Patents by Inventor Mitsunori Kimura

Mitsunori Kimura 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: 20170302153
    Abstract: A power conversion apparatus includes a semiconductor module including a semiconductor device and a control circuit unit controlling the semiconductor module. The semiconductor module has main and subsidiary semiconductor devices connected in parallel. The control circuit unit performs control such that the subsidiary semiconductor device is turned on after the main semiconductor device is turned on, and the main semiconductor device is turned off after the subsidiary semiconductor device is turned off. The control circuit unit performs control such that, one of the turn-on and turn-off switching timings has a switching speed faster than that of the other of the switching timings. The semiconductor module is configured such that, at a high-speed switching timing, an induction current directed to turn off the subsidiary semiconductor device is generated in a control terminal of the subsidiary semiconductor device depending on temporal change of a main current flowing to the main semiconductor device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kengo MOCHIKI, Mitsunori KIMURA, Hiroshi SHIMIZU, Yasuyuki OHKOUCHI, Yuu YAMAHIRA, Tetsuya MATSUOKA, Kazuma FUKUSHIMA
  • Publication number: 20170302182
    Abstract: A semiconductor module includes an IGBT and a MOSFET. The IGBT is made of a silicon semiconductor. The MOSFET is made of a wide-bandgap semiconductor having a wider bandgap than the silicon semiconductor. The IGBT and the MOSFET are connected in parallel to each other to form a semiconductor element pair. The IGBT has a greater surface area than the MOSFET. The semiconductor module is configured to operate in a region that includes a low-current region and a high-current region. Electric current flowing through the semiconductor element pair is higher in the high-current region than in the low-current region. In the low-current region, the on-resistance of the MOSFET is lower than the on-resistance of the IGBT. In contrast, in the high-current region, the on-resistance of the IGBT is lower than the on-resistance of the MOSFET.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi SHIMIZU, Mitsunori KIMURA, Kengo MOCHIKI, Yuu YAMAHIRA, Tetsuya MATSUOKA, Kazuma FUKUSHIMA, Yasuyuki OHKOUCHI
  • Publication number: 20170301614
    Abstract: A semiconductor module of an electric power converter includes an IGBT and a MOSFET which are connected in parallel to each other and provided on the same lead frame, either one of the IGBT and the MOSFET is a first switching element and the remaining one is a second switching element, and the conduction path of the second switching element is disposed at a position that is separated from a conduction path of the first switching element in the same lead frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsunori KIMURA, Hiroshi SHIMIZU, Kengo MOCHIKI, Yasuyuki OHKOUCHI, Yuu YAMAHIRA, Tetsuya MATSUOKA, Kazuma FUKUSHIMA
  • Publication number: 20170302181
    Abstract: A power conversion apparatus includes a first semiconductor element pair that includes a MOSFET made of wide bandgap semiconductor material and a wide bandgap diode made of wide bandgap semiconductor material which is reverse parallel-connected to the MOSFET, a second semiconductor element pair that includes an IGBT made of silicon semiconductor material and a silicon diode made of silicon semiconductor material which is reverse parallel-connected to the IGBT, and a control circuit section for controlling switching operation of the MOSFET and the IGBT. The first and second semiconductor element pairs are connected in series to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi SHIMIZU, Mitsunori KIMURA, Kengo MOCHIKI, Yuu YAMAHIRA, Tetsuya MATSUOKA, Kazuma FUKUSHIMA, Yasuyuki OHKOUCHI
  • Publication number: 20170264199
    Abstract: At least one monitor circuit monitors a temperature of at least one monitored element of switching elements of a power conversion circuit. At least one arrival determination circuit determines that a temperature of at least one non-monitored element of the switching elements has increased and reached a passing temperature. Based on the temperature of the monitored element and arrival determination signals, a temperature estimating unit obtains a temperature difference by subtracting a current temperature of the monitored and non-monitored element at the arrival determination time from an output limitation temperature set for each of the monitored and non-monitored element, and estimates a limitation subject temperature of the monitored or non-monitored element having a smallest temperature difference among the temperature differences.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsunori KIMURA, Daisuke SUEKAWA
  • Publication number: 20170093284
    Abstract: A control device is applied for a power supply system that includes two boost converters. The two boost converters boosts inputted direct-current voltages to predetermined output voltages and output ends of the two boost converters are connected in parallel with each other. The control device includes a switching portion and a control portion. The switching portion controls switching of a switching element included in each of the two boost converters. The control portion shifts switching timings of the switching elements of the two boost converters from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke SUEKAWA, Mitsunori KIMURA
  • Patent number: 8355244
    Abstract: An electric power converter has a semiconductor module having a semiconductor element integrally and at least a pair of semiconductor terminals, a capacitor electrically connected to the semiconductor module, and a cooler that thermally contacts to at least one of a plurality of capacitor terminals provided in the capacitor. The capacitor terminals that thermally contact the cooler are arranged between the cooler and the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsunori Kimura, Yukitoshi Narumi, Masaya Tonomoto
  • Publication number: 20100259898
    Abstract: An electric power converter has a semiconductor module having a semiconductor element integrally and at least a pair of semiconductor terminals, a capacitor electrically connected to the semiconductor module, and a cooler that thermally contacts to at least one of a plurality of capacitor terminals provided in the capacitor. The capacitor terminals that thermally contact the cooler are arranged between the cooler and the capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsunori KIMURA, Yukitoshi Narumi, Masaya Tonomoto
  • Publication number: 20100235152
    Abstract: An interactive contact lens simulation system including a user interactive device including a processor, a storage device storing executable code operative with the processor to display a viewing area on a user interactive device, display a digital image on a user interactive device, the digital image having a representation of at least one eye, display at least one image manipulation tool on a user interactive device wherein the at least one image manipulation tool is configured to modify a digital image on a user interactive device when engaged by a user, display at least one graphical representation of a contact lens on a user interactive device, and display at least one lens manipulation tool on a user interactive device wherein the at least one lens manipulation tool is configured to modify the at least one graphical representation of a contact lens when engaged by a user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2009
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Inventors: Mitsunori Kimura, Francesca Renna, Justin O'Connell
  • Publication number: 20090178788
    Abstract: The semiconductor cooling structure includes a semiconductor module including therein at least two semiconductor elements, a cooling pipe having a cooling surface in close contact with the semiconductor module, the cooling pipe including a coolant inlet hole, a coolant outlet hole, and a coolant passage through which coolant flows in a first direction from the coolant inlet hole to the coolant outlet hole, and a coolant moving structure disposed within the cooling pipe to move the coolant flowing through the coolant passage such that the coolant has a velocity vector in a second direction perpendicular to the cooling surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mitsunori KIMURA