Patents by Inventor Michihiko Matsumoto

Michihiko Matsumoto 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: 10464438
    Abstract: A power conditioning system that includes a fuel cell to be connected to a load, a fuel cell converter connected between the fuel cell and the load, the fuel cell converter converting an output voltage of the fuel cell at a predetermined required voltage ratio, a battery connected in parallel with the fuel cell with respect to the load, the battery serving as a power supply source different from the fuel cell, a battery converter connected between the battery and the load, the battery converter converting an output voltage of the battery at a predetermined required voltage ratio, a voltage adjusting unit configured to adjust an output voltage of the battery converter to a predetermined voltage to generate a DC link voltage for synchronizing an output voltage of the fuel cell converter and the output voltage of the battery converter, and a ripple suppressing unit configured to cause the battery converter to suppress a ripple component of the DC link voltage in a situation where the DC link voltage is higher th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Michihiko Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 10340539
    Abstract: A power conditioning system includes a fuel cell connected to a load, a fuel cell converter connected between the fuel cell and the load and converting an output voltage of the fuel cell at a predetermined required voltage ratio, a battery connected to the load in parallel to the fuel cell and serving as a power supply source different from the fuel cell, and a battery converter connected between the battery and the load and converting an output voltage of the battery at a predetermined required voltage ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Michihiko Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 10290885
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring an impedance of a fuel cell is configured to: output an AC current to a fuel cell; and adjust an impedance so that an impedance between the fuel cell and a load device becomes higher than an impedance between a secondary battery and the load device at a frequency of the AC current output to the fuel cell. The apparatus is also configured to: adjust the AC current so that a positive-electrode side AC potential difference matches a negative-electrode side AC potential difference; and calculate an impedance of the fuel cell on the basis of the adjusted AC current and at least one AC potential difference of the positive-electrode side AC potential difference and the negative-electrode side AC potential difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Michihiko Matsumoto, Kotaro Akashi, Yohei Kaneko, Masashi Sato
  • Patent number: 10193167
    Abstract: A power conditioning system includes a fuel cell connected to a load, a fuel cell converter connected between the fuel cell and the load and converting an output voltage of the fuel cell at a predetermined required voltage ratio, and a battery connected to the load in parallel to the fuel cell and serving as a power supply source different from the fuel cell. The power conditioning system includes an impedance measuring device configured to measure an impedance of the fuel cell by outputting alternating currents between a positive electrode and an intermediate point of the fuel cell and between the intermediate point and a negative electrode of the fuel cell, and a current bypass path configured to couple the fuel cell and the load while bypassing the fuel cell converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Michihiko Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 10177391
    Abstract: A fuel cell system including a fuel cell that receives a supply of an anode gas and a cathode gas and generates power is provided. The fuel cell system includes a water content calculation unit configured to calculate a water content of the fuel cell, an internal impedance calculation unit configured to calculate an internal impedance of the fuel cell, and a starting temperature calculation unit configured to calculate a fuel cell temperature at a start of the system, based on the water content of the fuel cell as of a last time the system was stopped, and the internal impedance of the fuel cell at the start of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Michihiko Matsumoto, Kiyoshi Hoshi, Tetsuya Aoki
  • Patent number: 10166884
    Abstract: A power conditioning system that includes a fuel cell to be connected to a load, a fuel cell converter connected between the fuel cell and the load, the fuel cell converter converting an output voltage of the fuel cell at a predetermined required voltage ratio, a battery connected in parallel with the fuel cell with respect to the load, the battery serving as a power supply source different from the fuel cell, a battery converter connected between the battery and the load, the battery converter converting an output voltage of the battery at a predetermined required voltage ratio. The power conditioning system includes a converter direct coupling unit configured to directly couple an input side and an output side of the fuel cell converter during startup of the power conditioning system and a fuel cell output voltage increasing unit configured to increase the output voltage of the fuel cell to a predetermined voltage by supplying oxidant gas during startup of the fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Michihiko Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20180348945
    Abstract: A touch sensor unit includes a pressure-sensitive sensor and a support that supports the pressure-sensitive sensor. The support includes a portion that is folded and overlapped with another portion of the support. The pressure-sensitive sensor is at least partially enclosed by the folded portion of the support and supported by the support. The overlapping portions of the support include a part adjacent to the pressure-sensitive sensor where two surfaces of the support are opposed to each other. One of the two surfaces includes a groove, and the other one of the two surfaces includes a projection that projects toward the groove. The projection is fitted into the groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Applicants: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, NISHIKAWA RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro TAGUCHI, Hironori KOEDA, Michihiko MATSUMOTO, Takashi FUKUSHIMA
  • Publication number: 20180236893
    Abstract: A power conditioning system that includes a fuel cell to be connected to a load, a fuel cell converter connected between the fuel cell and the load, the fuel cell converter converting an output voltage of the fuel cell at a predetermined required voltage ratio, a battery connected in parallel with the fuel cell with respect to the load, the battery serving as a power supply source different from the fuel cell, a battery converter connected between the battery and the load, the battery converter converting an output voltage of the battery at a predetermined required voltage ratio, a voltage adjusting unit configured to adjust an output voltage of the battery converter to a predetermined voltage to generate a DC link voltage for synchronizing an output voltage of the fuel cell converter and the output voltage of the battery converter, and a ripple suppressing unit configured to cause the battery converter to suppress a ripple component of the DC link voltage in a situation where the DC link voltage is higher th
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Michihiko MATSUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20180229622
    Abstract: A power conditioning system that includes a fuel cell to be connected to a load, a fuel cell converter connected between the fuel cell and the load, the fuel cell converter converting an output voltage of the fuel cell at a predetermined required voltage ratio, a battery connected in parallel with the fuel cell with respect to the load, the battery serving as a power supply source different from the fuel cell, a battery converter connected between the battery and the load, the battery converter converting an output voltage of the battery at a predetermined required voltage ratio. The power conditioning system includes a converter direct coupling unit configured to directly couple an input side and an output side of the fuel cell converter during startup of the power conditioning system and a fuel cell output voltage increasing unit configured to increase the output voltage of the fuel cell to a predetermined voltage by supplying oxidant gas during startup of the fuel cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD
    Inventor: Michihiko MATSUMOTO
  • Patent number: 10038207
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell for generating electrical power upon being supplied with anode gas and cathode gas. The fuel cell system includes a wetness control state determination unit that determines whether or not a wetness control of controlling a degree of wetness of an electrolyte membrane of the fuel cell is normally executed, a combined capacitance calculation unit that calculates a combined capacitance of the fuel cell, and an anode gas concentration control unit that determines the occurrence of decrease in an anode gas concentration in the fuel cell or executes a control for increasing the anode gas concentration if the combined capacitance of the fuel cell is smaller than a predetermined value when the wetness control is determined to be normally executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Aoki, Michihiko Matsumoto, Youhei Kaneko
  • Patent number: 9983268
    Abstract: A power generation characteristic estimation device for fuel cell includes a reference characteristic setting unit for setting a reference power generation characteristic of a fuel cell, a current detection unit for detecting an actual current of the fuel cell, a voltage detection unit for detecting an actual voltage of the fuel cell, and a characteristic estimation unit for estimating an actual power generation characteristic of the fuel cell based on a voltage difference between a voltage on the reference power generation characteristic and an actual voltage at the actual current. The characteristic estimation unit estimates the power generation characteristic during a warm-up operation of the fuel cell when a pressure of a gas supplied to the fuel cell is not lower than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Michihiko Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20180145350
    Abstract: A power conditioning system includes a fuel cell connected to a load, a fuel cell converter connected between the fuel cell and the load and converting an output voltage of the fuel cell at a predetermined required voltage ratio, and a battery connected to the load in parallel to the fuel cell and serving as a power supply source different from the fuel cell. The power conditioning system includes an impedance measuring device configured to measure an impedance of the fuel cell by outputting alternating currents between a positive electrode and an intermediate point of the fuel cell and between the intermediate point and a negative electrode of the fuel cell, and a current bypass path configured to couple the fuel cell and the load while bypassing the fuel cell converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Michihiko MATSUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20180123152
    Abstract: A power conditioning system includes a fuel cell connected to a load, a fuel cell converter connected between the fuel cell and the load and converting an output voltage of the fuel cell at a predetermined required voltage ratio, a battery connected to the load in parallel to the fuel cell and serving as a power supply source different from the fuel cell, and a battery converter connected between the battery and the load and converting an output voltage of the battery at a predetermined required voltage ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Michihiko MATSUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20180054151
    Abstract: An electric power adjustment system includes a fuel cell connected to a load, and a multi-phase converter connected between the fuel cell and the load. The multi-phase converter is constituted of a plurality of phases and converts an output voltage from the fuel cell by a predetermined required voltage ratio. The electric power adjustment system includes a ripple current characteristic switching unit configured to switch a ripple current characteristic with respect to an input current to the multi-phase converter by changing at least one of a drive phase number and the voltage ratio of the multi-phase converter according to an operation state of the fuel cell and a required electric power of the load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Michihiko MATSUMOTO, Hideo YOSHIDA, Tetsuya AOKI
  • Patent number: 9817075
    Abstract: An impedance measuring device outputs an alternating current of a prescribed frequency to a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal of the laminated type battery. The impedance measuring device detects an alternating-current potential difference between the positive electrode terminal and an intermediate-point terminal, and an alternating-current potential difference between the negative electrode terminal and the intermediate-point terminal. The impedance measuring device adjusts an amplitude of the alternating current such that the alternating-current potential difference between the positive electrode terminal and the intermediate-point terminal, and the alternating-current potential difference between the negative electrode terminal and the intermediate-point terminal coincide. The impedance measuring device computes an impedance of the laminated type battery on the basis of the alternating current adjusted and the alternating-current potential difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masanobu Sakai, Tetsuya Aoki, Hidetaka Nishimura, Masashi Sato, Michihiko Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9791518
    Abstract: An impedance measuring device outputs an alternating current of a prescribed frequency to each of a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal of a laminated type battery and detects an alternating-current potential difference between the positive electrode terminal and an intermediate-point terminal and an alternating-current potential difference between the negative electrode terminal and the intermediate-point terminal. The impedance measuring device adjusts an amplitude of the alternating current such that the alternating-current potential difference between the positive electrode terminal and the intermediate-point terminal and the alternating-current potential difference between the negative electrode terminal and the intermediate-point terminal coincide, and computes an impedance on the basis of the adjusted alternating current and alternating-current potential differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Aoki, Masanobu Sakai, Michihiko Matsumoto, Hidetaka Nishimura, Masashi Sato
  • Patent number: 9758108
    Abstract: A protector with a sensor comprises: a hollow part; and an installation base member formed on the hollow part. In the hollow part, a plurality of conductive parts have core wires embedded therein respectively and a space is positioned between the plurality of conductive parts. The plurality of conductive parts include: a conductive part on a lower part of the hollow part as a side of the installation base member; and a conductive part on an upper part of the hollow part separated from the side of the installation base member by the space. The hollow part includes: an oblique side on an inner-cabin side extending from an inner-cabin side end connected with the installation base member to a tip; and an oblique side on an outer-cabin side extending from an outer-cabin side end connected with the installation base member to the tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignees: NISHIKAWA RUBBER CO., LTD., AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuzo Hirakawa, Michihiko Matsumoto, Hironori Koeda, Tomoki Kameyama
  • Publication number: 20170248657
    Abstract: A power generation characteristic estimation device for fuel cell includes a reference characteristic setting unit for setting a reference power generation characteristic of a fuel cell, a current detection unit for detecting an actual current of the fuel cell, a voltage detection unit for detecting an actual voltage of the fuel cell, and a characteristic estimation unit for estimating an actual power generation characteristic of the fuel cell based on a voltage difference between a voltage on the reference power generation characteristic and an actual voltage at the actual current. The characteristic estimation unit estimates the power generation characteristic during a warm-up operation of the fuel cell when a pressure of a gas supplied to the fuel cell is not lower than a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Michihiko MATSUMOTO
  • Patent number: 9735437
    Abstract: A wet state control device for fuel cell includes a priority control unit for preferentially controlling either one of a pressure and a flow rate of cathode gas when a wet state of a fuel cell is adjusted, a water temperature control unit for controlling a temperature of cooling water when the wet state of the fuel cell is not completely adjustable by a control of the priority control unit, and a complementary control unit for controlling the other of the pressure and the flow rate of the cathode gas to complement a response delay of the water temperature control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Aoki, Michihiko Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20170214068
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring an impedance of a fuel cell is configured to: output an AC current to a fuel cell; and adjust an impedance so that an impedance between the fuel cell and a load device becomes higher than an impedance between a secondary battery and the load device at a frequency of the AC current outputted to the fuel cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Michihiko MATSUMOTO, Kotaro AKASHI, Yohei KANEKO, Masashi SATO