Patents by Inventor Masaya Itou

Masaya Itou 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: 10054642
    Abstract: A battery monitoring apparatus capable of reducing power consumption. At least one monitoring integrated circuit (IC) is electrically connected to a high-voltage battery formed of a plurality of cells and configured to monitor the high-voltage battery in a plurality of modes of operation. A low-voltage power supply circuit can deliver power of a lower voltage than the power of the high-voltage battery to the at least one monitoring IC. A power supply to the at least one monitoring IC is selected from a group of the high-voltage battery and the low-voltage power supply circuit depending on the mode of operation the at least one monitoring IC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunichi Mizobe, Tsuneo Maebara, Ryotaro Miura, Masaya Itou
  • Patent number: 9647301
    Abstract: A battery monitoring apparatus monitors a battery pack configured by a plurality of battery cells. The battery monitoring apparatus includes a main monitoring unit, a sub monitoring unit and a control unit. The main monitoring unit monitors a plurality of physical quantities indicating a battery state of the battery pack. The sub monitoring unit monitors a part of the physical quantities separately from the main monitoring unit. The control unit detects malfunction of the battery pack on the basis of at least one of a monitoring result of the main monitoring unit and a monitoring result of the sub monitoring unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunichi Mizobe, Tsuneo Maebara, Masaya Itou
  • Patent number: 9263878
    Abstract: A circuit protector includes a plurality of detection lines that connect between a battery pack and a monitoring circuit, an overvoltage protection element connected between the detection lines that keeps the voltage applied to the monitoring circuit at a fixed voltage, and a circuit protection element disposed in each detection line that disconnects an electrical link between the monitoring circuit and the battery pack when a current beyond a predetermined current value flows into the detection line. When the excess voltage occurs in the battery pack, the overvoltage protection element maintains between each detection line in a short circuit state, and the circuit protection element disconnects the electrical link between the battery pack and the monitoring circuit by a short-circuit current that flows between the detection lines via the overvoltage protection element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaya Itou, Tsuneo Maebara
  • Publication number: 20150171487
    Abstract: A monitoring device has a control unit and monitoring units. A substrate of each monitoring unit has a high voltage section and a low voltage section. A cell monitoring IC detects a state of battery cells in the battery pack and is mounted in the high voltage side in a substrate of each monitoring unit. A photocoupler or capacitor is arranged between an input connector and the cell monitoring IC of each monitoring unit. A photocoupler or capacitor is arranged between an output connector of the substrate and the cell monitoring IC. The cell monitoring IC receives an input signal through the input connector and the photocoupler or capacitor, and transmits an output signal to the other monitoring unit or the control unit through the photocoupler or capacitor and the output connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Masaya ITOU, Shunichi MIZOBE
  • Publication number: 20150102820
    Abstract: A battery monitoring apparatus capable of reducing power consumption. At least one monitoring integrated circuit (IC) is electrically connected to a high-voltage battery formed of a plurality of cells and configured to monitor the high-voltage battery in a plurality of modes of operation. A low-voltage power supply circuit can deliver power of a lower voltage than the power of the high-voltage battery to the at least one monitoring IC. A power supply to the at least one monitoring IC is selected from a group of the high-voltage battery and the low-voltage power supply circuit depending on the mode of operation the at least one monitoring IC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Shunichi MIZOBE, Tsuneo MAEBARA, Ryotaro MIURA, Masaya ITOU
  • Publication number: 20150060423
    Abstract: A contact welding detection system includes a main circuit including a DC power source, a power-supply unit electrically connected to the DC power source, and a main circuit relay electrically connected between the DC power source and the power-supply unit, a measurement unit measuring an electrical characteristic value on a signal wiring between a signal generation unit and the main circuit. The system further includes a welding determination unit configured to determine the presence or absence of contact welding in the relay on the basis of the electrical characteristic value, and a first forced ground-contacting unit electrically connected between the main circuit and a conductive member connected to ground. The first forced ground-contacting unit is electrically connected to the main circuit at a connection point located on an opposite side of the relay to a connection point at which the signal generation unit is electrically connected to the main circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Ken TANAKA, Shinya KATO, Masaya ITOU, Hayato MIZOGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20140147713
    Abstract: A battery monitoring apparatus monitors a battery pack configured by a plurality of battery cells. The battery monitoring apparatus includes a main monitoring unit, a sub monitoring unit and a control unit. The main monitoring unit monitors a plurality of physical quantities indicating a battery state of the battery pack. The sub monitoring unit monitors a part of the physical quantities separately from the main monitoring unit. The control unit detects malfunction of the battery pack on the basis of at least one of a monitoring result of the main monitoring unit and a monitoring result of the sub monitoring unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunichi Mizobe, Tsuneo Maebara, Masaya Itou
  • Patent number: 8701806
    Abstract: An electric transaxle unit includes an axle, an electric motor for driving the axle, a motor shaft serving as an output shaft of the electric motor, the motor shaft being not coaxial to the axle, a deceleration gear train interposed between the motor shaft and the axle, a brake adapted to brake any element in a power train between the motor shaft and the axle via the deceleration gear train, and a casing. The casing incorporates the axle, the electric motor, the motor shaft, the deceleration gear train and the brake. The casing includes an attachment portion to be attached to a frame, and wherein the attachment portion has a constant height from a center axis of the axle regardless of whether the casing is vertically inversed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norihiro Ishii, Tomoyuki Ebihara, Kengo Sasahara, Masaya Itou
  • Publication number: 20130342939
    Abstract: A circuit protector includes a plurality of detection lines that connect between a battery pack and a monitoring circuit, an overvoltage protection element connected between the detection lines that keeps the voltage applied to the monitoring circuit at a fixed voltage, and a circuit protection element disposed in each detection line that disconnects an electrical link between the monitoring circuit to and the battery pack when a current beyond a predetermined current value flows into the detection line. When the excess voltage occurs in the battery pack, the overvoltage protection element maintains between each detection line in a short circuit state, and the circuit protection element disconnects the electrical link between the battery pack and the monitoring circuit by a short-circuit current that flows between the detection lines via the overvoltage protection element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaya ITOU, Tsuneo MAEBARA
  • Patent number: 8579055
    Abstract: An electric zero-turn working vehicle comprises a vehicle body frame, right and left drive wheels, right and left first electric motors for driving the respective right and left drive wheels, a transaxle including at least one of the right and left first electric motors, a working implement, and a second electric motor for driving the working implement. The right and left first electric motors have a space therebetween. The transaxle is supported by the vehicle body frame and is disposed below the vehicle body frame. At least a part of the second electric motor is disposed in the space between the right and left first electric motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Sasahara, Kazunari Koga, Masaya Itou
  • Patent number: 8511216
    Abstract: A hydraulic actuator unit includes a first electric motor assembly formed by mounting one of a pair of electric motors to one of a pair of electric motor covers, wherein the first electric motor assembly is detachably mounted to a pump case so as to rotate a first control shaft around its axis line, and a second electric motor assembly formed by mounting the other one of the pair of electric motors to the other one of the pair of electric motor covers, wherein the second electric motor assembly is detachably mounted to the pump case so as to rotate a second control shaft around its axis line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Sasahara, Toshifumi Yasuda, Minoru Kamada, Masaaki Inoue, Takashi Nishizawa, Fumitoshi Ishino, Masaya Itou, Shinichi Hirose, Jun Matsuura, Ryota Iwaibara
  • Publication number: 20110247886
    Abstract: An electric zero-turn working vehicle comprises a vehicle body frame, right and left drive wheels, right and left first electric motors for driving the respective right and left drive wheels, a transaxle including at least one of the right and left first electric motors, a working implement, and a second electric motor for driving the working implement. The right and left first electric motors have a space therebetween. The transaxle is supported by the vehicle body frame and is disposed below the vehicle body frame. At least a part of the second electric motor is disposed in the space between the right and left first electric motors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Inventors: Kengo SASAHARA, Kazunari Koga, Masaya Itou
  • Publication number: 20110088545
    Abstract: In the hydraulic actuator unit according to the present invention, a first electric motor assembly formed by mounting one of a pair of electric motors to one of a pair of electric motor covers is detachably mounted to a pump case so as to rotate a first control shaft around its axis line, and a second electric motor assembly formed by mounting the other one of the pair of electric motors to the other one of the pair of electric motor covers is detachably mounted to the pump case so as to rotate a second control shaft around its axis line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Inventors: Kengo Sasahara, Toshifumi Yasuda, Minoru Kamada, Masaaki Inoue, Takashi Nishizawa, Fumitoshi Ishino, Masaya Itou, Shinichi Hirose, Jun Matsuura, Ryota Iwaibara
  • Publication number: 20100236845
    Abstract: An electric transaxle unit includes an axle, an electric motor for driving the axle, a motor shaft serving as an output shaft of the electric motor, the motor shaft being not coaxial to the axle, a deceleration gear train interposed between the motor shaft and the axle, a brake adapted to brake any element in a power train between the motor shaft and the axle via the deceleration gear train, and a casing. The casing incorporates the axle, the electric motor, the motor shaft, the deceleration gear train and the brake. The casing includes an attachment portion to be attached to a frame, and wherein the attachment portion has a constant height from a center axis of the axle regardless of whether the casing is vertically inversed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2009
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Inventors: Norihiro ISHII, Tomoyuki EBIHARA, Kengo SASAHARA, Masaya ITOU
  • Patent number: 6960899
    Abstract: A discharging circuit, connected to both terminals of a lithium battery, includes a first discharge resistor, a second discharge resistor, and a transistor for occasionally discharging the lithium battery to reduce the SOC difference among respective lithium batteries constituting a combination battery. A voltage detecting circuit detects a terminal voltage of the lithium battery via the first discharge resistor. A discharge controller judges a failure occurring in the discharging circuit based on a comparison between a terminal voltage value detected when the transistor is turned on and a terminal voltage value detected when the transistor is turned off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuya Kobayashi, Masaya Itou
  • Publication number: 20040155629
    Abstract: A discharging circuit, connected to both terminals of a lithium battery, includes a first discharge resistor, a second discharge resistor, and a transistor for occasionally discharging the lithium battery to reduce the SOC difference among respective lithium batteries constituting a combination battery. A voltage detecting circuit detects a terminal voltage of the lithium battery via the first discharge resistor. A discharge controller judges a failure occurring in the discharging circuit based on a comparison between a terminal voltage value detected when the transistor is turned on and a terminal voltage value detected when the transistor is turned off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuya Kobayashi, Masaya Itou
  • Patent number: 6313637
    Abstract: A set battery which generates a high voltage comprises a number of battery modules connected to each other in series. A module voltage of each of the battery modules is detected by a corresponding differential voltage detecting circuit and is transmitted to an A/D convertor. Each of Several voltage detecting blocks is constituted by a plurality of the differential voltage detecting circuits for detecting module voltages of a plurality of the battery modules contiguous to each other. Each of the differential voltage detecting circuits belonging to the same voltage detecting block is applied with a common reference potential which is used to detect the module voltage. The reference potential is set to values which differ from each other for the respective voltage detecting blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Junichi Iino, Masaya Itou, Hidetoshi Kato, Takashi Yamashita, Tetsuya Kobayashi