Patents by Inventor Kohei Nanbu

Kohei Nanbu 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: 20230347773
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an electric-device temperature acquisition unit, a charging controller, and a predicted charging time deriving unit. The electric-device temperature acquisition unit acquires a temperature of an electric device disposed in a current path for external charging for supplying electric power from a power supply external to the vehicle to a battery mounted in the vehicle. The charging controller pauses a supply of electric power to the battery in response to the temperature of the electric device becoming greater than or equal to a first threshold during the external charging, and resumes the supply of electric power to the battery in response to the temperature of the electric device becoming less than a second threshold lower than the first threshold. The predicted charging time deriving unit derives a predicted charging time predicted to be taken for the external charging in accordance with an instruction for the external charging.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Kohei NANBU, Kazuki FURUTA, Kenta UWAI
  • Patent number: 11738657
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an electric-device temperature acquisition unit, a charging controller, and a predicted charging time deriving unit. The electric-device temperature acquisition unit acquires a temperature of an electric device disposed in a current path for external charging for supplying electric power from a power supply external to the vehicle to a battery mounted in the vehicle. The charging controller pauses a supply of electric power to the battery in response to the temperature of the electric device becoming greater than or equal to a first threshold during the external charging, and resumes the supply of electric power to the battery in response to the temperature of the electric device becoming less than a second threshold lower than the first threshold. The predicted charging time deriving unit derives a predicted charging time predicted to be taken for the external charging in accordance with an instruction for the external charging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei Nanbu, Kazuki Furuta, Kenta Uwai
  • Publication number: 20220336851
    Abstract: An all-solid-state battery control system includes an all-solid-state battery, a housing, a fluid, a pressurizer, and a processor. The all-solid-state battery includes a solid electrolyte. The housing has a space containing the all-solid-state battery. The fluid is configured to fill the space of the housing. The pressurizer is configured to apply pressure to the all-solid-state battery via the fluid. The processor is configured to control a magnitude of the pressure to be applied to the all-solid-state battery by the pressurizer, on the basis of a temperature of the all-solid-state battery and a state of charge of the all-solid-state battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei NANBU, Norio SUZUKI, Hiroshi ABE, Tomoya IIOKA
  • Publication number: 20220185128
    Abstract: A charging control device includes an acquirer, a first deriver, a second deriver, and an executer. The acquirer is configured to acquire battery information regarding a battery. The first deriver is configured to derive an estimated charging time estimated as time to be taken to charge the battery in external charging of the battery. The estimated charging time is derived based on the battery information. The second deriver is configured to derive a difference time between the estimated charging time and a set charging time set as time for which the external charging of the battery is to be performed. The executer is configured to perform the external charging of the battery such that the battery is to be cooled throughout the difference time and the battery is to be charged throughout the estimated charging time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Takahito FUJINO, Kohei NANBU
  • Patent number: 11318862
    Abstract: A vehicle battery heating apparatus is to be mounted in a vehicle that travels with electricity from a battery. The apparatus includes a battery, a heater, a sensor, a controller, and a memory. The battery is mountable in the vehicle to allow the vehicle to travel. The heater heats the battery. The sensor obtains a temperature of the battery. The controller heats the battery with the heater. The memory stores heating target temperatures for respective remaining capacities of the battery. The controller obtains a remaining capacity of the battery, obtains a target temperature from the memory in accordance with the obtained remaining capacity, and sets a target temperature for heating the battery which is not on charge while the vehicle is stopped to the obtained target temperature. The heater heats the battery to the set target temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hatsuhisa Ueda, Toshiaki Naruke, Norio Suzuki, Takashi Kono, Wataru Nagashima, Kazuya Tachimoto, Kazuki Furuta, Kohei Nanbu
  • Publication number: 20210309118
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an electric-device temperature acquisition unit, a charging controller, and a predicted charging time deriving unit. The electric-device temperature acquisition unit acquires a temperature of an electric device disposed in a current path for external charging for supplying electric power from a power supply external to the vehicle to a battery mounted in the vehicle. The charging controller pauses a supply of electric power to the battery in response to the temperature of the electric device becoming greater than or equal to a first threshold during the external charging, and resumes the supply of electric power to the battery in response to the temperature of the electric device becoming less than a second threshold lower than the first threshold. The predicted charging time deriving unit derives a predicted charging time predicted to be taken for the external charging in accordance with an instruction for the external charging.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: Kohei NANBU, Kazuki FURUTA, Kenta UWAI
  • Publication number: 20210116632
    Abstract: Provided are a light source unit and a display apparatus that are capable of improving the reliability of a display panel from the viewpoint of damage. This light source unit is provided with: a light source; and a light guide unit to which a plurality of elongated light guide bodies having end surfaces on which light from the light source is made incident are provided in parallel, wherein the end surfaces of the light guide bodies are arranged along a prescribed arc on a plane vertical to the longitudinal direction of the light guide bodies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2016
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventor: KOHEI NANBU
  • Publication number: 20200171975
    Abstract: A vehicle battery heating apparatus is to be mounted in a vehicle that travels with electricity from a battery. The apparatus includes a battery, a heater, a sensor, a controller, and a memory. The battery is mountable in the vehicle to allow the vehicle to travel. The heater heats the battery. The sensor obtains a temperature of the battery. The controller heats the battery with the heater. The memory stores heating target temperatures for respective remaining capacities of the battery. The controller obtains a remaining capacity of the battery, obtains a target temperature from the memory in accordance with the obtained remaining capacity, and sets a target temperature for heating the battery which is not on charge while the vehicle is stopped to the obtained target temperature. The heater heats the battery to the set target temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: Hatsuhisa Ueda, Toshiaki Naruke, Norio Suzuki, Takashi Kono, Wataru Nagashima, Kazuya Tachimoto, Kazuki Furuta, Kohei Nanbu
  • Patent number: 8289269
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention discloses a transmissive display device including a display panel, a backlight including a plurality of fluorescent tubes, an inverter section that supplies a driving voltage to the backlight, and an inverter control section that controls whether to drive or stop the inverter section and stops the inverter section when at least one of the fluorescent tubes is not lighting. The display device includes a mode determination section that determines whether a driving mode of the display device is a normal mode or a maintenance mode. Upon receiving, from the mode determination section, a signal indicating that the drive mode is the maintenance mode, after having stopped the inverter section due to a fact that at least one of the plurality of fluorescent tubes is not lighting, the inverter control section drives the inverter section again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kohei Nanbu
  • Patent number: 8248360
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention discloses a backlight control device that provides PWM control inverters with PWM signals generated in accordance with a dimming level input through a light receiving section that receives infrared light, the inverters causing fluorescent lamps that emit visible light and infrared light to illuminate. The backlight control device includes a phase adjusting section that changes a phase difference between a first PWM signal for driving a first lamp group and a second PWM signal for driving a second lamp group according to the dimming level when the dimming level is at least in a predetermined range of all dimming levels, the first and second lamp groups each including at least one lamp. This provides a backlight control device that enables reduction of faulty operation in an infrared-based apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kohei Nanbu
  • Patent number: 8186841
    Abstract: A fluorescent tube is prevented from being wrongly attached and broken when being attached, and luminance nonuniformity of backlight due to luminance difference generated in a tube axis direction of the fluorescent tube is reduced. A backlight device 2 is provided with a plurality of fluorescent tubes 21 having electrodes 211 at both ends; a bundling member 213 for bundling wirings 212 pulled out from the electrode 211 on one side of two or more of the fluorescent tubes 21; and a conducting means 31 for achieving conduction between the electrodes of the two fluorescent tubes among the fluorescent tubes 21 by being connected with the bundling member 213. The conducting means 31 permits a current to be carried between the electrodes of the two fluorescent tubes 21, which are bundled by the one bundling member 213, and the conducting means are arranged on inverter circuit substrate 28, respectively, not to be adjacent to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiro Arai, Kohei Nanbu, Masaki Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20120044134
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display apparatus having a heat dissipation mechanism which can effectively dissipate heat generated in a heat generating part generating a large amount of heat. The liquid crystal display apparatus includes a liquid crystal panel, a backlight, a backlight chassis (70), and a wiring substrate (75) to which at least one heat generating part (90) is electrically connected. The heat generating part is mounted on a heat dissipation plate (80) through which heat generated by the heat generating part is dissipated. The region of the heat dissipation plate on which the heat generating part is mounted is spatially separated from the substrate to form an air passage (87). At least a portion of the heat dissipation plate is attached to the backlight chassis so as to conduct heat from the heat generating part to the backlight chassis through the heat dissipation plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kohei Nanbu
  • Publication number: 20120043901
    Abstract: In a lighting device (3) including a cold-cathode fluorescent lamp (light source) (9), and a light-emitting surface (10c) that emits light from the cold-cathode fluorescent lamp (9), an inverter circuit (driver circuit) (16) that drives and turns on the cold-cathode fluorescent lamp (9) using PWM dimming; and a lighting control unit (control unit) (15) that receives a dimming instruction signal that gives an instruction on the luminance of the light-emitting surface (10c) input from outside, and conducts driving control of the inverter circuit (16) based on the input dimming instruction signal are disposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kohei Nanbu
  • Publication number: 20100134526
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a transmissive liquid crystal display device includes a display panel, a backlight, and an inverter section. The liquid crystal display device further includes: a comparison process section for judging whether or not a voltage supplied to the inverter section is not less than a predetermined voltage required for normally driving the inverter section; a lighting state detection section for detecting lighting state of the backlight; and a backlight failure detection section for (i) judging whether or not the backlight has failed in accordance with each of processed results, and outputting a signal in accordance with a judged result. The backlight failure detection section outputs a backlight failure signal, in a case where (i) the voltage is not less than the predetermined voltage and (ii) the backlight is not lighting normally.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Inventor: Kohei Nanbu
  • Publication number: 20100134525
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention discloses a transmissive display device including a display panel, a backlight including a plurality of fluorescent tubes, an inverter section that supplies a driving voltage to the backlight, and an inverter control section that controls whether to drive or stop the inverter section and stops the inverter section when at least one of the fluorescent tubes is not lighting. The display device includes a mode determination section that determines whether a driving mode of the display device is a normal mode or a maintenance mode. Upon receiving, from the mode determination section, a signal indicating that the drive mode is the maintenance mode, after having stopped the inverter section due to a fact that at least one of the plurality of fluorescent tubes is not lighting, the inverter control section drives the inverter section again.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Inventor: Kohei Nanbu
  • Publication number: 20100127963
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention discloses a backlight control device that provides PWM control inverters with PWM signals generated in accordance with a dimming level input through a light receiving section that receives infrared light, the inverters causing fluorescent lamps that emit visible light and infrared light to illuminate. The backlight control device includes a phase adjusting section that changes a phase difference between a first PWM signal for driving a first lamp group and a second PWM signal for driving a second lamp group according to the dimming level when the dimming level is at least in a predetermined range of all dimming levels, the first and second lamp groups each including at least one lamp. This provides a backlight control device that enables reduction of faulty operation in an infrared-based apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2008
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Inventor: Kohei Nanbu
  • Publication number: 20090316079
    Abstract: A fluorescent tube is prevented from being wrongly attached and broken when being attached, and luminance nonuniformity of backlight due to luminance difference generated in a tube axis direction of the fluorescent tube is reduced. A backlight device 2 is provided with a plurality of fluorescent tubes 21 having electrodes 211 at both ends; a bundling member 213 for bundling wirings 212 pulled out from the electrode 211 on one side of two or more of the fluorescent tubes 21; and a conducting means 31 for achieving conduction between the electrodes of the two fluorescent tubes among the fluorescent tubes 21 by being connected with the bundling member 213. The conducting means 31 permits a current to be carried between the electrodes of the two fluorescent tubes 21, which are bundled by the one bundling member 213, and the conducting means are arranged on inverter circuit substrate 28, respectively, not to be adjacent to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Inventors: Masahiro Arai, Kohei Nanbu, Masaki Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20070189024
    Abstract: In a backlight unit provided with a plurality of optical sheets, a first optical sheet is characterized by having different coefficients of linear expansion in two different directions (a first direction and a second direction) with the coefficient of linear expansion in the first direction larger than that in the second direction. A second optical sheet is arranged adjacently to the first optical sheet. The coefficient of linear expansion of the second optical sheet in approximately the same direction as the first direction of the first optical sheet is approximated to the coefficient of linear expansion of the first optical sheet in the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Inventors: Kohei Nanbu, Mitsuhiro Moriyasu, Kazuko Tanaka