Patents by Inventor MASASHI OKAMATSU

MASASHI OKAMATSU 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: 9543820
    Abstract: A power inverter device includes an inverter that converts a direct-current (DC) power to an alternating-current (AC) power having an output AC voltage, and a capacitor circuit electrically connected to the inverter. The capacitor circuit is operable to start supplying a capacitor voltage to the inverter at a time point when a predetermined waiting time lapses from a zero cross point of the output AC voltage at a starting up of the inverter circuit, wherein the capacitor voltage has a phase shifted by ?/4 radian from the output AC voltage. The inverter is operable to generate the output AC power based on the capacitor voltage and the DC power. The predetermined waiting time is a duration is equal to 2?n+3?/4 radian or 2?n+7?/4 radian of a phase of the output AC voltage (n is an integer not smaller than zero). This power inverter device can reduce a ripple power of the input power early after the starting-up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masashi Okamatsu
  • Patent number: 9484818
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes first and second switching devices electrically connected in series between an input terminal and a ground terminal, third and fourth switching devices electrically connected in series between an output terminal and the ground terminal, an inductor, a drive circuit that drives the first switching device to turn on and off, a bootstrap capacitor circuit connected electrically to the drive circuit, and a control circuit. The control circuit is operable to turn on and off the switching devices serially connected with each other after a simultaneous-off duration for which both of the switching devices are continuously turned off. The control circuit is operable to charge the bootstrap capacitor by continuously turning on keeping the second switching device for a charging duration while continuously turning off the first switching device for a sustaining duration determined by the simultaneous-off duration and the charging duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Okamatsu, Hideki Tanaka, Katsuya Hagiwara, Masahiro Tochigi, Takashi Ueda
  • Patent number: 9479055
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes a switching device, a drive circuit for turning on and off the switching device, a bootstrap capacitor electrically connected to the drive circuit, and a control circuit electrically connected to the drive circuit. The control circuit is operable to charge the bootstrap capacitor for a charging duration periodically at a charging period longer than an on-off period at which the switching device is turned on and off periodically. This DC-DC converter performs efficient boost and step-down operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Okamatsu, Hideki Tanaka, Katsuya Hagiwara, Masahiro Tochigi, Takashi Ueda
  • Publication number: 20150357917
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes first and second switching devices electrically connected in series between an input terminal and a ground terminal, third and fourth switching devices electrically connected in series between an output terminal and the ground terminal, an inductor, a drive circuit that drives the first switching device to turn on and off, a bootstrap capacitor circuit connected electrically to the drive circuit, and a control circuit. The control circuit is operable to turn on and off the switching devices serially connected with each other after a simultaneous-off duration for which both of the switching devices are continuously turned off. The control circuit is operable to charge the bootstrap capacitor by continuously turning on keeping the second switching device for a charging duration while continuously turning off the first switching device for a sustaining duration determined by the simultaneous-off duration and the charging duration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: MASASHI OKAMATSU, HIDEKI TANAKA, KATSUYA HAGIWARA, MASAHIRO TOCHIGI, TAKASHI UEDA
  • Publication number: 20150311820
    Abstract: A power inverter device includes an inverter that converts a direct-current (DC) power to an alternating-current (AC) power having an output AC voltage, and a capacitor circuit electrically connected to the inverter. The capacitor circuit is operable to start supplying a capacitor voltage to the inverter at a time point when a predetermined waiting time lapses from a zero cross point of the output AC voltage at a starting up of the inverter circuit, wherein the capacitor voltage has a phase shifted by ?/4 radian from the output AC voltage. The inverter is operable to generate the output AC power based on the capacitor voltage and the DC power. The predetermined waiting time is a duration is equal to 2?n+3?/4 radian or 2?n+7?/4 radian of a phase of the output AC voltage (n is an integer not smaller than zero). This power inverter device can reduce a ripple power of the input power early after the starting-up.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: MASASHI OKAMATSU
  • Publication number: 20150311797
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes a switching device, a drive circuit for turning on and off the switching device, a bootstrap capacitor electrically connected to the drive circuit, and a control circuit electrically connected to the drive circuit. The control circuit is operable to charge the bootstrap capacitor for a charging duration periodically at a charging period longer than an on-off period at which the switching device is turned on and off periodically. This DC-DC converter performs efficient boost and step-down operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: MASASHI OKAMATSU, HIDEKI TANAKA, KATSUYA HAGIWARA, MASAHIRO TOCHIGI, TAKASHI UEDA