Patents by Inventor Mitsuhiko Watanabe
Mitsuhiko Watanabe 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).
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Patent number: 7784445Abstract: There is proposed a control unit for an internal combustion engine, which comprises a boost circuit, a switching element, a current detecting resistor and a controller and is designed to be actuated such that the boost circuit is used to boost a power source voltage to create a boosted voltage and the controller is used to control the switching element so as to enable the boosted voltage to flow to the injector solenoid coil. This control unit is designed such that, when the boost circuit goes out of order, the injector solenoid coil is excited by making use of the power source voltage without using the boosted voltage and without creating a peak current to thereby generate a first holding current required for opening the injector and a second holding current required for retaining the opened state of the injector, the second holding current being lower in intensity than the first holding current.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2008Date of Patent: August 31, 2010Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Nobuyuki Takahashi, Masahiro Sasaki, Takuya Mayuzumi, Mitsuhiko Watanabe, Ryoichi Oura
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Publication number: 20090243574Abstract: An internal combustion engine controller comprises a booster coil connected to a battery and a booster capacitor. A switch element is connected to the booster coil to control the passage of current through the booster coil and an interruption of the current. The booster capacitor accumulates electrical energy generated with an inductance of the booster coil at the time of the interruption of the passage of the current. A booster control circuit carries out control in a constant boost switching cycle so as to pass the current through the booster coil and the switch element until the current reaches a preset switching stop threshold value and then interrupt the current to charge the energy generated with the inductance of the booster coil into the booster capacitor. The booster control circuit is configured to ensure a minimum time period for the booster capacitor-charging of the energy within the boost switching cycle.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2009Publication date: October 1, 2009Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Takuya MAYUZUMI, Mitsuhiko Watanabe, Ryoichi Oura, Masahiro Sasaki
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Patent number: 7578284Abstract: An internal combustion engine controller has: a voltage booster circuit for boosting a battery power source; a booster side driver element for flowing a current through the injectors by using the boosted voltage; a battery side driver element disposed in parallel with the booster side driver element to flow a current through the injectors by using the battery power source; a first downstream side driver element provided by controlling currents flowing through the injectors; current regeneration diodes for flowing currents from the downstream side to the upstream side of the injectors; a booster side current detector resistor for detecting currents flowing via the current regeneration diodes; and an injector control circuit for controlling and driving the booster side driver element, battery side driver element and first downstream side driver element.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2007Date of Patent: August 25, 2009Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Takuya Mayuzumi, Mitsuhiko Watanabe, Ryoichi Oura
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Publication number: 20090184576Abstract: An internal combustion engine controller that drives an electromagnetic load is provided for improving a fault diagnosis precision of the electromagnetic load and stabilizing a high-speed control without influence of noises even if the drive cycle of the electromagnetic load is short. The internal combustion engine controller has high reliability in a fault diagnosis for a circuit to regenerate counter electromotive energy. The internal combustion engine controller comprises a current source or a voltage source for controlling a potential of the diagnosis position in order to ensure a high-precision fault diagnosis even if the drive cycle of the electromagnetic load, such as the fuel injector, in the internal combustion engine is shortened. Diagnosis timing is optimally set or the number of determinations for averaging is increased in order to ensure the high-precision fault diagnosis without being influenced by unexpected disturbance such as noises.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 16, 2009Publication date: July 23, 2009Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Ryoichi OURA, Mitsuhiko Watanabe, Takuya Mayuzumi, Kaneyuki Okamoto
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Publication number: 20090174980Abstract: A load driving and diagnosis system controls the feed and block of a load current flowing into an inductor such as a solenoid. The load driving and diagnosis system holds a counter-electromotive force, which is developed when the load current is blocked, at a voltage higher than a supply voltage so that the load current will decay for a short time. When an overcurrent condition is established in the load driving and diagnosis system because of a short circuit to a power supply, a malfunction of a circuit or destruction thereof may take place. In addition to a voltage holding means that holds a switching circuit output voltage at a predetermined voltage, a voltage holding means having a different predetermined voltage set therein is included. Moreover, a selection switch that switches the predetermined voltages according to a detected overcurrent condition is included.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2008Publication date: July 9, 2009Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Mitsuhiko Watanabe, Chihiro Sato, Ryoichi Oura, Hirofumi Kurimoto, Koichi Ono
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Publication number: 20090159047Abstract: A control device 10 for an internal combustion engine 80 includes an injector drive circuit 90 that drives an injector 30 that injects fuel and a temperature detection device that at least detects timing when a temperature condition that the temperature of the injector drive circuit 90 exceeds predetermined temperature is satisfied. The control device 10 includes a heat-generation-suppression control means 104 that performs control for suppressing the heat generation of the injector drive circuit 90. The heat-generation-suppression control means 104 selects, on the basis of a driving state of a vehicle, at least one parameter among an electric current applied to the injector, fuel pressure supplied to the injector 30, the number of revolutions of the internal combustion engine, and voltage from a battery to be boosted and performs control for limiting a value of the selected parameter on the basis of the timing.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2008Publication date: June 25, 2009Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Daisuke ETO, Mitsuhiko Watanabe, Ryoichi Oura, Takuya Mayuzumi, Masahiro Toyohara
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Publication number: 20090153118Abstract: There is a need for improving switching regulator characteristics and providing a stable power supply controller. The power supply controller uses a battery and either or both functions of stepping up and stepping down a battery voltage. The power supply controller includes a means that prevents a ripple voltage from occurring by stopping the up conversion function for a switching operation in connection with a battery during a predetermined period without changing conditions for a conventional switching device or smoothing circuit and fast stabilizes a primary voltage using only the down conversion function.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2008Publication date: June 18, 2009Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Chihiro Sato, Mitsuhiko Watanabe, Ko Moriya, Hirofumi Kurimoto
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Publication number: 20090107469Abstract: There is proposed a control unit for an internal combustion engine, which comprises a boost circuit, a switching element, a current detecting resistor and a controller and is designed to be actuated such that the boost circuit is used to boost a power source voltage to create a boosted voltage and the controller is used to control the switching element so as to enable the boosted voltage to flow to the injector solenoid coil. This control unit is designed such that, when the boost circuit goes out of order, the injector solenoid coil is excited by making use of the power source voltage without using the boosted voltage and without creating a peak current to thereby generate a first holding current required for opening the injector and a second holding current required for retaining the opened state of the injector, the second holding current being lower in intensity than the first holding current.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2008Publication date: April 30, 2009Applicant: Hitachi, LtdInventors: Nobuyuki TAKAHASHI, Masahiro SASAKI, Takuya MAYUZUMI, Mitsuhiko WATANABE, Ryoichi OURA
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Publication number: 20090079435Abstract: According to the present invention, the operation of a diagnostic circuit within a load drive circuit, which has been built into an electronic control device, is checked without modifying the electronic control device or the like. The load drive circuit, which drives a load such as a solenoid using a DC power supply as a power supply, includes a drive circuit and a diagnostic circuit which is independently provided within the drive circuit. Upon input of a drive-stop signal from a control circuit that controls the drive circuit, the operation of at least the drive circuit stops, so that whether the diagnostic circuit, which diagnoses the condition of the load, is normally operating or not is checked in a condition in which the load drive circuit has been built into the electronic control device.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2008Publication date: March 26, 2009Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Hisayoshi NAKATA, Masahiro Sasaki, Takuya Mayuzumi, Mitsuhiko Watanabe, Ryoichi Oura
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Publication number: 20080289607Abstract: An internal combustion engine controller has: a voltage booster circuit for boosting a battery power source; a booster side driver element for flowing a current through the injectors by using the boosted voltage; a battery side driver element disposed in parallel with the booster side driver element to flow a current through the injectors by using the battery power source; a first downstream side driver element provided by controlling currents flowing through the injectors; current regeneration diodes for flowing currents from the downstream side to the upstream side of the injectors; a booster side current detector resistor for detecting currents flowing via the current regeneration diodes; and an injector control circuit for controlling and driving the booster side driver element, battery side driver element and first downstream side driver element.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2007Publication date: November 27, 2008Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Takuya MAYUZUMI, Mitsuhiko Watanabe, Ryoichi Oura
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Patent number: 7423403Abstract: A motor control system which can realize current detection with high accuracy by using an amplifier having an ordinary level of accuracy and can avoid deterioration of current detection accuracy even when emperature is changed.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2006Date of Patent: September 9, 2008Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Mitsuhiko Watanabe, Katsuya Oyama, Shoji Sasaki
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Publication number: 20070002505Abstract: A motor control system which can realize current detection with high accuracy by using an amplifier having an ordinary level of accuracy and can avoid deterioration of current detection accuracy even when emperature is changed.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 21, 2006Publication date: January 4, 2007Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Mitsuhiko Watanabe, Katsuya Oyama, Shoji Sasaki
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Patent number: 7146265Abstract: A control device with a time measuring function measures a turned-off time of an ignition switch with a low consumption current and high accuracy at a level adapted for a demand from the controlling side, as well as a turned-on time of the ignition switch. The control device also measures an accumulative turned-on time of the ignition switch. The control device comprises a battery, a microcomputer for computing a control variable to control a control target, a time measuring unit, a clock source for the microcomputer, a clock source for the time measuring unit, and a unit for changing over operation of the time measuring unit depending on an intended use. The time measuring unit operates regardless of run/stop of the microcomputer.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2004Date of Patent: December 5, 2006Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Katsuya Oyama, Shoji Sasaki, Mitsuhiko Watanabe
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Publication number: 20050113939Abstract: A control device with a time measuring function measures a turned-off time of an ignition switch with a low consumption current and high accuracy at a level adapted for a demand from the controlling side, as well as a turned-on time of the ignition switch. The control device also measures an accumulative turned-on time of the ignition switch. The control device comprises a battery, a microcomputer for computing a control variable to control a control target, a time measuring unit, a clock source for the microcomputer, a clock source for the time measuring unit, and a unit for changing over operation of the time measuring unit depending on an intended use. The time measuring unit operates regardless of run/stop of the microcomputer.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2004Publication date: May 26, 2005Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Katsuya Oyama, Shoji Sasaki, Mitsuhiko Watanabe
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Publication number: 20040019676Abstract: A network operation monitoring system comprising a memory unit for storing network status information in a time series with respect to each operation performed by an operator on a network or with respect to each transition in events, a retrieval unit for retrieving the network status information stored in the memory unit in a time-dependant manner according to the operator's instruction, and a display unit for displaying the network status information retrieved by the retrieval unit in the time-dependant manner according to the operator's instruction.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2002Publication date: January 29, 2004Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITEDInventors: Takumi Iwatsuki, Masaki Mishima, Atsushi Hattori, Kei Higuchi, Mitsuhiko Watanabe
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Patent number: 6373671Abstract: A control apparatus for controlling multiple power loads in a vehicle includes a circuit for detecting a current abnormality of a power element and a circuit for monitoring a temperature abnormality in a locality of the power element. Circuits are also provided continuing or shutting down the power element based on information concerning the above stated current and/or temperature abnormalities, with a timing which is established according to a substantially constant period or a time interval which is stored in advance in a memory element.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 1999Date of Patent: April 16, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Mitsuhiko Watanabe, Katsuya Oyama, Shoji Sasaki, Toshio Hayashibara, Kaneyuki Okamoto, Ichiro Ohsaka
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Patent number: 6347182Abstract: A recording/reproducing apparatus includes a recorder which records plural types of picture signals and picture information representing types of picture signals on recording tracks of a recording medium; a setting circuit which sets a type of picture signal to be reproduced from the plural types of picture signals; a search reproducer which scans transversely across the recording tracks and reproduces the picture signal and the picture information of the type set by the setting circuit from the recording tracks; a tracking controller which controls the search reproducer so that the picture information of the type set by the setting circuit can be normally detected during search reproduction; and a memory which stores the picture signal reproduced by the search reproducer during plural scans and forms a search reproduction picture based on the picture information reproduced by the search reproducer.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2000Date of Patent: February 12, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Yoshinori Okada, Mitsuhiko Watanabe, Mitsuru Kudo, Tetsuo Sakae, Hiroyuki Kimura, Hajime Takasugi
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Patent number: 6320275Abstract: A power-feed control apparatus for a vehicle in which electrical loads are arranged in the vehicle includes a power source provided in a vehicle; at least one power semiconductor element, the power semiconductors controlling power-feed to the electrical load; a control unit for controlling the power semiconductor element; an anomaly detection circuit for monitoring operations of the power semiconductor element and determining whether or not an anomaly is occurring in a circuit including the power semiconductor element and the electrical load; and a switching circuit for switching a threshold level between a level for an anomaly detection in a starting period of the load and that in a steady state of the load connected to the power semiconductor element; wherein if an anomaly is detected in the circuit by the anomaly detection circuit, the control unit turns off the power semiconductor so as to interrupt power-feed to the electrical load.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 1999Date of Patent: November 20, 2001Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Kaneyuki Okamoto, Tatsuya Yoshida, Hiroyuki Saito, Shinichi Sakamoto, Ichiro Osaka, Mitsuhiko Watanabe
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Patent number: 6205010Abstract: In an electric power switch circuit with an overcurrent or overheating protection function, unnecessary ON-OFF cycling is prevented. A MOSFET is used as an electric power element for energizing a load according to a control signal. A temperature detector detects the temperature in the neighborhood of the MOSFET, and a control unit opens a switch, interrupting input of the control signal to the MOSPET when the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means is higher than the predetermined temperature. An interruption status retaining device maintains the interruption of the control signal, preventing repetitive ON-OFF cycling.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1997Date of Patent: March 20, 2001Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.Inventors: Ichiro Ohsaka, Tatsuya Yoshida, Mitsuru Kon'i, Kaneyuki Okamoto, Mitsuhiko Watanabe
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Patent number: 6178287Abstract: A time lapse magnetic recording/reproduction apparatus for recording and reproducing picture signals while intermittently thinning them out in a frame unit is used for monitoring and burglar-proofing in plants, shops, banks, etc. Recording picture information is generated and added to one continuous picture signal obtained by sequentially switching the output of each video camera, and is then recorded. A speed multiple k for a normal tape travelling speed is optimally set by servo circuit on the basis of the recording picture information (the total number m of channels) detected from the reproduction picture signals reconstructed by double-azimuth four heads at the time of search reproduction, and a search reproduction picture throughout the full screen of a monitor television is obtained in full recording channels.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 1995Date of Patent: January 23, 2001Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Yoshinori Okada, Mitsuhiko Watanabe, Mitsuru Kudo, Tetsuo Sakae, Hiroyuki Kimura, Hajime Takasugi