Patents by Inventor Masakazu Aoki

Masakazu Aoki 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: 11964265
    Abstract: Provided is a methanation catalyst processing method capable of suppressing degradation of a catalyst performance. A methanation catalyst processing method of the present disclosure includes oxidizing nickel through a heat treatment of a methanation catalyst by supplying an oxygen gas containing oxygen to a reactor, the reactor housing the methanation catalyst containing the nickel as a catalyst component. In the oxidizing, the oxygen gas is supplied to the reactor such that the oxygen is supplied to 1 g of the methanation catalyst at a supply rate in a range of from 0.0213 mmol-O2/sec·g-cat. to 0.0638 mmol-O2/sec·g-cat., and a time period of the heat treatment of the methanation catalyst by supplying the oxygen gas to the reactor is set to 30 minutes or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusaku Onochi, Masakazu Aoki, Mitsuru Matsumoto, Takuto Hirose
  • Patent number: 11945235
    Abstract: There is provided a printing apparatus which includes the following: A printhead including a plurality of nozzles that discharge ink to a print medium. A first detection unit that detects a distance between the printhead and a platen. An adjustment unit that adjusts the distance between the printhead and the platen. An acquisition unit that acquires difference information concerning a difference of a distance between the platen and each of the nozzle on an upstream side and the nozzle on a downstream side in a conveyance direction of the print medium. The adjustment unit adjusts the distance based on a detection result of the first detection unit and the difference information acquired by the acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohito Abe, Daigo Kuronuma, Ryutaro Takahashi, Naoaki Wada, Noriyuki Aoki, Ryohei Maruyama, Masakazu Nagashima, Toshiaki Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20230381768
    Abstract: Provided is a methanation catalyst processing method capable of suppressing degradation of a catalyst performance. A methanation catalyst processing method of the present disclosure includes oxidizing nickel through a heat treatment of a methanation catalyst by supplying an oxygen gas containing oxygen to a reactor, the reactor housing the methanation catalyst containing the nickel as a catalyst component. In the oxidizing, the oxygen gas is supplied to the reactor such that the oxygen is supplied to 1 g of the methanation catalyst at a supply rate in a range of from 0.0213 mmol-O2/sec·g-cat. to 0.0638 mmol-O2/sec·g-cat., and a time period of the heat treatment of the methanation catalyst by supplying the oxygen gas to the reactor is set to 30 minutes or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: Yusaku ONOCHI, Masakazu AOKI, Mitsuru MATSUMOTO, Takuto HIROSE
  • Patent number: 11769406
    Abstract: An automobile includes a traffic information acquisition device that acquires traveling vehicle information, and traffic information from a traffic information management center that manages traffic obstacle information on an obstacle on a road, a display device that displays surroundings map information of a subject vehicle together with a mark showing a current position of the subject vehicle, and a control device. The control device reflects a decorative image based on surroundings traffic obstacle information in the surroundings map information and displays the decorative image on the display device, and associates, with the decorative image, an involved vehicle number image on an involved vehicle number, and displays the involved vehicle number image on the display device. The involved vehicle number is the number of vehicles in the traveling vehicle information involved in the traffic information related to the decorative image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Hamada, Masakazu Aoki, Yohsuke Hashimoto, Yuki Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20230181048
    Abstract: A physical condition change detection device for detecting a change in physical condition of a subject includes a body-surface-side biological information detection unit that is configured to detect a variation in biological information obtained from a body surface of the subject and that is to face the body surface of the subject and an outside thermal variation detection unit that faces away from the body-surface-side biological information detection unit and that is configured to detect a thermal variation in an outside area separated from the body surface of the subject. The physical condition change detection device further includes a transmit unit configured to provide control to transmit detection data of the body-surface-side biological information detection unit and the outside thermal variation detection unit to the outside at every given time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Applicants: METS INC., EMUZU LTD.
    Inventors: Takunori Shimazaki, Mitsuhiro Fukuda, Masakazu Aoki
  • Publication number: 20230063897
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a traffic obstruction information acquisition device configured to acquire traffic obstruction information, a vehicle information acquisition device configured to acquire vehicle information related to a second vehicle located between a position of the vehicle and a location on the traveling route where a traffic obstruction has occurred, a notification device configured to give, to a driver of the vehicle, a notification by a first notification method and a notification by a second notification method, and a control device configured to notify the driver of the traffic obstruction information by the first notification method when a predetermined condition that brings difficulty for the driver in recognition of the traffic obstruction is not satisfied based on the vehicle information, and notify the driver of the traffic obstruction information by the second notification method when the predetermined condition is satisfied based on the vehicle information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki HAMADA, Yohsuke HASHIMOTO, Yuki OGAWA, Masakazu AOKI
  • Publication number: 20230063622
    Abstract: An automobile includes a traffic information acquisition device that acquires traveling vehicle information, and traffic information from a traffic information management center that manages traffic obstacle information on an obstacle on a road, a display device that displays surroundings map information of a subject vehicle together with a mark showing a current position of the subject vehicle, and a control device. The control device reflects a decorative image based on surroundings traffic obstacle information in the surroundings map information and displays the decorative image on the display device, and associates, with the decorative image, an involved vehicle number image on an involved vehicle number, and displays the involved vehicle number image on the display device. The involved vehicle number is the number of vehicles in the traveling vehicle information involved in the traffic information related to the decorative image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki HAMADA, Masakazu AOKI, Yohsuke HASHIMOTO, Yuki OGAWA
  • Publication number: 20230055862
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an image capturing device configured to capture an image in a vehicle traveling direction, a display device, and a controller configured to carry out an analysis of the image captured by the image capturing device and display an indicator based on the analysis on the display device. The controller is configured to display a first object that approaches a host vehicle on the display device in a mode different from a mode for a second object that does not approach the host vehicle within the image captured by the image capturing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki HAMADA, Yuki OGAWA, Masakazu AOKI, Yohsuke HASHIMOTO
  • Patent number: 11431005
    Abstract: Disclosed is a high-temperature operating fuel cell system including: a fuel cell stack; a combustor that combusts a cathode off-gas and an anode off-gas; a heat insulator that covers at least part of the fuel cell stack and at least part of the combustor; a first preheater that covers at least part of the heat insulator and preheats an oxidant gas; an oxidant gas feeder that supplies the oxidant gas to the first preheater; a vacuum heat insulator that covers at least part of the first preheater; a sensor that detects information indicating stopping of a power generation operation; and a controller. When a determination is made that the power generation has stopped, the controller controls the oxidant gas feeder to supply the oxidant gas to the first preheater so that the temperature of the vacuum heat insulator is equal to or lower than a prescribed temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideki Nakata, Kunihiro Ukai, Masakazu Aoki
  • Publication number: 20220244712
    Abstract: The present invention provides a production system including: a base-unit-width specifier that specifies a base-unit width that is the common width of a plurality of base units on which a plurality of control devices and a plurality of controlled devices are mounted; a production controller that performs an operation test on the controlled devices in a first region; a disassembly condition determiner that determines a disassembly condition to disassemble the production system in units of modules such that each of the control devices and the corresponding one of the controlled devices are included in the same module, and that the dimension and weight of each module do not exceed an allowable dimension and an allowable load weight of a conveyance apparatus; and a transportation schedule setter that determines the order in which the plurality of modules are transported from the first region to a second region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Masakazu AOKI, Hidehiko FUSHIMI, Hideyuki GOTOU, Naoya TOBISAWA
  • Patent number: 11220968
    Abstract: A CPU calculates probability models by inputting input variables to a neural network. Next, the CPU determines whether a maximum value among the calculated probability models is larger than an upper limit value of a permissible range. When the maximum value is larger than the upper limit value of the permissible range, the CPU calculates a difference between the maximum value and a first reference value within the permissible range, and subtracts the difference from all the probability models. Then, the CPU calculates a probability of misfire in each cylinder by inputting each of the calculated probability models to a softmax function of mapping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Takamoto, Atsushi Nagai, Yohsuke Hashimoto, Masakazu Aoki, Tatsunobu Murai
  • Publication number: 20210222641
    Abstract: A CPU calculates probability models by inputting input variables to a neural network. Next, the CPU determines whether a maximum value among the calculated probability models is larger than an upper limit value of a permissible range. When the maximum value is larger than the upper limit value of the permissible range, the CPU calculates a difference between the maximum value and a first reference value within the permissible range, and subtracts the difference from all the probability models. Then, the CPU calculates a probability of misfire in each cylinder by inputting each of the calculated probability models to a softmax function of mapping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi TAKAMOTO, Atsushi NAGAI, Yohsuke HASHIMOTO, Masakazu AOKI, Tatsunobu MURAI
  • Patent number: 10941687
    Abstract: A catalyst temperature estimation device that estimates a temperature of a catalyst provided in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine includes a storage device and processing circuitry. The storage device stores mapping data that specifies a mapping that uses multiple input variables to output an estimation value of the temperature of the catalyst. The multiple input variables include at least one variable of an ambient temperature variable or an excess amount variable. The multiple input variables further include a fluid energy variable, which is a state variable related to energy of fluid flowing into the catalyst, and a previous cycle value of the estimation value of the temperature of the catalyst. The processing circuitry is configured to execute an acquisition process, a temperature calculation process, and an operation process. The mapping data includes data that is learned through machine learning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Harufumi Muto, Atsushi Nagai, Yosuke Hashimoto, Masakazu Aoki
  • Patent number: 10780409
    Abstract: A solid-gas reaction substance-filled reactor includes a core part in which heat medium heat-transfer tubes and spacers are alternately stacked, a gas introduction/discharge part that communicates with opening ends of the spacers, and a heat medium introduction/discharge part that communicates with heat medium flow paths. Filled bodies including metallic foil bags and a solid-gas reaction substance filled in the bags are inserted into the spacers. At least the filled bodies and the heat medium heat-transfer tubes are brazed to each other. The solid-gas reaction substance-filled reactor is obtained by stacking the filled bodies with the solid-gas reaction substance filled into the metallic bags, the heat medium heat-transfer tubes, and the spacers in a predetermined order and then brazing them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA CHUO KENKYUSHO
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Mitsui, Masakazu Aoki, Takafumi Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20200263581
    Abstract: A catalyst temperature estimation device that estimates a temperature of a catalyst provided in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine includes a storage device and processing circuitry. The storage device stores mapping data that specifies a mapping that uses multiple input variables to output an estimation value of the temperature of the catalyst. The multiple input variables include at least one variable of an ambient temperature variable or an excess amount variable. The multiple input variables further include a fluid energy variable, which is a state variable related to energy of fluid flowing into the catalyst, and a previous cycle value of the estimation value of the temperature of the catalyst. The processing circuitry is configured to execute an acquisition process, a temperature calculation process, and an operation process. The mapping data includes data that is learned through machine learning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Harufumi MUTO, Atsushi NAGAI, Yosuke HASHIMOTO, Masakazu AOKI
  • Patent number: 10700374
    Abstract: A high-temperature operating fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell stack that generates electric power through an electrochemical reaction of an oxidant gas and a reformed gas; a combustor that combusts a cathode off-gas and an anode off-gas; a reformer that generates the reformed gas from a raw material by utilizing heat of an exhaust gas generated by the combustor; a first preheater; a second preheater that preheats the oxidant gas through heat exchange with the exhaust gas and supplies the preheated oxidant gas to the cathode of the fuel cell stack; a casing that contains these components; and a first heat insulator that covers at least part of the casing, wherein the first preheater covers the first heat insulator and preheats the oxidant gas by heat transferred from the casing through the first heat insulator before the oxidant gas is supplied to the second preheater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideki Nakata, Kunihiro Ukai, Masakazu Aoki
  • Patent number: 10573906
    Abstract: A fuel cell device includes: a reformer that generates a reformed gas; a fuel cell; a combustor that combusts off-gas of the reformed gas and air for power generation, and generates a combustion exhaust gas; a first air heat exchanger that has a combustion exhaust gas path and a first air supply path, and that performs heat exchange between the combustion exhaust gas and the air for power generation; a fuel cell storage which stores the fuel cell; a second air heat exchanger that has a second air supply path that supplies the air for power generation to the fuel cell, and that performs heat exchange between the off-gas of the air for power generation and the air for power generation; and a housing that stores members. The first air supply path and the second air supply path are disposed to cover whole members stored in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Nakata, Kunihiro Ukai, Masakazu Aoki
  • Patent number: 10483571
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a plurality of reactor vessels containing a hydrogen storage material; a hydrogen tank storing a hydrogen gas; a fuel cell; a cooling device to dissipate exhaust heat from the reactor vessels or the fuel cell to the outside; a hydrogen gas line that can switch supply routes of the hydrogen gas among the reactor vessels, the hydrogen tank, and the fuel cell; a heat exchange line that can switch circulation routes of a heat exchange medium among the reactor vessels, the fuel cell, and the cooling device; and a control mechanism to switch the supply routes of the hydrogen gas and the circulation routes of the heat exchange medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA CHUO KENKYUSHO
    Inventors: Masakazu Aoki, Takafumi Yamauchi, Yasuki Hirota, Ryuichi Iwata
  • Publication number: 20190168181
    Abstract: A solid-gas reaction substance-filled reactor includes a core part in which heat medium heat-transfer tubes and spacers are alternately stacked, a gas introduction/discharge part that communicates with opening ends of the spacers, and a heat medium introduction/discharge part that communicates with heat medium flow paths. Filled bodies including metallic foil bags and a solid-gas reaction substance filled in the bags are inserted into the spacers. At least the filled bodies and the heat medium heat-transfer tubes are brazed to each other. The solid-gas reaction substance-filled reactor is obtained by stacking the filled bodies with the solid-gas reaction substance filled into the metallic bags, the heat medium heat-transfer tubes, and the spacers in a predetermined order and then brazing them.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA CHUO KENKYUSHO
    Inventors: Hiroyuki MITSUI, Masakazu AOKI, Takafumi YAMAUCHI
  • Patent number: 10126548
    Abstract: In a vehicle mirror, a heat generating body of a heater generates heat so as to heat a mirror body. A central side portion and an outer peripheral side portion of the heat generating body configure a thick portion and a thin portion, and the thin portion generates a smaller amount of heat than the thick portion, such that a heating density of the mirror body by the heat generating body is lower on an outer peripheral side portion of the mirror body than at a central side portion of the mirror body. Accordingly, the temperature of an outer peripheral portion of the mirror body can be suppressed from rising suddenly on progression from the outer peripheral side toward the central side of the mirror body, thereby enabling stress arising in the outer peripheral portion of the mirror body to be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO, TOKYO COSMOS ELECTRIC CO., LTD
    Inventors: Masakazu Aoki, Masashi Kaji