Patents by Inventor Norito Yamabe

Norito Yamabe 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: 8148993
    Abstract: An abnormality of a current sensor or a voltage sensor is detected. An abnormality detecting section reads out a charging/discharging current I of a secondary battery detected by the current sensor and a battery voltage V of the secondary battery, calculates an estimated battery voltage Vs on the basis of an electromotive force E and an internal resistance r of the secondary battery, and judges the current sensor to be abnormal if the difference between the battery voltage V and the estimated battery voltage Vs is greater than a predetermined threshold and the charging/discharging current I exceeds a predetermined allowable range, and judges the voltage sensor to be abnormal if the difference is greater than the predetermined threshold and the charging/discharging current I is within the predetermined allowable range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norito Yamabe, Kouta Togashi
  • Patent number: 8039137
    Abstract: In a battery cooling device for cooling a battery with air from a cooling unit, such as a cooling fan, the air flow of the cooling unit is optimally controlled. A air flow control device calculates a calorific value of the battery based on an internal resistance of the battery and a charge/discharge current measured by a current measurement unit, calculates the difference as a differential temperature between battery temperature measured by a battery temperature measurement unit and ambient temperature measured by an ambient temperature measurement unit, and controls the air flow of the cooling fan on the basis of the calculated calorific value and the differential temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Yamamoto, Norito Yamabe
  • Patent number: 8039136
    Abstract: In a battery cooling device for cooling a battery with cooling air from a cooling unit, such as a cooling fan, the cooling fan is not to be driven more than necessary. A cooling air flow control unit calculates a battery temperature change rate indicating an amount of change in battery temperature over a predetermined time based on the battery temperature, and if the calculated battery temperature change rate satisfies a predetermined suppression control condition, the cooling air flow of the cooling fan is suppressed regardless of whether or not the battery temperature is at or below a reference temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Yamamoto, Norito Yamabe
  • Patent number: 7999553
    Abstract: To provide a voltage measurement device for measuring a battery voltage of a secondary battery formed by serially connecting a plurality of battery blocks, which is able to calculate the battery voltage in block units even though a potential detection line is disconnected. Specifically, when the voltage detection unit fails to measure the battery voltage of the measurement target battery block by selecting potential detection lines connected to both terminals of the measurement target battery block, the switch control unit selects the potential detection lines connected to both terminals of the battery block group including a serially connected plurality of battery blocks including the measurement target battery block, then measures the integrated voltage of the battery block group, and measures the battery voltage of the measurement target battery block based on the measured integrated voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Norito Yamabe
  • Patent number: 7965060
    Abstract: A device for appropriately controlling capacitive variations between battery blocks. A voltage measurement section periodically measures a terminal voltage of each battery block by way of respective potential detection lines electrically connected to both terminals of the respective battery blocks. A discharge section effects electric discharge of each battery block by electrically connecting both terminals of a discharge element to both terminals of the respective battery blocks by way of the potential detection line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Norito Yamabe
  • Patent number: 7750640
    Abstract: Error in an electromotive force Ve of a secondary battery calculated on the basis of a polarized voltage Vp is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Norito Yamabe
  • Patent number: 7728598
    Abstract: An apparatus estimates charge/discharge electricity amount without being affected by current measurement error. Under specific selection conditions, a no-load voltage calculation part uses pairs of data consisting of current data I(n) and voltage data V(n) corresponding to the current data to calculate a no-load voltage Vsep as the voltage intercept at a current of zero in a straight-line approximation obtained by statistical processing such as regression analysis using a least squares method. If specific current conditions exist for a certain amount of time, an open circuit voltage calculation part calculates the terminal voltage of the secondary battery as the open circuit voltage Voc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusai Murakami, Norito Yamabe
  • Publication number: 20090261836
    Abstract: An apparatus estimates charge/discharge electricity amount without being affected by current measurement error. Under specific selection conditions, a no-load voltage calculation part uses pairs of data consisting of current data I(n) and voltage data V(n) corresponding to the current data to calculate a no-load voltage Vsep as the voltage intercept at a current of zero in a straight-line approximation obtained by statistical processing such as regression analysis using a least squares method. If specific current conditions exist for a certain amount of time, an open circuit voltage calculation part calculates the terminal voltage of the secondary battery as the open circuit voltage Voc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: PANASONIC EV ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusai MURAKAMI, Norito YAMABE
  • Patent number: 7557584
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus that can estimate the charge/discharge electricity amount without being affected by current measurement error. If specific selection conditions are met, a no-load voltage calculation part (105) takes a plurality of pairs of data consisting of current data I(n) and voltage data V(n) corresponding to the current data and calculates a no-load voltage Vsep as the voltage intercept at a current of zero in a straight-line approximation obtained by statistical processing such as regression analysis using a least squares method with respect to the plurality of pairs of data. In addition, if specific current conditions continue to be met for a certain amount of time, an open circuit voltage calculation part (106) calculates the terminal voltage of the secondary battery as the open circuit voltage Voc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusai Murakami, Norito Yamabe
  • Patent number: 7528575
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for correcting a voltage of a secondary battery, wherein accuracy in measurement of battery voltages between battery blocks in different voltage measurement systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusai Murakami, Norito Yamabe
  • Publication number: 20080202830
    Abstract: To provide a voltage measurement device for measuring a battery voltage of a secondary battery formed by serially connecting a plurality of battery blocks, which is able to calculate the battery voltage in block units even though a potential detection line is disconnected. Specifically, when the voltage detection unit fails to measure the battery voltage of the measurement target battery block by selecting potential detection lines connected to both terminals of the measurement target battery block, the switch control unit selects the potential detection lines connected to both terminals of the battery block group including a serially connected plurality of battery blocks including the measurement target battery block, then measures the integrated voltage of the battery block group, and measures the battery voltage of the measurement target battery block based on the measured integrated voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: PANASONIC EV ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Norito Yamabe
  • Publication number: 20080169789
    Abstract: A device for appropriately controlling capacitive variations between battery blocks. A voltage measurement section periodically measures a terminal voltage of each battery block by way of respective potential detection lines electrically connected to both terminals of the respective battery blocks. A discharge section effects electric discharge of each battery block by electrically connecting both terminals of a discharge element to both terminals of the respective battery blocks by way of the potential detection line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2008
    Publication date: July 17, 2008
    Applicant: PANASONIC EV ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Norito Yamabe
  • Publication number: 20080157777
    Abstract: Error in an electromotive force Ve of a secondary battery calculated on the basis of a polarized voltage Vp is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: PANASONIC EV ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Norito Yamabe
  • Publication number: 20080125932
    Abstract: An abnormality of a current sensor or a voltage sensor is detected. An abnormality detecting section reads out a charging/discharging current I of a secondary battery detected by the current sensor and a battery voltage V of the secondary battery, calculates an estimated battery voltage Vs on the basis of an electromotive force E and an internal resistance r of the secondary battery, and judges the current sensor to be abnormal if the difference between the battery voltage V and the estimated battery voltage Vs is greater than a predetermined threshold and the charging/discharging current I exceeds a predetermined allowable range, and judges the voltage sensor to be abnormal if the difference is greater than the predetermined threshold and the charging/discharging current I is within the predetermined allowable range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Applicant: PANASONIC EV ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Norito Yamabe, Kouta Togashi
  • Patent number: 7355411
    Abstract: When a power switch portion 10 is in an open state and a charge/discharge path of the secondary battery 100 is in a disconnected state, an electromotive force calculation portion 109 calculates a battery electromotive force Veq by subtracting a polarized voltage Vpol stored in a polarized voltage storage portion 113 from an open-circuit voltage OCV measured by a voltage measurement portion 102. Based on the electromotive force, a state-of-charge estimation portion 110 estimates a state of charge SOC. Thus, a polarized voltage to be considered for the estimation of SOC can be limited. The state of charge (SOC) of a secondary battery can be estimated with high accuracy and quickly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusai Murakami, Norito Yamabe, Keiichi Minamiura, Tadao Kimura
  • Patent number: 7339351
    Abstract: There is provided a battery pack system with estimation accuracy of a remaining capacity of a secondary batter enhanced. A current accumulation coefficient correction section 109 calculates a correction amount ? with respect to a current accumulation coefficient k in accordance with a battery electromotive force Veq from an electromotive force calculation section 105. A remaining capacity calculation section 112 estimates a remaining capacity SOC by current accumulation, based on the current accumulation coefficient k calculated from a correction amount ?, and a charging efficiency ? based on a currently estimated remaining capacity calculated by a charging efficiency calculation section 110.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusai Murakami, Masahiro Takada, Teruyoshi Egoshi, Norito Yamabe
  • Publication number: 20070298316
    Abstract: In a battery cooling device for cooling a battery with air from a cooling unit, such as a cooling fan, the air flow of the cooling unit is optimally controlled. A air flow control device calculates a calorific value of the battery based on an internal resistance of the battery and a charge/discharge current measured by a current measurement unit, calculates the difference as a differential temperature between battery temperature measured by a battery temperature measurement unit and ambient temperature measured by an ambient temperature measurement unit, and controls the air flow of the cooling fan on the basis of the calculated calorific value and the differential temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2007
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Applicant: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Yamamoto, Norito Yamabe
  • Publication number: 20070298315
    Abstract: In a battery cooling device for cooling a battery with cooling air from a cooling unit, such as a cooling fan, the cooling fan is not to be driven more than necessary. A cooling air flow control unit calculates a battery temperature change rate indicating an amount of change in battery temperature over a predetermined time based on the battery temperature, and if the calculated battery temperature change rate satisfies a predetermined suppression control condition, the cooling air flow of the cooling fan is suppressed regardless of whether or not the battery temperature is at or below a reference temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2007
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Applicant: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Yamamoto, Norito Yamabe
  • Publication number: 20060273802
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for correcting a voltage of a secondary battery, wherein accuracy in measurement of battery voltages between battery blocks in different voltage measurement systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2004
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Applicant: PANASONIC EV ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusai Murakami, Norito Yamabe
  • Publication number: 20060232277
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus that can estimate the charge/discharge electricity amount without being affected by current measurement error. If specific selection conditions are met, a no-load voltage calculation part (105) takes a plurality of pairs of data consisting of current data I(n) and voltage data V(n) corresponding to the current data and calculates a no-load voltage Vsep as the voltage intercept at a current of zero in a straight-line approximation obtained by statistical processing such as regression analysis using a least squares method with respect to the plurality of pairs of data. In addition, if specific current conditions continue to be met for a certain amount of time, an open circuit voltage calculation part (106) calculates the terminal voltage of the secondary battery as the open circuit voltage Voc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2004
    Publication date: October 19, 2006
    Applicant: PANASONIC EV ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusai Murakami, Norito Yamabe