Patents by Inventor Ken TOSHIYUKI

Ken TOSHIYUKI 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: 20240030831
    Abstract: In an inverter according to the present disclosure, in an emergency operation, a control circuit changes the electric potential of a restricted output wiring between two of a higher potential, a neutral-point potential and a lower potential excluding a forbidden potential, and changes each of the electric potentials of normal output wirings between the higher potential, the neutral-point potential and the lower potential. Moreover, in a restricted state where a command value vector belongs to one of first restricted triangular regions, the control circuit outputs coordinates of an origin, first coordinates and second coordinates at staggered times. The second coordinates are lower coordinates of a second intermediate coordinate point when the first coordinates are upper coordinates of a first intermediate coordinate point, and are upper coordinates of the second intermediate coordinate point when the first coordinates are lower coordinates of the first intermediate coordinate point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ken TOSHIYUKI
  • Publication number: 20240030803
    Abstract: A power converter has a capacitor and a power conversion unit having a series-connected unit composed of an upper arm side switching element and a lower arm side switching element. The capacitor is connected in parallel with the serios connection unit. The power conversion unit supplies electric power to a motor. A controller for the power conversion unit has a frequency characteristics estimation part estimating frequency characteristics of a battery current of the battery when a current is flowing between the power convertor and the battery, a ripple current setting part determining a ripple frequency of a ripple current contained in the battery current based on the frequency characteristics of the battery current, and a control part performing a switching control of the switching elements based on the ripple frequency in order to generate the ripple current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryoya KAZAOKA, Yusuke SHINDO, Shunichi KUBO, Ken TOSHIYUKI
  • Patent number: 11691519
    Abstract: There is provided an electrically driven vehicle that well balances calculation volumes and communication volumes of two control devices configured to drive and control motors for driving. The electrically driven vehicle comprises at least one motor for driving and a first control device and a second control device configured to control the motor. The first control device is configured to calculate a target torque that is to be output from the motor, based on information including an accelerator position, to calculate a current command based on the calculated target torque, and to send the calculated current command to the second control device. The second control device is configured to use the current command, a phase current of the motor and a rotational angle of the motor such as to drive the motor by feedback control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuya Taniguchi, Taro Shimosaka, Kunihiro Suzuki, Ken Toshiyuki, Koichi Sakata
  • Publication number: 20220181992
    Abstract: In an inverter, three switching circuits each include first to fourth switching elements, first and second diodes, and a control circuit controlling potentials of gates. The control circuit causes potentials of U-, V-, and W-phase output wirings to change among high, neutral point, and low potentials. The control circuit performs an emergency operation when any of the second and third switching elements and the first and second diodes has caused a short fault. In the emergency operation, a potential of a limit output wiring is caused to change between two potentials that are not inhibiting potentials, and potentials of normal output wirings are caused to change among three potentials. When the short-fault element is the second switching element or the second diode, an inhibiting potential is the low potential. When the short-fault element is the third switching element or the first diode, the inhibiting potential is the high potential.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ken TOSHIYUKI
  • Patent number: 11239754
    Abstract: A bidirectional power converter includes a first terminal, a second terminal, a main reactor, a plurality of sub-circuits and a controller. The sub-circuits each include an upper switching element, a lower switching element, two diodes, and a sub-reactor. The controller sequentially controls the sub-circuits such that: the lower switching element is turned on and turned off and then the upper switching element is turned on and turned off in each of the sub-circuits, while a current is flowing from the first terminal toward the second terminal; and the upper switching element is turned on and turned off and then, the lower switching element is turned on and turned off in each of the sub-circuits, while the current is flowing from the second terminal toward the first terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hyoungjun Na, Ken Toshiyuki
  • Patent number: 11146202
    Abstract: A motor system may include three switching circuits, each of which includes two upper switching elements and two lower switching elements. A controller includes a signal output module, a signal distribution module, and a signal adjusting module. The signal output module outputs upper and lower PWM signals. The signal distribution module distributes each of the upper (lower) PWM signals alternately to the first upper (lower) switching element and the second upper (lower) switching element of corresponding one of the switching circuits. The signal adjusting module inverts all the PWM signals output by the signal output module when (1) each of currents flowing through two of the three coils has a negative value and all the three upper PWM signals are at HIGH level, or (2) each of currents flowing through two of the three coils has a positive value and all the three lower PWM signals are at LOW level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hyoungjun Na, Ken Toshiyuki
  • Patent number: 10958065
    Abstract: A switching circuit includes: a detection wiring configured to receive a potential changing depending on a current of a first switching element; a first circuit connected between the detection wiring and a first having a first time constant, and making the first wiring follow the potential of the detection wiring; a second circuit connected between the detection wiring and a second wiring, having a second time constant larger than the first time constant, and making the second wiring fellow the potential of the detection wiring; a potential maintaining circuit configured to maintain the second wiring at a potential higher than the potential of the first wiring while a current is not flow through the first switching element; and a control circuit configured to turn off the first switching element in a case where the potential of the first wiring exceeds the potential of the second wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ken Toshiyuki
  • Publication number: 20200304052
    Abstract: A motor system may include three switching circuits, each of which includes two upper switching elements and two lower switching elements. A controller includes a signal output module, a signal distribution module, and a signal adjusting module. The signal output module outputs upper and lower PWM signals. The signal distribution module distributes each of the upper (lower) PWM signals alternately to the first upper (lower) switching element and the second upper (lower) switching element of corresponding one of the switching circuits. The signal adjusting module inverts all the PWM signals output by the signal output module when (1) each of currents flowing through two of the three coils has a negative value and all the three upper PWM signals are at HIGH level, or (2) each of currents flowing through two of the three coils has a positive value and all the three lower PWM signals are at LOW level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hyoungjun NA, Ken TOSHIYUKI
  • Patent number: 10742210
    Abstract: A drive circuit drives switches that are connected to each other in parallel. The drive circuit includes individual discharge paths, a common discharge path, blocking units, a discharge switch, off-holding switches, and a drive control unit. The drive control unit selects, as target switches to be driven to be turned on, at least two switches among the switches. The at least two switches include a first switch and a second switch. The first switch is last to be switched to an off-state among the at least two switches that are selected as the target switches and switched to an on-state. The second switch is other than the first switch among the at least two switches. The off-holding switches includes a first off-holding switch and a second off-holding switch. After switching the second off-holding switch to an on-state, the drive control unit switches the discharge switch to an on-state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomotaka Suzuki, Yusuke Shindo, Yasutaka Senda, Ken Toshiyuki
  • Publication number: 20200231046
    Abstract: There is provided an electrically driven vehicle that well balances calculation volumes and communication volumes of two control devices configured to drive and control motors for driving. The electrically driven vehicle comprises at least one motor for driving and a first control device and a second control device configured to control the motor. The first control device is configured to calculate a target torque that is to be output from the motor, based on information including an accelerator position, to calculate a current command based on the calculated target torque, and to send the calculated current command to the second control device. The second control device is configured to use the current command, a phase current of the motor and a rotational angle of the motor such as to drive the motor by feedback control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuya TANIGUCHI, Taro SHIMOSAKA, Kunihiro SUZUKI, Ken TOSHIYUKI, Koichi SAKATA
  • Publication number: 20200153335
    Abstract: A bidirectional power converter includes a first terminal, a second terminal, a main reactor, a plurality of sub-circuits and a controller. The sub-circuits each include an upper switching element, a lower switching element, two diodes, and a sub-reactor. The controller sequentially controls the sub-circuits such that: the lower switching element is turned on and turned off and then the upper switching element is turned on and turned off in each of the sub-circuits, while a current is flowing from the first terminal toward the second terminal; and the upper switching element is turned on and turned off and then, the lower switching element is turned on and turned off in each of the sub-circuits, while the current is flowing from the second terminal toward the first terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hyoungjun NA, Ken TOSHIYUKI
  • Publication number: 20200112308
    Abstract: A drive circuit drives switches that are connected to each other in parallel. The drive circuit includes individual discharge paths, a common discharge path, blocking units, a discharge switch, off-holding switches, and a drive control unit. The drive control unit selects, as target switches to be driven to be turned on, at least two switches among the switches. The at least two switches include a first switch and a second switch. The first switch is last to be switched to an off-state among the at least two switches that are selected as the target switches and switched to an on-state. The second switch is other than the first switch among the at least two switches. The off-holding switches includes a first off-holding switch and a second off-holding switch. After switching the second off-holding switch to an on-state, the drive control unit switches the discharge switch to an on-state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomotaka SUZUKI, Yusuke SHINDO, Yasutaka SENDA, Ken TOSHIYUKI
  • Publication number: 20200028430
    Abstract: A power converter may include first and second switching elements connected in parallel each other, first and second diodes connected to positive terminals of the switching elements, first and second current sensors, a reactor, and a controller that alternately turns on the first and second switching elements. One end of the reactor may be connected to first and second intermediate points. The first and second current sensors may detect currents flowing between the reactor and the first intermediate point and between the reactor and the second intermediate point, respectively. The first and second current sensors may respectively include first and second magnetism collecting ring cores, into which a first conductor between the reactor and the first intermediate point and a second conductor between the reactor and the second intermediate point are respectively inserted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ken TOSHIYUKI, Koichi SAKATA
  • Patent number: 10483853
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter may include a first lower FET and a first upper FET connected in series between a high potential output wiring and a low potential wiring, and a second lower FET and a second upper FET connected in series between the high potential output wiring and the low potential wiring. Diodes may be connected to the upper FETs in parallel. A main reactor may be connected to the high potential input wiring. A first sub-reactor may be connected between the main reactor and the first lower FET. A second sub-reactor may be connected between the main reactor and the second lower FET. The first upper FET and the second upper FET are not turned on during a zero-cross mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ken Toshiyuki, Masaki Okamura
  • Patent number: 10418892
    Abstract: In an electric power conversion circuit, a gate controller executes a first operation. In the first operation, the gate controller performs control such that a first lower FET, a first upper FET, a second lower FET, and a second upper FET satisfy the following conditions: a condition that a first state in which the first lower FET is turned on, a second state in which both of the lower FETs are turned off, a third state in which the second lower FET is turned on, and a fourth state in which both of the lower FETs are turned off appear repeatedly in the order; and a condition that the first upper FET is turned on at a middle of a period of the second state and is maintained in an on state until a middle of a period of the third state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ken Toshiyuki
  • Patent number: 10305367
    Abstract: A power conversion circuit may include a first FET and a first diode connected in series between a second high potential wiring and a low potential wiring and a second FET and a second diode connected in series between the second high potential wiring and the low potential wiring. A main reactor may be connected to a first high potential wiring. A first sub-reactor may be connected between the main reactor and the first FET. A second sub-reactor may be connected between the main reactor and the second FET. First, second, third, and fourth periods repeatedly may appear in this order. In the third period, a first current flowing through the first sub-reactor decreases to zero after a timing at which the second FET is turned on, and the first FET is turned on after or on a timing at which the first current decreases to zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ken Toshiyuki
  • Patent number: 10256330
    Abstract: A switching circuit may be provided with: a parallel circuit including a first IGBT and a second IGBT connected in parallel; a controller configured to receive a signal indicating a turn-on timing and a turn-off timing. The controller is configured to: turn on both of the first and second IGBTs at the turn-on timing, execute a first control in which one of the first and second IGBTs is turned off before the turn-off timing and the other of the first and second IGBTs is turned off at the turn-off timing in a case where current flowing through the parallel circuit is equal to or lower than a threshold value, and execute a second control in which both of the first and second IGBTs are turned off at the turn-off timing in a case where the current flowing through the parallel circuit is higher than the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ken Toshiyuki, Yusuke Shindo, Tomotaka Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20190089349
    Abstract: A switching circuit may include a first switching element, a second switching element, a high potential wiring, a low potential wiring, a gate wiring connecting the first gate terminal and the second gate terminal, a driving circuit connected to the low potential wiring and the gate wiring, a first common-mode choke coil including a first coil and a second coil. The first coil may be interposed on the gate wiring between the driving circuit and the first gate terminal, the second coil may be interposed on the low potential wiring between the driving circuit and the first low potential terminal, and the first common-mode choke coil may be configured such that a direction passing through the first coil from the driving circuit toward the first gate terminal and a direction passing through the second coil from the driving circuit toward the first low potential terminal are common-mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ken TOSHIYUKI, Shun ITO, Takeshi HIRANO, Tomotaka SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20190089238
    Abstract: In an electric power conversion circuit, a gate controller executes a first operation. In the first operation, the gate controller performs control such that a first lower FET, a first upper FET, a second lower FET, and a second upper FET satisfy the following conditions: a condition that a first state in which the first lower FET is turned on, a second state in which both of the lower FETs are turned off, a third state in which the second lower FET is turned on, and a fourth state in which both of the lower FETs are turned off appear repeatedly in the order; and a condition that the first upper FET is turned on at a middle of a period of the second state and is maintained in an on state until a middle of a period of the third state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ken TOSHIYUKI
  • Publication number: 20190089253
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter may include a first lower FET and a first upper FET connected in series between a high potential output wiring and a low potential wiring, and a second lower FET and a second upper FET connected in series between the high potential output wiring and the low potential wiring. Diodes may be connected to the upper FETs in parallel. A main reactor may be connected to the high potential input wiring. A first sub-reactor may be connected between the main reactor and the first lower FET. A second sub-reactor may be connected between the main reactor and the second lower FET. The first upper FET and the second upper FET are not turned on during a zero-cross mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ken TOSHIYUKI, Masaki OKAMURA