Patents by Inventor Motoaki Kato

Motoaki Kato 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: 11522449
    Abstract: There is provided a transformation control device of a transformation chopper circuit that transforms an input by turning on and off a current using a switch and outputs the transformed input. The transformation control device controls at least an ON/OFF state of a main switch by acquiring an output voltage of the transformation chopper circuit in a case where the main switch is in an ON state, the main switch being turned on in a case where energy is accumulated in an inductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Ogawa, Motoaki Kato, Kengo Nomura
  • Patent number: 11486511
    Abstract: An electromagnetic valve drive device which supplies a hold current with a prescribed fluctuation range to an electromagnetic coil of an electromagnetic valve after a current peak when a supply of electricity starts has passed includes: a power supplier which intermittently applies a drive voltage to the electromagnetic coil; a detector which detects the hold current; a first comparator which compares a detected current by the detector with a first threshold value; a filter which performs integration processing on an output of the first comparator; a second comparator which compares an output of the filter with a second threshold value to generate an output signal used for generating a control signal for controlling the power supplier; and a control signal generator which generates the control signal for controlling the power supplier based on the output signal of the second comparator, wherein the filter is a count-up/down type digital filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignees: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD., NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION JAPAN
    Inventors: Atsushi Ogawa, Motoaki Kato, Kengo Nomura, Keisuke Kuroda, Makoto Kawajiri
  • Patent number: 11466650
    Abstract: This fuel includes: a first switching element disposed between a booster circuit boosting a battery power and one end of a solenoid; a second switching element disposed between a battery and one end of the solenoid; a third switching element disposed between the other end of the solenoid and a ground; a fourth switching element disposed between one end of the solenoid and a ground; and a control unit configured to control open/closed states of the first switching element, the second switching element, the third switching element, and the fourth switching element. The control unit is configured to open the fourth switching element during a valve closing detection period of detecting closing of a fuel injection valve and to detect the closing of the fuel injection valve on the basis of a change in voltage of the other end of the solenoid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignees: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD., PANASONIC SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Ogawa, Motoaki Kato, Kengo Nomura, Keisuke Kuroda, Takashi Ryu
  • Patent number: 11448174
    Abstract: An electromagnetic valve driving device which drives a fuel injection valve having a solenoid coil, includes: a regenerative switching element disposed between a first end portion of the solenoid coil and the ground; and a control unit configured to control the regenerative switching element to be in an ON state or an OFF state, wherein the control unit includes: a voltage detection unit configured to detect a voltage of the first end portion of the solenoid coil; and an abnormality detection unit configured to detect an abnormality of the regenerative switching element on the basis of the voltage detected by the voltage detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignees: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD., NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION JAPAN
    Inventors: Motoaki Kato, Atsushi Ogawa, Kengo Nomura, Keisuke Kuroda
  • Patent number: 11428183
    Abstract: An electromagnetic valve driving device that drives an electromagnetic valve for injecting a fuel, includes: a first charging route that charges a bootstrap capacitor from a battery without intervention of a boost circuit; a second charging route that charges the bootstrap capacitor from the boost circuit; and a switching control unit that switches a charging route for charging the bootstrap capacitor to the first charging route or the second charging route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignees: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD., NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION JAPAN
    Inventors: Motoaki Kato, Atsushi Ogawa, Kengo Nomura, Keisuke Kuroda
  • Patent number: 11319912
    Abstract: An electromagnetic valve driver includes: an electric power feeder configured to apply a power voltage obtained by switching a battery voltage to one end of an electromagnetic coil of an electromagnetic valve; a detector configured to detect a drive current flowing through the electromagnetic coil; and a power supply configured to supply power to the detector. The electric power feeder adjusts the drive current by operating in a state in which the power voltage is applied to the electromagnetic coil on the basis of a detection value of the detector. The power supply supplies the power obtained by sampling and holding a reference power in a period excluding a switching period of the battery voltage in the electric power feeder to the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Ogawa, Motoaki Kato, Kengo Nomura
  • Publication number: 20220099059
    Abstract: An electromagnetic valve driving device which drives a fuel injection valve having a solenoid coil, includes: a regenerative switching element disposed between a first end portion of the solenoid coil and the ground; and a control unit configured to control the regenerative switching element to be in an ON state or an OFF state, wherein the control unit includes: a voltage detection unit configured to detect a voltage of the first end portion of the solenoid coil; and an abnormality detection unit configured to detect an abnormality of the regenerative switching element on the basis of the voltage detected by the voltage detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Motoaki Kato, Atsushi Ogawa, Kengo Nomura, Keisuke Kuroda
  • Publication number: 20220103068
    Abstract: There is provided a transformation control device of a transformation chopper circuit that transforms an input by turning on and off a current using a switch and outputs the transformed input. The transformation control device controls at least an ON/OFF state of a main switch by acquiring an output voltage of the transformation chopper circuit in a case where the main switch is in an ON state, the main switch being turned on in a case where energy is accumulated in an inductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Atsushi OGAWA, Motoaki KATO, Kengo NOMURA
  • Publication number: 20220099042
    Abstract: An electromagnetic valve driving device that drives an electromagnetic valve for injecting a fuel, includes: a first charging route that charges a bootstrap capacitor from a battery without intervention of a boost circuit; a second charging route that charges the bootstrap capacitor from the boost circuit; and a switching control unit that switches a charging route for charging the bootstrap capacitor to the first charging route or the second charging route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Motoaki KATO, Atsushi OGAWA, Kengo NOMURA, Keisuke KURODA
  • Publication number: 20220099209
    Abstract: An electromagnetic valve drive device which supplies a hold current with a prescribed fluctuation range to an electromagnetic coil of an electromagnetic valve after a current peak when a supply of electricity starts has passed includes: a power supplier which intermittently applies a drive voltage to the electromagnetic coil; a detector which detects the hold current; a first comparator which compares a detected current by the detector with a first threshold value; a filter which performs integration processing on an output of the first comparator; a second comparator which compares an output of the filter with a second threshold value to generate an output signal used for generating a control signal for controlling the power supplier; and a control signal generator which generates the control signal for controlling the power supplier based on the output signal of the second comparator, wherein the filter is a count-up/down type digital filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Atsushi OGAWA, Motoaki KATO, Kengo NOMURA, Keisuke KURODA, Makoto KAWAJIRI
  • Publication number: 20210222655
    Abstract: An electromagnetic valve driver includes: an electric power feeder configured to apply a power voltage obtained by switching a battery voltage to one end of an electromagnetic coil of an electromagnetic valve; a detector configured to detect a drive current flowing through the electromagnetic coil; and a power supply configured to supply power to the detector. The electric power feeder adjusts the drive current by operating in a state in which the power voltage is applied to the electromagnetic coil on the basis of a detection value of the detector. The power supply supplies the power obtained by sampling and holding a reference power in a period excluding a switching period of the battery voltage in the electric power feeder to the detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventors: Atsushi OGAWA, Motoaki KATO, Kengo NOMURA
  • Patent number: 11047328
    Abstract: An electromagnetic valve drive device includes: a state detection unit configured to detect an on-state or an off-state of a first switch and a second switch forming a boosting circuit; a boosting control unit configured to control a boosting operation, by performing a synchronous rectification control on switching of the first switch and the second switch, depending on the state of the first switch or the second switch detected by the state detection unit; and a drive circuit configured to drive an electromagnetic valve by supplying a voltage boosted by the boosting operation to the electromagnetic valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: KEIHIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Ogawa, Motoaki Kato, Kengo Nomura
  • Patent number: 11015546
    Abstract: An electromagnetic valve drive device includes: a state detection unit configured to detect an on-state or an off-state of a first switch and a second switch forming a boosting circuit; a boosting control unit configured to control a boosting operation, by performing a synchronous rectification control on switching of the first switch and the second switch, depending on the state of the first switch or the second switch detected by the state detection unit; and a drive circuit configured to drive an electromagnetic valve by supplying a voltage boosted by the boosting operation to the electromagnetic valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: KEIHIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Ogawa, Motoaki Kato, Kengo Nomura
  • Publication number: 20200191105
    Abstract: This fuel includes: a first switching element disposed between a booster circuit boosting a battery power and one end of a solenoid; a second switching element disposed between a battery and one end of the solenoid; a third switching element disposed between the other end of the solenoid and a ground; a fourth switching element disposed between one end of the solenoid and a ground; and a control unit configured to control open/closed states of the first switching element, the second switching element, the third switching element, and the fourth switching element. The control unit is configured to open the fourth switching element during a valve closing detection period of detecting closing of a fuel injection valve and to detect the closing of the fuel injection valve on the basis of a change in voltage of the other end of the solenoid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Atsushi OGAWA, Motoaki KATO, Kengo NOMURA, Keisuke KURODA, Takashi RYU
  • Publication number: 20200132012
    Abstract: A solenoid valve drive control circuit includes: a timing generator circuit that outputs a timing signal for controlling a driver circuit, in accordance with a solenoid valve opening and closing instruction signal; and a valve closing detector circuit that detects a valve closing timing after the timing generator circuit outputs the timing signal for instructing a solenoid valve to close, by monitoring a solenoid valve outflow terminal voltage in the solenoid valve as a signal voltage. The valve closing detector circuit includes a measurement circuit that (i) detects each timing signal reaching a threshold voltage sequentially outputted from a threshold voltage selector circuit, and (ii) outputs a signal indicating the valve closing timing when a change in a measurement value that is obtained through measurement of a time interval of each timing satisfies a predetermined condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Keisuke KURODA, Makoto KAWAJIRI, Ken MARUYAMA, Takashi RYU, Atsushi OGAWA, Motoaki KATO, Kengo NOMURA
  • Publication number: 20200102861
    Abstract: An electromagnetic valve drive device includes: a state detection unit configured to detect an on-state or an off-state of a first switch and a second switch forming a boosting circuit; a boosting control unit configured to control a boosting operation, by performing a synchronous rectification control on switching of the first switch and the second switch, depending on the state of the first switch or the second switch detected by the state detection unit; and a drive circuit configured to drive an electromagnetic valve by supplying a voltage boosted by the boosting operation to the electromagnetic valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: Atsushi OGAWA, Motoaki KATO, Kengo NOMURA
  • Patent number: 6289254
    Abstract: Since a plurality of electric CAD systems (CAD) 1 generate circuit diagram data with different data structures, input interface (IF) software (SOFT) implements processing for extracting predetermined item data used in parts selection SOFT from each CAD, and processing for adding data obtained by the parts selection SOFT to each CAD. The parts selection SOFT implements selection of parts, output of slips, and the like on the basis of the predetermined item data. Output IF-SOFT converts information associated with the selected parts output from the parts selection SOFT into a different data format used in the subsequent process, and outputs the converted information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Munenori Shimizu, Takanobu Ichiki, Motoaki Kato, Kimiyoshi Hayashi, Hideki Sawada, Katsuya Sato, Yumi Muramatsu, Hiroshi Kochiya, Takahiro Nakagawa, Tadatsugu Iyoda