beam, that splits the laser beam to cause interference patterns; and a detector that detects vibrations on the basis of the interference patterns.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2008Date of Patent: February 1, 2011Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Shoji Hirata, Kazutoshi Nomoto
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Electronic equipment and power management method for the electronic equipment, and power source unit
Patent number: 7863855Abstract: Electronic equipment and power management method for the power equipment and a power source unit are provided. The present invention provides a guideline associated with control content required to use a fuel cell as a power source in various kinds of electronic equipment, and perform appropriate power management according to loads. A notebook personal computer includes a hybrid pack which has a battery serving as a secondary battery, a battery protection IC for controlling this battery, a fuel cell for causing a predetermine fuel and air to electrochemically react with each other so as to cause a power generating unit to generate power, and a fuel cell controller for controlling this fuel cell, and a computer body at least having a CPU for executing various processes and consuming power.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2009Date of Patent: January 4, 2011Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Kazutoshi Nomoto -
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT AND POWER MANAGEMENT METHOD FOR THE ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT, AND POWER SOURCE UNIT
Publication number: 20100049458Abstract: Electronic equipment and power management method for the power equipment and a power source unit are provided. The present invention provides a guideline associated with control content required to use a fuel cell as a power source in various kinds of electronic equipment, and perform appropriate power management according to loads. A notebook personal computer includes a hybrid pack which has a battery serving as a secondary battery, a battery protection IC for controlling this battery, a fuel cell for causing a predetermine fuel and air to electrochemically react with each other so as to cause a power generating unit to generate power, and a fuel cell controller for controlling this fuel cell, and a computer body at least having a CPU for executing various processes and consuming power.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2009Publication date: February 25, 2010Applicant: SONY CORPORATIONInventor: Kazutoshi Nomoto -
Patent number: 7655330Abstract: Methods of operating a fuel cell and a power supply systems are provided. The methods and systems of the present invention are capable of suppressing condensation of moisture obstructing an air passage without the need of any complicated system configuration. The method of operating a fuel cell includes controlling a supply of air while monitoring a relative humidity of exhausted air. The step of controlling the supply of air can be performed such that the relative humidity of exhausted air becomes equal to or less than a specific humidity. The power supply system including, as a power supply, a fuel cell having an air supply unit, an air exhaust unit, and a fuel gas supply unit includes a humidity sensor provided on the air exhaust unit, and a control mechanism for controlling a supplied amount of air in the air supply unit based on the information provided from the humidity sensor.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2006Date of Patent: February 2, 2010Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Kazutoshi Nomoto
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Electronic equipment and power management method for the electronic equipment, and power source unit
Patent number: 7635964Abstract: Electronic equipment and power management method for the power equipment and a power source unit are provided. The present invention provides a guideline associated with control content required to use a fuel cell as a power source in various kinds of electronic equipment, and perform appropriate power management according to loads. A notebook personal computer includes a hybrid pack which has a battery serving as a secondary battery, a battery protection IC for controlling this battery, a fuel cell for causing a predetermine fuel and air to electrochemically react with each other so as to cause a power generating unit to generate power, and a fuel cell controller for controlling this fuel cell, and a computer body at least having a CPU for executing various processes and consuming power.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2004Date of Patent: December 22, 2009Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Kazutoshi Nomoto -
Patent number: 7538451Abstract: An output from a generator section is controlled by a current converter section to be a constant current. Charging and discharging of a power storage section is controlled by a charge/discharge control circuit. Thereby, even in a case where a current value required by a load is high, the case can be dealt with in the manner that, while an output current from the generator section is being maintained constant, the output from the generator section and an output from the power storage section can be caused to function in cooperation with each other. Further, charging and discharging of the power storage section can be performed by a simplified device.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2005Date of Patent: May 26, 2009Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Kazutoshi Nomoto
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Publication number: 20080273192Abstract: A vibration detection device capable of improving detection sensitivity when optically performing vibration detection is provided. A vibration detection device includes: a light source emitting a laser beam; an interferometer including a vibrating body and a first reflection body both capable of reflecting the laser beam, and a second reflection body capable of at least partially reflecting the laser beam, the interferometer splitting the laser beam emitted from the light source into beams traveling along first and second optical paths, the interferometer causing interference between a reference beam reflected by the first reflection body in the first optical path and reflected beams multiply reflected between the vibrating body and the second reflection body in the second optical path to form interference patterns; and a detection means for detecting the vibration of the vibrating body on the basis of the formed interference patterns.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 2, 2008Publication date: November 6, 2008Applicant: Sony CorporationInventors: Kazutoshi Nomoto, Shoji Hirata
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Publication number: 20080225274Abstract: A vibration detection device includes: a light source emitting a laser beam; an interferometer including a vibrating body and a reflecting body both capable of reflecting the laser beam, a polarizing beam splitter splitting a laser beam emitted from the light source into beams traveling along first and second optical paths, a first ¼ wave plate arranged between the polarizing beam splitter and the vibrating body in the first optical path, and a second ¼ wave plate arranged between the polarizing beam splitter and the reflecting body in the second optical path, the interferometer causing interference between a reflected beam reflected by the vibrating body and a reference beam reflected by the reflecting body to form a interference pattern; and a detection means quantizing the vibration of the vibrating body on the basis of the formed interference pattern to detect the vibration.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2008Publication date: September 18, 2008Applicant: Sony CorporationInventors: Shoji Hirata, Kayoko Taniguchi, Akihiro Kuroda, Kazutoshi Nomoto
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Publication number: 20080198386Abstract: A vibration detection device includes: a light source emitting a laser beam; an interferometer including a first vibrating body and a second vibrating body both capable of reflecting the laser beam, the interferometer splitting the laser beam into beams traveling along first to third optical paths, and the interferometer causing interference between a first reflected beam reflected by the first vibrating body in the first optical path and a reference beam passing through the third optical path to form a first interference pattern, and causing interference between a second reflected beam reflected by the second vibrating body in the second optical path and the reference beam to form a second interference pattern; and a detection means quantizing the vibrations of the first and second vibrating bodies on the basis of the formed first and second interference patterns to detect the vibrations.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2008Publication date: August 21, 2008Applicant: Sony CorporationInventors: Shoji Hirata, Kazutoshi Nomoto
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Publication number: 20070111047Abstract: Methods of operating a fuel cell and a power supply systems are provided. The methods and systems of the present invention are capable of suppressing condensation of moisture obstructing an air passage without the need of any complicated system configuration. The method of operating a fuel cell includes controlling a supply of air while monitoring a relative humidity of exhausted air. The step of controlling the supply of air can be performed such that the relative humidity of exhausted air becomes equal to or less than a specific humidity. The power supply system including, as a power supply, a fuel cell having an air supply unit, an air exhaust unit, and a fuel gas supply unit includes a humidity sensor provided on the air exhaust unit, and a control mechanism for controlling a supplied amount of air in the air supply unit based on the information provided from the humidity sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2006Publication date: May 17, 2007Applicant: Sony CorporationInventor: Kazutoshi Nomoto
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Patent number: 7172826Abstract: Methods of operating a fuel cell and a power supply systems are provided. The methods and systems of the present invention are capable of suppressing condensation of moisture obstructing an air passage without the need of any complicated system configuration. The method of operating a fuel cell includes controlling a supply of air while monitoring a relative humidity of exhausted air. The step of controlling the supply of air can be performed such that the relative humidity of exhausted air becomes equal to or less than a specific humidity. The power supply system including, as a power supply, a fuel cell having an air supply unit, an air exhaust unit, and a fuel gas supply unit includes a humidity sensor provided on the air exhaust unit, and a control mechanism for controlling a supplied amount of air in the air supply unit based on the information provided from the humidity sensor.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2002Date of Patent: February 6, 2007Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Kazutoshi Nomoto
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Publication number: 20060192523Abstract: To give a guideline associated with control content required to use a fuel cell as a power source in various kinds of electronic equipment, and perform appropriate power management according to loads. A notebook personal computer includes a hybrid pack (10) which has a battery (11) serving as a secondary battery, a battery protection IC (12) for controlling this battery (11), a fuel cell (13) for causing a predetermine fuel and air to electrochemically react with each other so as to cause a power generating unit to generate power, and a fuel cell controller (14) for controlling this fuel cell (13), and a computer body (20) at least having a CPU (21) for executing various processes and consuming power.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2004Publication date: August 31, 2006Inventor: Kazutoshi Nomoto
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Publication number: 20060001382Abstract: An output from a generator section is controlled by a current converter section to be a constant current. Charging and discharging of a power storage section is controlled by a charge/discharge control circuit. Thereby, even in a case where a current value required by a load is high, the case can be dealt with in the manner that, while an output current from the generator section is being maintained constant, the output from the generator section and an output from the power storage section can be caused to function in cooperation with each other. Further, charging and discharging of the power storage section can be performed by a simplified device.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 7, 2005Publication date: January 5, 2006Applicant: Sony CorporationInventor: Kazutoshi Nomoto
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Publication number: 20060003216Abstract: A fuel cell mount apparatus includes: a fuel cell system including a power generation unit for generating electric power by use of a fuel and air, a hydrogen occlusion cylinder for supplying the fuel to the power generation unit, an air supply means for supplying air to the power generation unit, and a control unit for controlling the power generating operation of the power generation unit; and a dog type robot mounted with the fuel cell system and operated by electric power outputted from the fuel cell, wherein a part of component elements of the fuel cell system and a part of component elements of the dog type robot are used in common with each other, i.e., one of the component elements functions also as the other of the component elements, whereby a component element can be made to function as both a part of an electronic apparatus and a part of the fuel cell, the wastefulness of component elements can be removed, and the fuel cell can be efficiently mounted on various electronic apparatuses.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2003Publication date: January 5, 2006Inventors: Koichi Tanaka, Chiaki Kanai, Kazutoshi Nomoto, Yasuhiro Watanabe, Yuichi Takai
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Publication number: 20050255340Abstract: A fuel cell and an electronic apparatus with same mounted thereon are provided. The fuel cell includes a power generation unit provided with a conduit for an oxidant gas containing at least oxygen, a heat radiation unit connected to the power generation unit so as to radiate heat from the power generation unit, a gas flow means for causing the oxidant gas to flow in the conduit, and a cooling means driven independently from the gas flow means so as to cool the heat radiation unit. By independently controlling the driving of the gas flow means and the cooling means, the fuel cell can be driven in such a manner that the temperature of the power generation unit and the amount of water remaining in the power generation unit are regulated into preferable conditions. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a fuel cell and an electronic apparatus with the same mounted thereon in which power generation can be performed stably and various apparatuses are contained therein in a compact form.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 25, 2003Publication date: November 17, 2005Inventors: Yasuhiro Watanabe, Kazuhiko Otsuka, Masahiko Tahara, Kazutoshi Nomoto
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Publication number: 20040081863Abstract: Disclosed are a method of operating a fuel cell and a power supply system, which are capable of suppressing condensation of moisture obstructing an air passage without the need of any complicated system configuration. The method of operating a fuel cell so as to output an electromotive force from the fuel cell by supplying air and a fuel gas thereto is characterized by including the step of controlling a supply of air while monitoring a relative humidity of exhausted air. To be more specific, the step of controlling the supply of air is performed such that the relative humidity of exhausted air becomes equal to or less than a specific humidity. The power supply system including, as a power supply, a fuel cell having an air supply unit, an air exhaust unit, and a fuel gas supply unit is characterized by including a humidity sensor provided on the air exhaust unit, and a control mechanism for controlling a supplied amount of air in the air supply unit on the basis of information given from the humidity sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2003Publication date: April 29, 2004Inventor: Kazutoshi Nomoto
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Patent number: 6028542Abstract: A digital signal processing apparatus for matching the sampling frequency of an input digital signal to an internal sampling frequency. The digital signal processing apparatus has a sampling frequency converting unit for matching the sampling frequency of an input digital signal to an internal sampling frequency, a sampling frequency detection unit for detecting the sampling frequency of the input digital signa, a frequency difference calculating unit for finding the frequency difference between the inherent sampling frequency of the input digital signal and the sampling frequency detected by the sampling frequency detection unit and a pitch shifting unit for shifting the pitch of an output digital signal of the sampling frequency converting unit based upon said frequency difference. If the input digital signal has the sampling frequency slightly offset from the inherent sampling frequency, the signal of the inherent sampling frequency can be recovered, while the pitch can be restored to the inherent pitch.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 1995Date of Patent: February 22, 2000Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Takao Fukui, Kazutoshi Nomoto, Michimasa Sekiguchi
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Patent number: 5740091Abstract: In addition to an output Y(n) of an adding device, a dither output of a dither generating circuit is supplied to an adding device. The output Y(n) of the adding device is added to a bit that is one bit lower than the LSB of the shortest word length of the hardware (namely, the place of LSB/2). The output of the adding device is supplied to a delay device. In other words, when the shorter word length is 32 bits corresponding to the word length of the RAM of the delay device, the dither is added to the bit 33. In the data Y(n) to which the dither has been added, the low order bits thereof are truncated corresponding to the word length of the delay device. The resultant data is supplied as next timing output data Y'(n-1) to the delay device and stored therein.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 1995Date of Patent: April 14, 1998Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Takao Fukui, Kazutoshi Nomoto