Patents by Inventor Mitsuo Sasaki

Mitsuo Sasaki 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: 10220473
    Abstract: Ejection and stop of a powder flow are switched while maintaining a once generated steady flow without stopping it. A processing nozzle includes a supply source of a fluid containing a powder, a first channel through which the fluid supplied from the supply source passes, a second channel that supplies the fluid to an ejection port of the nozzle, a third channel that releases the fluid outside the nozzle, and a switch that causes the first channel and the second channel to communicate with each other when supplying the fluid to the ejection port, and causes the first channel and the third channel to communicate with each other when not supplying the fluid to the ejection port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Technology Research Association for Future Additive Manufacturing
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ohno, Mitsuo Sasaki, Yuji Sasaki, Satoshi Tsuno, Go Obara, Tomohiko Yamada, Yasutomo Shiomi, Takashi Obara
  • Patent number: 10214235
    Abstract: Disclosed is a power steering device having at least two redundant steering torque sensor units, at least two redundant steering angel sensor units, at least two redundant motor position sensor units and a control unit configured to: in a normal state, perform steering assist control based on a steering torque detection signal of one of the steering torque sensor units, a steering angle detection signal of one of the steering angle sensor units and a motor position detection signal of one of the motor position sensor units; perform redundant monitoring on the steering torque sensor units, the steering angel sensor units and the motor position sensor units; and, upon detection of an abnormality in any sensor output signal by the redundant monitoring, switch the abnormal signal to an alternative signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Sasaki, Takumi Hisazumi
  • Publication number: 20190054952
    Abstract: Provided is a control device (14) for a power steering device including a steering mechanism (1) configured to transmit rotation of a steering wheel to a steered wheel, and an electric motor (13) configured to apply a steering force to the steering mechanism. The control device includes: a command signal calculation part (61) configured to calculate a motor command signal (Io) for control of driving of the electric motor, based on a state of steering of the steering wheel, and output the command signal to the electric motor; a vibration signal receiving part (69) configured to receive a vibration signal of the power steering device; and an abnormality determination part (63) configured to determine whether or not the power steering device is abnormal, based on a Y-axis acceleration signal (Gy) received by the vibration signal reception part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2017
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo SASAKI, Makoto GOTO
  • Publication number: 20190023309
    Abstract: A power steering device includes a steering mechanism, an electric motor for applying a steering assist force to the steering mechanism, and a first motor rotational position sensor for sensing as an actual axis phase a rotational position of a rotor of the electric motor. A control device is configured to: receive input of a signal of first actual axis phase outputted from the first motor rotational position sensor; receive input of a signal of value of electric current flowing through the electric motor; estimate as a control phase a phase of an induced voltage occurring in the electric motor, based on the signal of value of electric current; and determine whether or not the first motor rotational position sensor is abnormal, based on a difference between the first actual axis phase and the control phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo SASAKI, Takumi HISAZUMI, Shigehisa AOYAGI
  • Publication number: 20190016377
    Abstract: In a steering control device equipped with an electric motor having a plurality of winding sets and a plurality of assist current output sections each outputting a motor drive current caused to flow through each of the plurality of winding sets, it is possible to quickly make the driver aware of a state in which abnormality is generated and to suppress deterioration in operability in the state in which the abnormality has been generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2017
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi SATOU, Mitsuo SASAKI
  • Publication number: 20190016378
    Abstract: Provided is a steering device which allows continued safe travel in the event of a fault during automatic steering control. The steering device is equipped with an electric drive device composed of a plurality of systems of electric motors and has an assist control function for assisting a driver in steering and an automatic steering control function for automatically controlling the steering angle of steered wheels on the basis of a steering angle instruction value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2017
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro ITOU, Masaru YAMASAKI, Mitsuo SASAKI, Kazuya YAMANO
  • Patent number: 10166977
    Abstract: One aspect of the present invention increases or reduces an amplitude or amplitudes of a steering angle sensor output signal and/or a motor rotational angle signal, and outputs a motor instruction signal based on a substitute signal for a torque sensor output signal that is calculated based on at least one of the steering angle sensor output signal and the motor rotational angle signal that is subjected to the adjustment of the amplitude thereof, and the other of the steering angle sensor output signal and the motor rotational angle signal, when an abnormality is detected in the torque sensor output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Sasaki, Takumi Hisazumi
  • Publication number: 20180312191
    Abstract: One of objects of the present invention is to provide a power steering apparatus capable of improving accuracy of abnormality detection. A power steering apparatus includes a steering mechanism configured to transmit a rotation of a steering wheel to a turning target wheel, an electric motor configured to provide a steering force to the steering mechanism, a torque sensor configured to detect a steering torque generated on the steering mechanism, and a control unit configured to calculate, based on the steering torque, an instruction signal for controlling driving of the electric motor and output the instruction signal to the electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo SASAKI, Makoto GOTO
  • Publication number: 20180264726
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an additive manufacturing apparatus includes a first irradiation unit, and a first emission device. The first irradiation unit is configured to irradiate a material with first light to melt or sinter the material. The first emission device includes a first light source configured to emit the first light, is configured to cause the first light emitted from the first light source to enter the first irradiation unit, and is capable of changing a wavelength of the first light entering the first irradiation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yasutomo SHIOMI, Naotada Okada, Tomohiko Yamada, Mitsuo Sasaki, Hiroshi Ohno
  • Publication number: 20180229765
    Abstract: A power steering apparatus includes: a steering load average value calculating circuit 39 which calculates a steering torque average value Trav which is the average value of steering torque Tr within a predetermined interval of time; and an abnormality detection circuit 40 which compares steering torque average value Trav with a specified steering torque value Trrf and detects the abnormality of the apparatus when steering torque average value Trav is larger than the specified value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS STEERING, LTD.
    Inventor: Mitsuo SASAKI
  • Publication number: 20180201303
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an electric power steering apparatus capable of improving reliability of a drive device for a three-phase synchronous motor without increasing a cost of the drive device. A control device for controlling an electric power steering apparatus according to the present invention is a control device for controlling an electric power steering apparatus using a three-phase synchronous motor as a force assisting in a steering operation, includes: a rotational position estimation unit that estimates a position of a rotor of the three-phase synchronous motor on the basis of a neutral point potential or a virtual neutral point potential of the three-phase synchronous motor; and a command signal computing unit that computes a command signal to the three-phase synchronous motor on the basis of the position of the rotor estimated by the rotational position estimation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventors: Takafumi HARA, Toshiyuki AJIMA, Mitsuo SASAKI, Yoshitaka IWAJI, Shigehisa AOYAGI, Takumi HISAZUMI
  • Publication number: 20180194390
    Abstract: A device for controlling a power steering device having: a steering mechanism for transmitting the rotation of a steering wheel to steered wheels; an electric motor for imparting steering force to the steering mechanism; a transmission mechanism for transmitting the rotational force of the motor to the steering mechanism; a housing for accommodating at least part of the steering mechanism, the transmission mechanism, and the motor; a water sensor for detecting moisture in the housing; and a torque sensor for detecting steering torque; wherein the control device is provided with a first fault assessment unit for assessing faults in the power steering device on the basis of a steering torque signal, etc., and a second fault assessment unit for assessing faults in the power steering device when the water sensor has sensed moisture. It is thereby possible to assess faults in the power steering device from a multifaceted perspective.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto GOTO, Mitsuo SASAKI
  • Publication number: 20180183366
    Abstract: In the drive device for a three-phase synchronous motor, if one of the two rotational position detectors is defective, it is necessary to identify the rotational position detector having abnormal output and is in the detective state. To do this, three or more rotational position detectors are required, which increases costs of the rotational position detectors. By comparing the outputs of two rotational position detectors, an abnormality of ether one of the two detectors is detected. The abnormal detector is identified with the use of rotational position estimating means. The drive of the three-phase synchronous motor is controlled with the use of the output ? of the properly functioning one of the first and second rotational position detectors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Inventors: Takafumi HARA, Toshiyuki AJIMA, Shigehisa AOYAGI, Mitsuo SASAKI, Takumi HISAZUMI
  • Publication number: 20180161932
    Abstract: The mobility of an optical processing apparatus is improved. There is provided an optical processing apparatus for scanning a processing region having an at least one-dimensional spread by moving a nozzle head while irradiating the processing region with an optical processing light beam via the nozzle head, including a light source that emits, to air, the optical processing light beam toward the nozzle head, a nozzle head that includes a hollow nozzle in a vertical direction and a light beam direction changing optical system which receives the light beam emitted from the light source and propagated in the air, and changes a propagation direction of the received light beam to a direction of a currently processed processing point in the processing region, and a main scanning direction moving mechanism that moves the nozzle head by causing the nozzle head to scan in a main scanning direction of the processing region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Applicant: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventors: Hiroshi OHNO, Yuji SASAKI, Satoshi TSUNO, Naotada OKADA, Mitsuo SASAKI
  • Patent number: 9994252
    Abstract: A power steering apparatus includes: a steering load average value calculating circuit 39 which calculates a steering torque average value Trav which is the average value of steering torque Tr within a predetermined interval of time; and an abnormality detection circuit 40 which compares steering torque average value Trav with a specified steering torque value Trrf and detects the abnormality of the apparatus when steering torque average value Trav is larger than the specified value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS STEERING, LTD.
    Inventor: Mitsuo Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20180154936
    Abstract: Provided is a method and apparatus capable of rapidly releasing an automatic steering mode and switching to a manual steering mode in which steering is performed by a driver when there is a steering input from a driver in a steering wheel, so that it is possible to prevent disturbance in a behavior of a vehicle caused by an excessive manipulation of the driver who memorizes strangeness. In the vehicle steering apparatus, a state that a driver holds the input unit of the steering input means is detected on the basis of a characteristic change caused by an increase of a mass or inertial moment in the input unit of the steering input means or a part subordinate thereto. In addition, a switching operation between the automatic steering mode and the manual steering mode is performed on the basis of a result of the holding detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Inventors: Masaru YAMASAKI, Tadashi SATOU, Mitsuo SASAKI
  • Patent number: 9988080
    Abstract: In a power steering device and a control device for a vehicle-mounted instrument, an abnormality detection accuracy of sensor output signals is increased. In an electric power steering device and a control device for a vehicle-mounted instrument, judgment for the abnormality of the sensor output signals is carried out by using at least four or more sensor output signals, in which when the sensor output signals satisfy both a first condition (viz., the number of the output signals showing an identical value is the largest) and a second condition (viz., the number is equal to or larger than “n+1”) (n=the largest number of the sensor output signals that have a common factor), judgement is so made that the sensor output signals that satisfy the first and second conditions are normal and the other signals are abnormal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS STEERING, LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Sasaki, Takumi Hisazumi
  • Publication number: 20180147666
    Abstract: An overall apparatus is downsized by reducing the size of a light beam branching structure. There is provided an optical processing head including an optical element group that guides a processing light beam from a light source to a process surface, and a light beam branching portion that branches reflected light of the processing light beam from the process surface and an observation light beam for observing a state of the process surface. The light beam branching portion is arranged on a light beam path of the processing light beam, and includes, between the optical element group and the process surface, a half mirror that guides the observation light beam to an observation optical system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Applicant: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventors: Hiroshi OHNO, Mitsuo SASAKI, Kazuyuki MASUKAWA, Yuji SASAKI, Satoshi TSUNO, Takashi OBARA
  • Patent number: 9975572
    Abstract: An in-vehicle device controller has at least two redundant operating condition detection units. Under normal circumstances, the controller performs actuator drive control based on an operating condition detection signal of one of the operating condition detection units. Upon detection of an abnormality in the signal transmission state, data state or operating status of one of the at least two operating condition detection units, the controller performs actuator drive control based on an operating condition detection signal of another one of the at least two operating condition detection units in which no abnormality is present. By this control, the actuator function is preserved even in the event of the abnormality in the operating condition detection unit or operating condition detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVES SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Sasaki, Takumi Hisazumi
  • Patent number: 9959613
    Abstract: This specification discloses an optical processing head including a light guide portion that guides, to a process surface, a ray for processing. The light guide portion is further configured to guide, to the process surface, a ray for inspection different in wavelength from the ray for processing. The optical processing head further includes an inspection portion that inspects the state of the process surface based on reflected light of the ray for inspection reflected by the process surface. With the optical processing head, the state of the process surface can be easily inspected even during optical processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ohno, Takashi Obara, Yuji Sasaki, Mitsuo Sasaki, Kazuyuki Masukawa