Patents by Inventor Masaaki Kitagawa

Masaaki Kitagawa 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: 20250020728
    Abstract: An impedance measurement apparatus is provided for measuring impedance of a secondary battery. The impedance measurement apparatus includes a measurement unit and a switching unit. The measurement unit is capable of measuring the impedance of the secondary battery using a plurality of measurement modes differing in measurement condition. The switching unit is configured to switch between the plurality of measurement modes based on a comparison between a correlating parameter, which correlates with the impedance of the secondary battery, and a threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2024
    Publication date: January 16, 2025
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaaki KITAGAWA, Isao ISHIBE, Kazuo MATSUKAWA, Shuhei YOSHIDA, Masaki UCHIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20240230777
    Abstract: A battery measurement device that measures a state of a secondary battery includes: a signal control section that causes an alternating-current signal to be outputted from the secondary battery or inputs an alternating-current signal to the secondary battery; a current measurement section that measures the alternating-current signal; a response signal measurement section that measures a response signal of the secondary battery responsive to the alternating-current signal; and a calculation section that calculates information regarding a complex impedance of the secondary battery based on measurement results of the alternating-current signal measured by the current measurement section and the response signal measured by the response signal measurement section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2024
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaaki KITAGAWA, Isao ISHIBE
  • Publication number: 20240230776
    Abstract: A battery measurement system includes: a battery including terminals and a housing case, and a battery measurement device. The battery measurement device includes: a signal control unit provided on a first electrical path connecting positive and negative electrode external terminals and configured to receive or apply an AC signal, a response signal input unit provided on a second electrical path connecting positive and negative electrodes of an electrode body and configured to receive a response signal to the AC signal, and a calculation unit configured to calculate complex impedance information based on the response signal. The second electrical path is wired from the response signal input unit toward the inside of the housing case so that a magnetic flux passage area surrounded by the electrode body and the second electrical path is smaller in magnitude than an area surrounded by the electrode body, the terminals and the housing case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2023
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fukuo KITAGAWA, Motomasa IIZUKA, Hisayoshi OTA, Masaaki KITAGAWA
  • Publication number: 20240230770
    Abstract: In a battery measurement apparatus, a current controller sets a predetermined wavenumber of each of first and second alternating signals, and determines whether an input or an output of the predetermined wavenumber of one of the first and second alternating signals to or from a rechargeable battery has completed. The current controller switches, in response to determination that the input or output of the predetermined wavenumber of one of the first and second alternating signals to or from the rechargeable battery has completed, the completed one of the first and second alternating signals to a new alternating signal having another frequency while continuing the input or output of the other of the first and second alternating signals to or from the rechargeable battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2023
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaaki KITAGAWA, Shun Miyauchi, Isao Ishibe
  • Publication number: 20240168100
    Abstract: In a battery measurement apparatus, a storage battery is caused to supply an alternating-current signal or receive an alternating-current signal to the storage battery. The alternating-current signal flowing through a first electrical path via a second electrical path is measured. In response to the alternating-current signal, a response signal of the storage battery received. Information related to a complex impedance of the storage battery is calculated based on the alternating-current signal and the response signal. A magnetic flux passage area is defined as an area surrounded by the second electrical path and through which a magnetic flux based on the alternating-current signal flowing through the first electrical path passes. A size of the magnetic flux passage area is set such that an error in the complex impedance due to induced electromotive force based on the alternating-current signal flowing through the first electrical path is within a range of ±1 m?.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2023
    Publication date: May 23, 2024
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaaki KITAGAWA, Isao ISHIBE
  • Publication number: 20240133966
    Abstract: A battery measurement system includes: a battery including terminals and a housing case, and a battery measurement device. The battery measurement device includes: a signal control unit provided on a first electrical path connecting positive and negative electrode external terminals and configured to receive or apply an AC signal, a response signal input unit provided on a second electrical path connecting positive and negative electrodes of an electrode body and configured to receive a response signal to the AC signal, and a calculation unit configured to calculate complex impedance information based on the response signal. The second electrical path is wired from the response signal input unit toward the inside of the housing case so that a magnetic flux passage area surrounded by the electrode body and the second electrical path is smaller in magnitude than an area surrounded by the electrode body, the terminals and the housing case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fukuo KITAGAWA, Motomasa IIZUKA, Hisayoshi OTA, Masaaki KITAGAWA
  • Publication number: 20240133960
    Abstract: In a battery measurement apparatus, a current controller sets a predetermined wavenumber of each of first and second alternating signals, and determines whether an input or an output of the predetermined wavenumber of one of the first and second alternating signals to or from a rechargeable battery has completed. The current controller switches, in response to determination that the input or output of the predetermined wavenumber of one of the first and second alternating signals to or from the rechargeable battery has completed, the completed one of the first and second alternating signals to a new alternating signal having another frequency while continuing the input or output of the other of the first and second alternating signals to or from the rechargeable battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaaki KITAGAWA, Shun Miyauchi, Isao Ishibe
  • Publication number: 20240133967
    Abstract: A battery measurement device that measures a state of a secondary battery includes: a signal control section that causes an alternating-current signal to be outputted from the secondary battery or inputs an alternating-current signal to the secondary battery; a current measurement section that measures the alternating-current signal; a response signal measurement section that measures a response signal of the secondary battery responsive to the alternating-current signal; and a calculation section that calculates information regarding a complex impedance of the secondary battery based on measurement results of the alternating-current signal measured by the current measurement section and the response signal measured by the response signal measurement section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2024
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaaki KITAGAWA, Isao ISHIBE
  • Publication number: 20240125863
    Abstract: A battery measurement device for measuring a state of a rechargeable battery, includes a signal control unit provided on a first electrical path connecting a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the rechargeable battery and configured to cause the rechargeable battery to output a predefined AC signal or to input a predefined AC signal to the rechargeable battery, a voltage measurement unit provided on a second electrical path connecting the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the rechargeable battery and configured to receive, via the second electrical path, voltage variations of the rechargeable battery in response to the AC signal, a calculation unit configured to calculate information on a complex impedance based on the voltage variations, and a determination unit configured to determine an abnormality and a precursory sign of an abnormality in the second electrical path based on the information on the complex impedance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaaki KITAGAWA, Isao ISHIBE
  • Publication number: 20240109421
    Abstract: A battery measurement apparatus connected to a battery module in which a plurality of storage batteries are combined, includes: a measurement unit that measures a battery state of at least each of the storage batteries; and a determination unit that determines whether replacement of any one of the storage batteries has occurred based on the battery state. The determination unit determines that replacement of a storage battery has occurred in the case where a parameter indicating the battery state of any one of the storage batteries that constitute the battery module is determined to be out of a predetermined range and a parameter indicating the battery state of other storage batteries or other battery modules are also determined to be out of a predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaaki KITAGAWA, Isao ISHIBE
  • Publication number: 20240027534
    Abstract: An impedance calculation apparatus applicable to a power source system provided with a storage battery, applying an AC signal to the storage battery to calculate an impedance of the storage battery, during a predetermined impedance calculation period, the impedance calculation apparatus includes: an error calculation unit that applies the AC signal having a specified frequency at which at least either a real part component or an imaginary part component of an impedance of the storage battery is a specific value, to calculate an impedance error of the storage battery, during an error calculation period different from the impedance calculation period; an impedance calculation unit that calculates an impedance of the storage battery during the impedance calculation period; and a correction unit that corrects, based on the impedance error, the impedance of the storage battery calculated by the impedance calculation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuya HORI, Masaaki KITAGAWA
  • Patent number: 11835588
    Abstract: A waveform designator designates a given waveform of an AC signal by specifying a frequency as a reference. A signal controller causes a storage battery to output a response signal based on its own power. A detector detects a frequency component in the response signal corresponding to the reference frequency of the AC signal based on a product of the reference frequency and the response signal. A calculator calculates a complex impedance of the storage battery based on the frequency component in the response signal. A noise determiner determines presence or absence of a noise signal corresponding to the reference frequency of the AC signal before the signal controller causes the storage battery to output the AC signal. A noise controller either avoids or removes the noise signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masaaki Kitagawa
  • Patent number: 11750002
    Abstract: A battery monitoring apparatus includes a circuit board, a signal control unit configured to cause a predetermined AC signal to be outputted from a storage battery through a first electrical path, a response signal input unit configured to input, through a pair of second electrical paths, a response signal of the storage battery to the AC signal, and a calculating unit configured to calculate, based on the response signal, a complex impedance of the storage battery. The first and second electrical paths are provided on a major face of the circuit board. On the circuit board, there is defined a first region which is surrounded by the first and second electrical paths and two terminals of the storage battery. The size of the first region is set to have an electromotive force, which is induced in the second electrical paths by the AC signal, be within an allowable electromotive-force range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaaki Kitagawa, Shun Miyauchi, Takumi Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20230231209
    Abstract: A secondary battery system includes a secondary battery having an electrode body impregnated with an electrolytic solution containing metal ions. The secondary battery system measures an impedance of the secondary battery. The secondary battery system detects high-rate deterioration caused by uneven concentration of the metal ions in the electrolytic solution impregnated into the electrode body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: Yuji YAMAGAMI, Masaaki KITAGAWA, Hisashi UMEMOTO, Shuhei YOSHIDA
  • Patent number: 11630156
    Abstract: A battery monitoring apparatus includes an electric power supply terminal connected with a first electrical path, a voltage input terminal connected with a second electrical path, a signal control unit connected with a third electrical path, a response signal input terminal connected with a fourth electrical path, and a calculating unit. The signal control unit is configured to cause a predetermined AC signal to be outputted from a storage battery with the storage battery itself being an electric power source for the output of the predetermined AC signal. The calculating unit is configured to calculate, based on a response signal of the storage battery to the predetermined AC signal, a complex impedance of the storage battery. Moreover, at least one of the first to the fourth electrical paths is merged with at least one of the other electrical paths into an electrical path that is connected to the storage battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masakatsu Horiguchi, Masaaki Kitagawa
  • Publication number: 20230099142
    Abstract: A power supply system includes an assembled battery, a positive electrode-side power supply path, a negative electrode-side power supply path, and a capacitor unit. The capacitor unit includes a series connection of a plurality of capacitors having one end connected to the positive electrode power supply path and the other end connected to the negative electrode power supply path. An inter-capacitor connection point located between the capacitors forming the series connection is electrically connected to the inter-cell connection point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaaki KITAGAWA, Masakazu KOUDA
  • Publication number: 20220373602
    Abstract: In a battery measurement apparatus, a signal control unit, provided on a first electrical path connecting electrodes of a storage battery, causes the storage battery to output a predetermined alternating-current signal or inputs a predetermined alternating-current signal to the storage battery. A response signal input unit, provided on a second electrical path connecting the electrodes, inputs a response signal of the storage battery in response to the alternating-current signal through the second electrical path. Based on the response signal, a calculating unit calculates information related to a complex impedance of the storage battery. A magnetic flux passage area, surrounded by the storage battery and the second electrical path, is formed. A size of the magnetic flux passage area is set such that an error between an actual complex impedance of the storage battery and a complex impedance calculated by the calculating unit is within a range of ±1 m?.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaaki KITAGAWA, Kazuo MATSUKAWA, Yuji YAMAGAMI, Masaki UCHIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20220045544
    Abstract: In a battery monitoring device for monitoring a state of a rechargeable battery that includes an electrolyte and a plurality of electrodes, a response signal input unit is configured to receive a response signal of the rechargeable battery to a predefined AC signal, and a calculation unit is configured to calculate a complex impedance of the rechargeable battery based on the response signal. A power supply unit is configured to receive a power supply voltage from the rechargeable battery and supplies the power supply voltage to at least the calculation unit. A first electrical path connecting the rechargeable battery to the power supply unit and a second electrical path connecting the rechargeable battery to the signal control unit are provided independent of each other. The signal control unit is configured to cause the rechargeable battery to be monitored, as a power source, to output the predefined AC signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masaaki KITAGAWA
  • Publication number: 20210321652
    Abstract: A cooked rice producing method is configured to include carrying out rice boiling after adding a liquid seasoning which has a solid content of saccharides of from 0 to 32% by mass, a degree of sweet taste of from 30 to 85, and an acetic acid conversion acidity of from 2.5 to 5.7. Cooked rice, produced by carrying out rice boiling after adding a liquid seasoning, includes a solid content of saccharides of from 0 to 32% by mass, a degree of sweet taste of from 30 to 85, and an acetic acid conversion acidity of from 2.5 to 5.7. A liquid seasoning includes a solid content of saccharides of from 0 to 32% by mass, a degree of sweet taste of from 30 to 85, and an acetic acid conversion acidity of from 2.5 to 5.7, to be used by being added before rice boiling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Applicant: Wakou Shokuhin Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaaki KITAGAWA
  • Patent number: 11020757
    Abstract: This rotary atomizing head used in a rotary atomizing head type painting device is provided with: an atomizing head main body formed in a bell shape or a cup shape; an attachment part which is connected to the atomizing head main body and attaches the atomizing head main body to a motor rotary shaft of the rotary atomizing head type painting device; and a resin mold in which an IC tag containing unique information about the rotary atomizing head stored therein is embedded, and which is attached to the attachment part, wherein the attachment part can have a prescribed structure, the resin mold is attached to the attachment part through a prescribed method, and the IC tag is embedded in the resin mold such that the surface of an embedded coil antenna adopts a prescribed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignees: HITACHI SYSTEMS, LTD., ABB SCHWEIZ AG
    Inventors: Shigeru Yamauchi, Masaaki Saruyama, Masaaki Kitagawa, Shinya Nomura