Patents by Inventor Kei Sakabe

Kei Sakabe 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: 10338148
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a wireless communication technique which can measure a physical state of the measurement object with high accuracy and can transmit the measurement result rapidly. The communication device according to the present invention wirelessly transmits the measurement result during a first time slot, and starts measurement during a second time slot which differs from the first time slot (see FIG. 3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kei Sakabe, Takanori Yamazoe
  • Publication number: 20190190302
    Abstract: In the battery control system pertaining to the present invention, one antenna is provided for each cell controller or each group of cell controllers. A battery controller switches between antennas by using a switch and performs wireless communication with each cell controller or each group of cell controllers. Hence, even if the number of cell controllers increases, a countermeasure can be taken by adding antennas and changing switches, and an increase in the number of battery controllers can be suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takanori YAMAZOE, Kei SAKABE
  • Patent number: 10319218
    Abstract: There is provided a wireless battery system reconcilable with unsuccessful communication due to interference from an external wireless instrument or radio wave reflection or shielding under a surrounding physical environment. A wireless battery system allocates a cell controller to a cell, detects a cell state, and wirelessly communicates a cell state detected by a cell controller to a battery controller. During the wireless communication, the battery controller transmits a beacon to the cell controller and specifies a duration for radio wave environment measurement and a frequency to be measured as a condition. The cell controller performs radio wave environment measurement under the specified condition and then returns a measurement result along with the cell state to the battery controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI CHEMICAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kei Sakabe, Takanori Yamazoe, Hiroshi Arita
  • Patent number: 10256513
    Abstract: Provided is a battery system having improved safety and reliability. The battery system includes a battery module including a unit cell and a cell controller performing control of the unit cell and a battery controller performing control of the battery module; the cell controller includes an abnormality diagnosis unit which diagnoses the presence or absence of abnormality of the unit cell, a state detection unit which calculates any one or more of voltage, current, temperature, SOC, SOH, and allowable charge/discharge current of the unit cell, a power line communication unit which performs wire communication, and a wireless communication unit which performs wireless communication, the information diagnosed by the abnormality diagnosis unit is output through the power line communication unit to the battery controller; and the information calculated by the state detection unit is output through the wireless communication unit to the battery controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventor: Kei Sakabe
  • Publication number: 20190023132
    Abstract: The state of internal resistance is appropriately expressed for a battery being energized. A battery management system includes a battery information acquisition section, a voltage calculation section, a current fluctuation amount calculation section 109 and a resistance correction amount calculation section. The battery information acquisition section acquires a voltage value V of a storage battery being energized. The voltage calculation section acquires a predicted battery voltage value Vmodel of the storage battery being energized by a method different from that of the battery information acquisition section. The current fluctuation amount calculation section calculates a current fluctuation amount dI/dt of the storage battery per unit time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventors: Masahiro YONEMOTO, Kei SAKABE, Ryohhei NAKAO, Keiichiro OHKAWA, Daiki KOMATSU
  • Publication number: 20180375176
    Abstract: To sufficiently exert charging and discharging performance of a cell while reliably protecting the cell, a battery controller determines ?Vlimit which is a limit value for a difference between a CCV and an OCV of a cell module, which is a secondary cell, and determines at least one of an upper limit voltage and a lower limit voltage of the cell module. An allowable current of the cell module is calculated based on the ?Vlimit and at least one of the upper limit voltage and the lower limit voltage determined in this manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Kei SAKABE, Keiichiro OHKAWA, Ryohhei NAKAO, Masahiro YONEMOTO
  • Publication number: 20180358663
    Abstract: Provided is a battery management device capable of effectively utilizing battery performance while securing battery life. The battery management device includes: a divergence amount calculation unit that calculates a divergence amount between a life target value or a degradation amount target value of a storage battery, which is a secondary battery, and a life prediction value or a degradation amount prediction value according to use history of the storage battery in an arbitrary period; and a limit value change unit that changes charge/discharge limit values for controlling degradation of the storage battery based on the divergence amount. The limit value change unit includes a first limit value calculation unit that calculates a first limit value set that is a combination of the charge/discharge limit values for each of a plurality of types of control parameters that change in correlation with each other based on the divergence amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro YONEMOTO, Kei SAKABE, Takanori YAMAZOE, Shin YAMAUCHI, Keiichiro OHKAWA, Ryohhei NAKAO
  • Publication number: 20180226824
    Abstract: A battery control device capable of obtaining an allowable charge/discharge current value can further accurately reflect a polarization state of a battery. A battery controller includes a first allowable current value calculation unit, a battery equivalent circuit model, and a correction amount calculation unit. Assuming a non-polarization state, a current limit value of the battery based on an open circuit voltage and upper and lower limit voltages set in the battery, the first allowable current value calculation unit calculates a first allowable current value Imax1. The battery equivalent circuit model estimates a polarization state of the battery when the current limit value is being calculated. The correction unit calculates an allowable current value correction value based on the estimated polarization state for correcting Imax1. A second allowable current value Imax2 which is the corrected first allowable current value is output as an allowable charge/discharge current value of the battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Kei SAKABE, Keiichiro OHKAWA, Takanori YAMAZOE, Ryohhei NAKAO, Masahiro YONEMOTO
  • Publication number: 20180210036
    Abstract: To perform charge/discharge control of a storage battery at an appropriate timing. In a battery controller, a battery information acquisition unit acquires information on the storage battery. A degradation progression rate calculation unit calculates a degradation progression rate of the storage battery based on the information acquired by the battery information acquisition unit. A limit value setting unit sets a limit value for controlling charge/discharge of the storage battery based on the degradation progression rate calculated by the degradation progression rate calculation unit. A timing determination unit determines a timing at which the limit value needs to be output based on the information acquired by the battery information acquisition unit. A limit value output unit outputs the limit value to a host controller based on the timing determined by the timing determination unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Inventors: Shin YAMAUCHI, Kei SAKABE, Masahiro YONEMOTO, Takanori YAMAZOE, Keiichiro OHKAWA, Ryohhei NAKAO
  • Publication number: 20180198175
    Abstract: A current of a storage battery is appropriately controlled depending on the situation. In a battery controller, a battery information acquiring unit acquires information on the storage battery. A first allowable current calculating unit calculates a first allowable current of a battery module in accordance with a rated value of a component through which a current flows by charging or discharging of the battery module. A second allowable current calculating unit calculates a second allowable current of the battery module in accordance with an SOC of the battery module on the basis of the information acquired by the battery information acquiring unit. A third allowable current calculating unit calculates a third allowable current of the battery module in accordance with an SOH of the battery module on the basis of the information acquired by the battery information acquiring unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Inventors: Shin YAMAUCHI, Kei SAKABE, Masahiro YONEMOTO, Takanori YAMAZOE, Keiichiro OHKAWA, Ryohhei NAKAO
  • Patent number: 9987945
    Abstract: A radio battery system according to the present invention includes a battery controller and a plurality of cell controllers. The battery controller and the plurality of cell controllers communicate at a plurality of communication slots of a time division communication. The battery controller transmits data at a beginning of each of the plurality of communication slots. Each of the cell controllers measures a state of a cell at one or plurality of predetermined communication slots and transmits data at a predetermined communication slot. Each of the cell controllers is capable of switching between a normal transmission/reception mode and a sleep mode with a low power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takanori Yamazoe, Kei Sakabe
  • Publication number: 20180012484
    Abstract: There is provided a wireless battery system reconcilable with unsuccessful communication due to interference from an external wireless instrument or radio wave reflection or shielding under a surrounding physical environment. A wireless battery system allocates a cell controller to a cell, detects a cell state, and wirelessly communicates a cell state detected by a cell controller to a battery controller. During the wireless communication, the battery controller transmits a beacon to the cell controller and specifies a duration for radio wave environment measurement and a frequency to be measured as a condition. The cell controller performs radio wave environment measurement under the specified condition and then returns a measurement result along with the cell state to the battery controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Applicant: HITACHI CHEMICAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kei SAKABE, Takanori YAMAZOE, Hiroshi ARITA
  • Patent number: 9745723
    Abstract: Construction machine including: an inverter; a battery; a battery controller; a main controller controlling the inverter based on limited power modes prescribed; and a display device displaying a remaining battery electric power. The main controller calculates open circuit voltage and battery resistance values of the battery at the state of energy of the battery based on the specification information about the battery and state of energy of the battery which are input from the battery controller, calculates an amount of electric power stored in the battery in each of the limited power modes based on the open circuit voltage value and battery resistance value of the battery as well as limited power and operating voltage prescribed for each of the limited power modes, and outputs a display signal for displaying the amount of electric power stored in the battery in each of the limited power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Inoue, Motoo Futami, Ken Takeuchi, Kei Sakabe
  • Publication number: 20170149101
    Abstract: Provided is a battery system having improved safety and reliability. The battery system includes a battery module including a unit cell and a cell controller performing control of the unit cell and a battery controller performing control of the battery module; the cell controller includes an abnormality diagnosis unit which diagnoses the presence or absence of abnormality of the unit cell, a state detection unit which calculates any one or more of voltage, current, temperature, SOC, SOH, and allowable charge/discharge current of the unit cell, a power line communication unit which performs wire communication, and a wireless communication unit which performs wireless communication, the information diagnosed by the abnormality diagnosis unit is output through the power line communication unit to the battery controller; and the information calculated by the state detection unit is output through the wireless communication unit to the battery controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2014
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventor: Kei SAKABE
  • Publication number: 20160341797
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a wireless communication technique which can measure a physical state of the measurement object with high accuracy and can transmit the measurement result rapidly. The communication device according to the present invention wirelessly transmits the measurement result during a first time slot, and starts measurement during a second time slot which differs from the first time slot (see FIG. 3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventors: Kei SAKABE, Takanori YAMAZOE
  • Patent number: 9362759
    Abstract: In a battery device including a battery pack in which a plurality of cells are connected in series, there are provided a battery control circuit or a battery device capable of eliminating a fluctuation in the voltage or charged state which can occur between the cells, or preventing the cells from being maintained in an over-charged state for a long period. A plurality of cell groups each including a plurality of cells are connected in series to form a battery pack. Cell controller is provided to the respective cell groups operate with electricity supplied from the cell groups allocated thereto so as to monitor and control the state of the cells of the cell group. Battery pack controller controls the cell controller based on information from the plurality of cell controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryouhei Nakao, Youhei Kawahara, Akihiko Kudou, Akihiko Emori, Kei Sakabe
  • Patent number: 9356451
    Abstract: A battery control circuit includes a voltage detection circuit for measuring voltages of electric cells, balancing circuits for balancing the voltages or SOCs of the electric cells, a signal input/output circuit for communicating with the outside, a power supply circuit having two modes: a normal mode and a low consumption mode, and a time management circuit. It receives a signal containing a period of time until the shift of the power supply circuit from the normal mode to the low consumption mode, and stores it in the time management circuit. If a command from the outside has not been sent for a predetermined period of time or when an operation stop command has been sent from the outside, the time management circuit causes the power supply circuit to continuously operate in the normal mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Youhei Kawahara, Ryouhei Nakao, Akihiko Kudo, Akihiko Emori, Kei Sakabe
  • Publication number: 20160137091
    Abstract: A radio battery system according to the present invention includes a battery controller and a plurality of cell controllers. The battery controller and the plurality of cell controllers communicate at a plurality of communication slots of a time division communication. The battery controller transmits data at a beginning of each of the plurality of communication slots. Each of the cell controllers measures a state of a cell at one or plurality of predetermined communication slots and transmits data at a predetermined communication slot. Each of the cell controllers is capable of switching between a normal transmission/reception mode and a sleep mode with a low power consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Takanori YAMAZOE, Kei SAKABE
  • Publication number: 20160083932
    Abstract: Construction machine including: an inverter; a battery; a battery controller; a main controller controlling the inverter based on limited power modes prescribed; and a display device displaying a remaining battery electric power. The main controller calculates open circuit voltage and battery resistance values of the battery at the state of energy of the battery based on the specification information about the battery and state of energy of the battery which are input from the battery controller, calculates an amount of electric power stored in the battery in each of the limited power modes based on the open circuit voltage value and battery resistance value of the battery as well as limited power and operating voltage prescribed for each of the limited power modes, and outputs a display signal for displaying the amount of electric power stored in the battery in each of the limited power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Applicant: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi INOUE, Motoo FUTAMI, Ken TAKEUCHI, Kei SAKABE
  • Patent number: 9130379
    Abstract: A vehicle power supply system comprises a battery module that includes a plurality of battery cells, battery cell control devices and a signal transmission path through which signals are transmitted. The battery cell control devices comprises a voltage measurement circuit that measures terminal voltages at the battery cells, an abnormality diagnosis circuit that diagnoses an abnormality in the battery cell control device, a timing control circuit that outputs a signal for instructing measurement phase and a signal for instructing diagnosis phase, and a communication circuit that outputs a signal indicating the terminal voltage and a signal based upon a diagnosis result by the abnormality diagnosis circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kei Sakabe, Akihiko Emori, Akihiko Kudo, Kenji Kubo, Youhei Kawahara, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Tatsumi Yamauchi