Patents by Inventor Kunihisa Sekiguchi

Kunihisa Sekiguchi 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: 11387660
    Abstract: A sorting mechanism includes a flap that selects a first path connecting from a battery outlet of a charging section to a battery inlet of a first compartment section as a path to introduce a first battery to the first compartment section in a case of housing the first battery in the first compartment section, and that selects a second path connecting from the battery outlet of the charging section to a battery inlet of a second compartment section as a path to introduce a second battery to the second compartment section in a case of housing the second battery in the second compartment section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: FDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Kanou, Kenji Kitamura, Yasunari Mizoguchi, Kunihisa Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 10951048
    Abstract: A charging circuit includes a first power source circuit that supplies charging power to secondary batteries; a switch that controls the supply of the power; and a control device that performs switching control of the switch. The control device detects a voltage difference between the secondary batteries before starting charging; starts a timer and starts serial charging of the secondary batteries; on the condition that the voltage difference before the charging has been equal to or larger than a first threshold, if respective voltage values of the secondary batteries have both become equal to or larger than a second threshold before the timer expires, shortens a remaining time on the timer at that time point; and finishes the serial charging of the secondary batteries at the earlier of a time point when the secondary batteries have both become fully charged, or a time point when the timer has expired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: FDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasunari Mizoguchi, Kazuta Takeno, Kunihisa Sekiguchi, Kenji Kitamura, Takashi Kano
  • Publication number: 20210036530
    Abstract: A sorting mechanism includes a flap that selects a first path connecting from a battery outlet of a charging section to a battery inlet of a first compartment section as a path to introduce a first battery to the first compartment section in a case of housing the first battery in the first compartment section, and that selects a second path connecting from the battery outlet of the charging section to a battery inlet of a second compartment section as a path to introduce a second battery to the second compartment section in a case of housing the second battery in the second compartment section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Takashi Kanou, Kenji Kitamura, Yasunari Mizoguchi, Kunihisa Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 10536014
    Abstract: A charger includes: a charging circuit which receives an electric power from external equipment and charges a secondary battery; a control device which determines a power supply capability of the external equipment on the basis of the electric power that is supplied to the charging circuit from the external equipment; and a display device that displays the power supply capability of the external equipment, which has been determined by the control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: FDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihisa Sekiguchi, Yasunari Mizoguchi, Hirohito Teraoka, Hiroshi Suzuki, Katsuki Tsuchiya, Kevin Foster, Jinfeng Jia
  • Publication number: 20190006856
    Abstract: A charging circuit includes a first power source circuit that supplies charging power to secondary batteries; a switch that controls the supply of the power; and a control device that performs switching control of the switch. The control device detects a voltage difference between the secondary batteries before starting charging; starts a timer and starts serial charging of the secondary batteries; on the condition that the voltage difference before the charging has been equal to or larger than a first threshold, if respective voltage values of the secondary batteries have both become equal to or larger than a second threshold before the timer expires, shortens a remaining time on the timer at that time point; and finishes the serial charging of the secondary batteries at the earlier of a time point when the secondary batteries have both become fully charged, or a time point when the timer has expired.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Yasunari Mizoguchi, Kazuta Takeno, Kunihisa Sekiguchi, Kenji Kitamura, Takashi Kano
  • Patent number: 10027138
    Abstract: A charger of the present invention includes a charging circuit that allows a secondary battery to be charged, a state-of-charge detection circuit that detects a state of charge of the secondary battery, a pictogram display unit that displays the state of charge of the secondary battery, and a control device that controls the charging circuit and the pictogram display unit on the basis of the state of charge of the secondary battery. The control device determines a kind of electronic apparatus available by the secondary battery in accordance with the state of charge of the secondary battery, and then displays the kind of electronic apparatus available on the pictogram display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: FDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasunari Mizoguchi, Hirohito Teraoka, Kunihisa Sekiguchi, Katsuki Tsuchiya, Kevin Foster
  • Publication number: 20160359353
    Abstract: A charger includes: a charging circuit which receives an electric power from external equipment and charges a secondary battery; a control device which determines a power supply capability of the external equipment on the basis of the electric power that is supplied to the charging circuit from the external equipment; and a display device that displays the power supply capability of the external equipment, which has been determined by the control device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Applicant: FDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihisa Sekiguchi, Yasunari Mizoguchi, Hirohito Teraoka, Hiroshi Suzuki, Katsuki Tsuchiya, Kevin Foster, Jinfeng Jia
  • Publication number: 20160285285
    Abstract: A charger of the present invention includes a charging circuit that allows a secondary battery to be charged, a state-of-charge detection circuit that detects a state of charge of the secondary battery, a pictogram display unit that displays the state of charge of the secondary battery, and a control device that controls the charging circuit and the pictogram display unit on the basis of the state of charge of the secondary battery. The control device determines a kind of electronic apparatus available by the secondary battery in accordance with the state of charge of the secondary battery, and then displays the kind of electronic apparatus available on the pictogram display unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Applicant: FDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasunari Mizoguchi, Hirohito Teraoka, Kunihisa Sekiguchi, Katsuki Tsuchiya, Kevin Foster
  • Patent number: 8012638
    Abstract: A fuel cell system according to the invention comprises a fuel cell stack, a fuel feeder that supplies the fuel cell stack with fuel, a rechargeable battery that is an electric storage device, a bidirectional DC/DC converter that selectively performs an operation of converting the output voltage of the rechargeable battery into a predetermined voltage and then outputting it (a discharge operation), or an operation of charging the rechargeable battery using the electric power outputted from the fuel cell stack (a charge operation), and a mode control circuit. The mode control circuit detects the output voltage of the fuel cell stack so that, when it is higher than the set value, the mode control circuit makes the bidirectional DC/DC converter perform the charge operation; when it is not higher than the set value, the mode control circuit makes the bidirectional DC/DC converter perform the discharge operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Konoto, Masaya Fujii, Kazuhiro Seo, Kunihisa Sekiguchi
  • Publication number: 20100266919
    Abstract: A fuel cell system according to the invention comprises a fuel cell stack, a fuel feeder that supplies the fuel cell stack with fuel, a rechargeable battery that is an electric storage device, a bidirectional DC/DC converter that selectively performs an operation of converting the output voltage of the rechargeable battery into a predetermined voltage and then outputting it (a discharge operation), or an operation of charging the rechargeable battery using the electric power outputted from the fuel cell stack (a charge operation), and a mode control circuit. The mode control circuit detects the output voltage of the fuel cell stack so that, when it is higher than the set value, the mode control circuit makes the bidirectional DC/DC converter perform the charge operation; when it is not higher than the set value, the mode control circuit makes the bidirectional DC/DC converter perform the discharge operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaaki KONOTO, Masaya Fujii, Kazuhiro Seo, Kunihisa Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 7767353
    Abstract: A fuel cell system according to the invention comprises a fuel cell stack, a fuel feeder that supplies the fuel cell stack with fuel, a rechargeable battery that is an electric storage device, a bidirectional DC/DC converter that selectively performs an operation of converting the output voltage of the rechargeable battery into a predetermined voltage and then outputting it (a discharge operation), or an operation of charging the rechargeable battery using the electric power outputted from the fuel cell stack (a charge operation), and a mode control circuit. The mode control circuit detects the output voltage of the fuel cell stack so that, when it is higher than the set value, the mode control circuit makes the bidirectional DC/DC converter perform the charge operation; when it is not higher than the set value, the mode control circuit makes the bidirectional DC/DC converter perform the discharge operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Konoto, Masaya Fujii, Kazuhiro Seo, Kunihisa Sekiguchi
  • Publication number: 20060029846
    Abstract: A fuel cell system according to the invention comprises a fuel cell stack, a fuel feeder that supplies the fuel cell stack with fuel, a rechargeable battery that is an electric storage device, a bidirectional DC/DC converter that selectively performs an operation of converting the output voltage of the rechargeable battery into a predetermined voltage and then outputting it (a discharge operation), or an operation of charging the rechargeable battery using the electric power outputted from the fuel cell stack (a charge operation), and a mode control circuit. The mode control circuit detects the output voltage of the fuel cell stack so that, when it is higher than the set value, the mode control circuit makes the bidirectional DC/DC converter perform the charge operation; when it is not higher than the set value, the mode control circuit makes the bidirectional DC/DC converter perform the discharge operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2005
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Inventors: Masaaki Konoto, Masaya Fujii, Kazuhiro Seo, Kunihisa Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: D1012017
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: FDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Kanou, Mika Takayanagi, Asuka Takahashi, Yasunari Mizoguchi, Katsuki Tsuchiya, Kenji Kitamura, Kunihisa Sekiguchi, Kazuta Takeno