Patents by Inventor Ryo Okabe

Ryo Okabe 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: 20190074556
    Abstract: A storage battery device includes: first and second battery systems including a plurality of first and second battery modules and a plurality of first and second monitoring units detecting module information that is information related to the battery modules, and respectively having first and second identification information; and a battery management unit configured to receive a lower-level communication frame containing the monitoring identification information and the module information from the monitoring units, and transmit, to an upper-level device of the battery management unit, an upper-level communication frame that contains individual identification information assigned to each of the monitoring units based on system identification information assigned to the battery systems, and the monitoring identification information, that also contains the module information detected by the first or the second monitoring unit corresponding to the individual identification information, and that has a larger data
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki ONODA, Ryo OKABE, Norihiro KENEKO, Yusuke KIKUCHI, Kazuto KURODA, Masahiro SEKINO, Jun TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20190044198
    Abstract: A battery module includes: a battery cell unit including a plurality of battery cells connected together in series or series-parallel; a cell monitoring unit configured to monitor temperatures and voltages of the battery cells; and a plurality of overtemperature/overvoltage detecting units of n systems (n: an integer greater than or equal to 2). The overtemperature/overvoltage detecting units of the n systems are configured to independently detect an overtemperature or an overvoltage of the battery cells as an abnormal state, and to mutually notify one another of results of the detection. Each of the overtemperature/overvoltage detecting units is configured to, upon being notified that the abnormal state is detected from another overtemperature/overvoltage detecting unit of another system in the battery module, operate on the assumption that the overtemperature/overvoltage detecting unit detects the abnormal state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuto KURODA, Shinichiro KOSUGI, Masahiro SEKINO, Norihiro KANEKO, Ryo OKABE, Yusuke KIKUCHI, Yosuke SAEKI, Makoto NOGUCHI
  • Patent number: 10147317
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a traffic information estimation device and a traffic information estimation method for estimating a time period of switching of a traffic signal display. The traffic information estimation device includes: an acquisition unit (203) acquiring arrangement information indicating an arrangement of vehicles in accordance with a time passage on a road on which a traffic signal is installed; a determination unit (205) determining changes in density of the vehicles by using the arrangement information; and a calculation unit (206) calculating a display change cycle indicating a time period of switching of a display of the traffic signal based on a time interval between the changes in density of the vehicles. According to such a configuration, it is possible to simplify processing to estimate of a change cycle of the traffic signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Hirata, Junya Ujiie, Michinori Yoshida, Yoshihiro Tomaru, Mitsuo Shimotani, Ryo Okabe
  • Patent number: 10101398
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a cell monitoring device that performs monitoring of a cell module under control of a battery management device (BMD), includes a communication controller and a control device. The communication controller is capable of being connected to BMD through a communication line. The control device performs an activation processing of the communication controller at a time of initialization, and controls the cell monitoring device. The control device performs a reboot processing of the communication controller in a period shorter than a period of detecting an error condition of the communication controller by BMD when a second voltage drops to be below an operation allowable voltage of the communication controller in a state in which a first voltage is above a certain operation allowable voltage. The first voltage represents a power supply voltage of the control device. The second voltage represents a power supply voltage of the communication controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Koichi Yoshino, Ryo Okabe, Norihiro Kaneko, Takehiro Usumori, Kazuto Kuroda
  • Publication number: 20180276990
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a traffic information estimation device and a traffic information estimation method for estimating a time period of switching of a traffic signal display. The traffic information estimation device includes: an acquisition unit (203) acquiring arrangement information indicating an arrangement of vehicles in accordance with a time passage on a road on which a traffic signal is installed; a determination unit (205) determining changes in density of the vehicles by using the arrangement information; and a calculation unit (206) calculating a display change cycle indicating a time period of switching of a display of the traffic signal based on a time interval between the changes in density of the vehicles. According to such a configuration, it is possible to simplify processing to estimate of a change cycle of the traffic signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira HIRATA, Junya UJIIE, Michinori YOSHIDA, Yoshihiro TOMARU, Mitsuo SHIMOTANI, Ryo OKABE
  • Publication number: 20180278064
    Abstract: A storage battery management device manages storage battery systems in a power system, each storage battery systems having a storage battery device. The management device includes a SOC estimation table in which a relationship between an open circuit voltage of the storage battery device and the SOC is stored in advance; a measurement control unit that sets a predetermined SOC area where the open circuit voltage and the SOC can be considered as a monotonic function by discharging or charging a storage battery device of SOC measurement target between storage battery systems, and measures the open circuit voltage of the storage battery device of SOC measurement target by electrically disconnecting the storage battery device from a power supply/demand channel; and an estimation unit that estimates the SOC of the storage battery device by referring to the SOC estimation table based on the open circuit voltage measured in the SOC area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke KIKUCHI, Shinichiro KOSUGI, Masahiro SEKINO, Kazuto KURODA, Ryo OKABE
  • Publication number: 20180248230
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a battery control apparatus according to an embodiment includes a counter, a serial information setter, and an information transmitter. The counter counts, for communication lines to which a plurality of battery modules are connected to form communication channels, the number of battery modules connected to each of the communication lines. The serial information setter sets a series of pieces of information about the battery modules connected to the plurality of communication lines as information for identifying the battery modules on the basis of the number of battery modules counted by the counter. The information transmitter transmits, to an external apparatus, management information in which status information of each of the battery modules is associated with each piece of the series of pieces of information set by the serial information setter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto NOGUCHI, Ryo OKABE, Shinichiro KOSUGI, Masahiro SEKINO, Kazuto KURODA, Norihiro KANEKO, Yosuke SAEKI, Yusuke KIKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20180248234
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a wiring diagnostic apparatus of embodiments includes a counter, an acquirer, and an abnormality determiner. The counter counts the number of battery modules connected to a plurality of first communication lines to which a plurality of battery modules are connected to form a communication channel for each of the first communication lines. The acquirer acquires identification information for identifying a battery module connected to a corresponding second communication line among battery modules connected to a plurality of second communication lines each forming a communication channel with a first communication line via the second communication line. The abnormality determiner determines an abnormality in a wiring relationship of the first communication line or the second communication line on the basis of the number of battery modules counted by the counter and identification information acquired by the acquirer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Ryo Okabe, Shinichiro Kosugi, Masahiro Sekino, Norihiro Kaneko, Yusuke Kikuchi, Kazuto Kuroda, Makoto Noguchi
  • Publication number: 20180069270
    Abstract: A storage battery management device is configured to manage storage battery systems each including a plurality of battery boards and a power adjustment devices corresponding to the battery boards. The storage battery management device is configured to compensate charging power and discharging power of a battery board used in a diagnosis for the battery board, inside the storage battery systems by transmitting and receiving the charging power or the discharging power between power adjustment devices of the storage battery systems, when performing the diagnosis while causing the storage battery systems to remain operated. Therefore, it is possible to diagnose a control device of a battery board without affecting an electric grid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Ryo OKABE, Shinichiro KOSUGI, Masahiro SEKINO, Kazuto KURODA, Yusuke KIKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20180025634
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a vehicle group management apparatus, a vehicle group management method, and a vehicle group management program that manage a plurality of vehicles moving in line as a vehicle group, and the vehicle group management apparatus includes: a first management unit to manage vehicle information including position information indicating positions of a plurality of other-vehicles moving in line; and a calculation unit to calculate vehicle group information indicating the vehicle group including at least one of the other-vehicles, using a distance between other-vehicles based on the position information and a movement characteristic of an own-vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to provide an appropriate vehicle group in accordance with each vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Junya UJIIE, Kumiko IKEDA, Akira HIRATA, Mikio SASAKI, Masahiro ABUKAWA, Ryo OKABE, Mitsuo SHIMOTANI
  • Patent number: 9859721
    Abstract: A storage battery management device manages a plurality of battery units in a storage battery system including the battery units having a plurality of battery cells and a power adjustment device connected to the battery units via respective contactors and connected to a main circuit. The storage battery management device includes a minimum value determination unit and a controller. The minimum value determination unit, from the battery units in which a difference between a maximum cell voltage and a minimum cell voltage of the battery cells forming each of the battery units is equal to or less than a certain value, determines a minimum value of the minimum cell voltage. The controller controls a cell balance process of the battery unit managed by itself, by using the minimum value of the minimum cell voltage determined by the minimum value determination unit as a cell balance target voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazuto Kuroda, Shinichiro Kosugi, Masahiro Sekino, Jun Takahashi, Ryo Okabe, Yusuke Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20170236415
    Abstract: A travel planning device includes: a subject vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires subject vehicle information including a scheduled travel route and a scheduled departure time of a subject vehicle; an other vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires other vehicle information including information by which it is possible to predict scheduled travel routes of a plurality of other vehicles and a scheduled passage time through each point on the scheduled travel routes; and a travel plan calculator that calculates a travel plan of the subject vehicle based on the subject vehicle information and the other vehicle information. The travel plan calculator divides the scheduled travel route of the subject vehicle into manual driving sections and following travel sections, and selects the leading vehicle of each following travel section from among the plurality of other vehicles for each following travel section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryo OKABE, Yasuyuki NODA, Mitsuo SHIMOTANI, Yoshiharu ASAGA
  • Publication number: 20170212174
    Abstract: A backup power supply system includes a secondary battery, an interface unit, a charging and discharging control unit, a detection unit, a remaining capacity estimating unit, a deterioration estimating unit, and a notification unit. The interface unit transmits a trigger signal based on an operation of a user. The charging and discharging control unit performs control of discharging the secondary battery and then charging the secondary battery or control of charging the secondary battery and then discharging the secondary battery when the trigger signal is received from the interface unit. The detection unit detects a voltage of the secondary battery at different timings. The remaining capacity estimating unit estimates a remaining capacity of the secondary battery based on the voltage of the secondary battery. The deterioration estimating unit estimates a deterioration state of the secondary battery based on the estimated remaining capacity. The notification unit outputs the estimated deterioration state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Katsuya UCHIDA, Masayuki HOSHINO, Ryo OKABE, Norihiro KANEKO, Makoto SATO
  • Patent number: 9558364
    Abstract: When an access occurs to an I/O device from an OS 231a, an I/O allocation unit refers to an I/O allocation table, and determines whether the I/O device is allocated to other OS 231b. When the I/O device is allocated to another OS 231b, a control unit notifies the OS 231a of an error. When the I/O device is not allocated to either of the OSs 231a-b, the I/O allocation unit updates the I/O allocation table in order to allocate the I/O device to the OS 231a, and an I/O emulation unit emulates the access to the I/O device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Ryo Okabe
  • Publication number: 20160276846
    Abstract: A storage battery management device manages a plurality of battery units in a storage battery system including the battery units having a plurality of battery cells and a power adjustment device connected to the battery units via respective contactors and connected to a main circuit. The storage battery management device includes a minimum value determination unit and a controller. The minimum value determination unit, from the battery units in which a difference between a maximum cell voltage and a minimum cell voltage of the battery cells forming each of the battery units is equal to or less than a certain value, determines a minimum value of the minimum cell voltage. The controller controls a cell balance process of the battery unit managed by itself, by using the minimum value of the minimum cell voltage determined by the minimum value determination unit as a cell balance target voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Kazuto KURODA, Shinichiro KOSUGI, Masahiro SEKINO, Jun TAKAHASHI, Ryo OKABE, Yusuke KIKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20160223616
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a cell monitoring device that performs monitoring of a cell module under control of a battery management device (BMD), includes a communication controller and a control device. The communication controller is capable of being connected to BMD through a communication line. The control device performs an activation processing of the communication controller at a time of initialization, and controls the cell monitoring device. The control device performs a reboot processing of the communication controller in a period shorter than a period of detecting an error condition of the communication controller by BMD when a second voltage drops to be below an operation allowable voltage of the communication controller in a state in which a first voltage is above a certain operation allowable voltage. The first voltage represents a power supply voltage of the control device. The second voltage represents a power supply voltage of the communication controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Koichi YOSHINO, Ryo Okabe, Norihiro Kaneko, Takehiro Usumori, Kazuto Kuroda
  • Patent number: 9356469
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a storage battery device includes a battery unit, a charging unit, a terminal, and a first circuit breaking unit. The battery unit includes a lithium ion battery and is connectable in parallel to other storage battery device that charges an external lithium ion battery. The charging unit is supplied with electric power from an external electric power source and charges the battery unit. The terminal is connectable to a wire connecting the other storage battery device with the battery unit. The first circuit breaking unit is connected between the battery unit and the terminal, and blocks an electric current flowing from the terminal to the battery unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazuto Kuroda, Shinichiro Kosugi, Ryo Okabe, Manabu Murakami
  • Publication number: 20150302222
    Abstract: When an access occurs to an I/O device from an OS 231a, an I/O allocation unit refers to an I/O allocation table, and determines whether the I/O device is allocated to other OS 231b. When the I/O device is allocated to another OS 231b, a control unit notifies the OS 231a of an error. When the I/O device is not allocated to either of the OSs 231a-b, the I/O allocation unit updates the I/O allocation table in order to allocate the I/O device to the OS 231a, and an I/O emulation unit emulates the access to the I/O device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Ryo OKABE
  • Publication number: 20150263395
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a battery pack device includes a plurality of battery modules, a cell detector, and a determiner. Each of the plurality of battery modules stores a plurality of cells. The cell detector detects a cell detection signal representing whether a cell is present or absent at each of a plurality of positions in each battery module. The determiner determines the arrangement state of the cells in each battery module based on the cell detection signal detected by the cell detector, determines the presence/absence of an abnormality from the determined arrangement state of the cells and the connection state of each battery module, and outputs an abnormal signal in case of the abnormality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Inventors: Ryo Okabe, Shinichiro Kosugi, Kazuto Kuroda, Manabu Murakami
  • Publication number: 20140203786
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a power supply apparatus includes a battery assembly, a fuse element, a switch unit, and a control unit. The fuse element is connected between the battery assembly and a load unit driven by being supplied with power from the battery assembly. The switch unit is connected in parallel to the load unit. The control unit causes, when an over voltage of at least one of the battery assembly and the load unit is detected, the switch unit to be in an ON state, provides an over current to flow from the battery assembly to the fuse element, and fusing the fuse element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takeshi Oosawa, Shinichiro Kosugi, Manabu Murakami, Kazuto Kuroda, Masahiro Sekino, Takashi Sudo, Hideaki Ohsawa, Ryo Okabe