Patents by Inventor Masayuki Ito

Masayuki Ito 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: 20200185736
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell unit; a temperature acquiring unit acquiring an ambient temperature of a first fuel cell stack of the fuel cell unit; and a power generation control unit. The power generation control unit is configured to, when required power for the fuel cell unit is less than a predetermined threshold value, temporarily stop power generation of the first fuel cell stack and to switch the first fuel cell stack from stopped power generation to power generation when a continuous power generation stopped time of the first fuel cell stack is greater than a predetermined time such that the continuous power generation stopped time is shorter when the ambient temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature based on a temperature at which liquid water in the first fuel cell stack freezes than when the ambient temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masayuki ITO, Hideyuki KUMEI, Tomohiko KANEKO
  • Publication number: 20200185744
    Abstract: A fuel cell system is equipped with a fuel cell unit that is composed of a plurality of fuel cells including a first fuel cell and a second fuel cell, a first supply device and a second supply device that supply reactive gas to the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell respectively, and a control device that controls running of the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell and operation of the first supply device and the second supply device. The control device suspends electric power generation by the first fuel cell and drives the first supply device to hold an opening circuit voltage of the first fuel cell within a target range, and suspends electric power generation by the second fuel cell and stops driving the second supply device when an output P required of the fuel cell unit is equal to 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masayuki ITO, Yasushi ARAKI, Tomohiko KANEKO
  • Patent number: 10647212
    Abstract: An output prediction device for a fuel cell includes: a first acquisition circuitry configured to acquire a first required output of the fuel cell, the first required output being calculated based on a predicted vehicle speed or a predicted acceleration of a vehicle on a scheduled traveling route for the vehicle, the vehicle traveling by using the fuel cell as a dynamic power source; a second acquisition circuitry configured to acquire a second required output of the fuel cell, the second required output being required by an air-conditioning device of the vehicle; and a calculation circuitry configured to calculate a parameter correlated with a predicted output value of the fuel cell, based on the first required output and the second required output, the predicted output value being predicted as an output on the scheduled traveling route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaaki Matsusue, Yasushi Araki, Masayuki Ito
  • Publication number: 20200144640
    Abstract: A fuel cell system is equipped with a first fuel cell, a second fuel cell, a scavenging device that can scavenge the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell independently of each other, and a control device configured to control the scavenging device. An electric power generation volume of the second fuel cell is smaller than an electric power generation volume of the first fuel cell. The control device is configured to scavenge the second fuel cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohiko KANEKO, Masayuki ITO, Hideyuki KUMEI
  • Publication number: 20200144652
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks, a power generation control unit that controls power generation of the plurality of fuel cell stacks based on a required power for the plurality of fuel cell stacks, and a refreshing control unit configured to perform a refreshing process of decreasing a voltage on the plurality of fuel cell stacks. The refreshing control unit performs the refreshing process on the first fuel cell stack when the required power changes from a state in which the required power is less than a first predetermined value to a state in which the required power is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value and when the required power is in a range which is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value and less than the second threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masayuki ITO
  • Publication number: 20200136157
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a first fuel cell stack and a second fuel cell stack; a supply passage connected to an inlet of oxidant gas in the first fuel cell stack; an discharge passage connected to an outlet of the oxidant gas in the second fuel cell stack; introduction unit that introduces water in the oxidant gas flowing through the discharge passage into the supply passage; and a controller configured to perform refresh control of the first fuel cell stack by lowering voltage of the first fuel cell stack, and operates, during the refresh control, the introduction unit while keeping the second fuel cell stack in an electric power generation state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masayuki ITO, Tomohiko KANEKO
  • Publication number: 20200127307
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a secondary battery; first and second fuel cells; first and second scavenging devices configured to scavenge the first and second fuel cells, respectively; and a control device configured to perform a first scavenging process of scavenging the first fuel cell by driving the first scavenging device using a charged power of the secondary battery when the first and second fuel cells are in a power generation stopped state and to perform a second scavenging process of scavenging the second fuel cell by driving the second scavenging device using a generated power of the first fuel cell when the first fuel cell is in a power generation state and the second fuel cell is in the power generation stopped state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideyuki KUMEI, Masayuki ITO, Tomohiko KANEKO
  • Publication number: 20200112041
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell unit; first and second supply systems; a switching device; a switching control unit; an open circuit voltage obtaining unit; and a supply system control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masayuki ITO, Hideyuki KUMEI, Tomohiko KANEKO
  • Publication number: 20200112039
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell unit; first and second supply systems; a switching device; a switching control unit, when required power of the fuel cell unit is equal to or smaller than a threshold; an open circuit voltage obtaining unit; and a supply system control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masayuki ITO, Tomohiko KANEKO, Hideyuki KUMEI
  • Patent number: 10593970
    Abstract: An output performance recovering device for a fuel cell includes: a diagnosis unit configured to determine whether it is necessary to recover a catalyst of a fuel cell mounted as a power source for traveling in a vehicle from short-term performance deterioration; a recovery unit configured to control a voltage of the fuel cell and to perform recovery processing for recovering the catalyst from the short-term performance deterioration; a calculation unit configured to calculate a parameter correlated with a predicted output value of the fuel cell which has been predicted to be output on a scheduled traveling route of the vehicle based on a gradient of the scheduled traveling route of the vehicle and a predicted vehicle speed of the vehicle on the scheduled traveling route; and a determination unit configured to determine whether the parameter indicates the predicted output value is greater than a first threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaaki Matsusue, Yasushi Araki, Masayuki Ito
  • Publication number: 20200067119
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a first fuel cell; a second fuel cell having a greater maximum power output than the first fuel cell; and a controller configured to cause the first fuel cell to generate greater electric power greater than the second fuel cell when the requested power is smaller than a first threshold, cause the second fuel cell to generate greater electric power than the first fuel cell when the requested power is a second threshold, which is the first threshold or greater and smaller than a third threshold that is greater than the second threshold, is 70% of the maximum power output of the second fuel cell or grater, and is 100% of the maximum power output of the second fuel cell or smaller, and cause both the first and second fuel cells to generate electric power when the requested power is the third threshold or greater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masayuki ITO
  • Publication number: 20200067117
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a first fuel cell; a second fuel cell having a greater maximum power output than a maximum power output of the first fuel cell; and a controller configured to cause the first fuel cell to generate greater electric power greater than the second fuel cell when the requested power is smaller than a first threshold, cause the second fuel cell to generate greater electric power than the first fuel cell when the requested power is a second threshold, which is the first threshold or greater, or greater and is smaller than a third threshold that is greater than the second threshold and is greater than 50% of a sum of the maximum power outputs of the first and second fuel cells, and cause both the first and second fuel cells to generate electric power when the requested power is the third threshold or greater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masayuki ITO
  • Publication number: 20200059565
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes means for storing data, means for dividing data into a plurality of pieces of element data, and means for performing virus check onto each of the plurality of pieces of element data in a designated order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Masayuki ITO, Kazuhiro TOMIYASU, Takatsugu KUNO, Hiroshi SUGIURA, Shin OHBA, Akito OTA
  • Publication number: 20200006020
    Abstract: A push-button switch member includes: a movable contact and an operation key disposed facing the protruding side thereof, and in contact therewith or spaced therefrom. The movable contact includes: an upper contact portion disposed directly under a key body; an outer fixed portion in the upper contact portion or more outward therefrom in the radial direction, and fixed more outward in the radial direction than the key body; and a non-contacting outer portion provided more outward in the radial direction than the upper contact portion, and disposed to face in a non-contacting state another contact so as to be able to contact another contact which is disposed on an outer side in the radial direction and contacted by the upper contact portion when pushed by the key body. The non-contacting outer portion has a bottom portion for a line contact or a surface contact with another contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Masayuki ITO, Toshihiro MOTOKI
  • Patent number: 10468694
    Abstract: A fuel cell vehicle on which a fuel cell system including a fuel cell is mounted includes a discharge mechanism configured to discharge moisture, generated by the fuel cell, from the fuel cell system to an outside of the vehicle, a camera configured to capture an image outside the vehicle, and an electronic control unit configured to determine whether predetermined control based on an information obtained from the image and executed or stopped in response to a driving status or drive mode of the vehicle in an on-state of an ignition switch is being executed, and, when it is determined that the predetermined control is being executed, execute a low discharge process in which a discharge flow rate of water vapor that is discharged from the discharge mechanism to the outside of the vehicle is reduced as compared to when it is determined that the predetermined control is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masayuki Ito
  • Publication number: 20190305326
    Abstract: A fuel cell includes: an electrolyte membrane; first and second catalyst layers respectively formed on first and second surface of the electrolyte membrane; and a separator disposed opposite to the electrolyte membrane with respect to the first catalyst layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuaki NONOYAMA, Norishige KONNO, Masayuki ITO
  • Publication number: 20190305325
    Abstract: A fuel cell includes: an electrolyte membrane; first and second catalyst layers respectively formed on first and second surfaces of the electrolyte membrane; and a separator, the first catalyst layer being arranged between the separator and the electrolyte membrane, wherein the separator includes first and second grooves through which reactant gas flows between the first catalyst layer and the separator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuaki NONOYAMA, Norishige KONNO, Masayuki ITO
  • Patent number: 10411278
    Abstract: A fuel cell vehicle on which a fuel cell system including a fuel cell is mounted includes a discharge mechanism configured to discharge moisture, generated by the fuel cell, from the fuel cell system to an outside of the vehicle, a camera configured to capture an image outside the vehicle, and an electronic control unit configured to determine whether predetermined control based on an information obtained from the image and executed or stopped in response to a driving status or drive mode of the vehicle in an on-state of an ignition switch is being executed, and, when it is determined that the predetermined control is being executed, execute a low discharge process in which a discharge flow rate of water vapor that is discharged from the discharge mechanism to the outside of the vehicle is reduced as compared to when it is determined that the predetermined control is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masayuki Ito
  • Publication number: 20190273832
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that executes a previously provided application, includes a displayer that causes a display to display a web page corresponding to a screen design of the application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Yoichi Kurumasa, Yuji Kawamura, Hideyuki Matsuda, Masayuki Ito, Atsushi Kondo
  • Patent number: 10403451
    Abstract: A pushbutton switch member has a dome-shaped movable contact and an operation key facing and separated from a movable contact. Pushing the operation key toward the movable contact causes the movable contact to electrically connect at least two contacts on a substrate. The operation key is provided with: a key; a dome connected with an outer periphery of the key, and deformable by pushing of the key toward the substrate; and a foot connected with an outer periphery of the dome, and fixed on the substrate. The movable contact is provided with: an upper contact spaced apart from a site directly below the key, and which makes contact with a contact when the key is pushed in; and an outer fixing part disposed at the upper contact, or further outside thereof in the radial direction, and fixed outside of the key in the radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Polymer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Ito, Satoru Kitazawa, Kenichi Miyajima, Kazunobu Yokoyama, Tadashi Hayashi