Patents by Inventor Seiji Kurokami
Seiji Kurokami 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).
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Patent number: 7550952Abstract: An electric power control apparatus outputs output from a power generation apparatus to a power system has a power converter that converts power output from the power generation apparatus and a power storage apparatus that stores output from the power generation apparatus or output from the power converter as well as discharges stored electric power as necessary detects an amount of electric power generated at the power generation apparatus within a predetermined time period, sets an output pattern of the electric power control apparatus in a next predetermined time period based on the amount of electric power of each predetermined time period, and controls the output of the electric power control apparatus in accordance with the output pattern.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2008Date of Patent: June 23, 2009Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Seiji Kurokami, Nobuyoshi Takehara
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Publication number: 20090069950Abstract: An electric power control apparatus outputs output from a power generation apparatus to a power system has a power converter that converts power output from the power generation apparatus and a power storage apparatus that stores output from the power generation apparatus or output from the power converter as well as discharges stored electric power as necessary detects an amount of electric power generated at the power generation apparatus within a predetermined time period, sets an output pattern of the electric power control apparatus in a next predetermined time period based on the amount of electric power of each predetermined time period, and controls the output of the electric power control apparatus in accordance with the output pattern.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2008Publication date: March 12, 2009Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Seiji Kurokami, Nobuyoshi Takehara
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Patent number: 7456604Abstract: An electric power control apparatus outputs output from a power generation apparatus to a power system has a power converter that converts power output from the power generation apparatus and a power storage apparatus that stores output from the power generation apparatus or output from the power converter as well as discharges stored electric power as necessary detects an amount of electric power generated at the power generation apparatus within a predetermined time period, sets an output pattern of the electric power control apparatus in a next predetermined time period based on the amount of electric power of each predetermined time period, and controls the output of the electric power control apparatus in accordance with the output pattern.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2005Date of Patent: November 25, 2008Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Seiji Kurokami, Nobuyoshi Takehara
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Patent number: 7126053Abstract: In a power generation system of this invention, the outputs from power generation layers electrically connected in series are input to corresponding power conversion devices, and boosted outputs are connected in parallel and fed to a load. Alternatively, the output from one of power generation layers electrically connected in series is input to a first power conversion device, and the serial output and the boosted output from the first power conversion device are connected in parallel, input to a second power conversion device, boosted, and fed to the load. Since the two power generation layers can be individually output-controlled, each power generation layer can be optimized basically without considering current balance. Since the optical spectrum utilization efficiency increases, the power generation efficiency increases. In addition, since the power can be fed not to separate loads but to one load, the convenience largely increases.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2003Date of Patent: October 24, 2006Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Seiji Kurokami, Kimitoshi Fukae, Akiharu Takabayashi, Nobuyoshi Takehara
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Patent number: 7079406Abstract: The object is to reliably detect a ground fault of a solar battery. To detect a ground fault position to take an efficient measure against the ground fault, DC power input from a solar battery is converted into AC power and supplied to a system. In a system interconnection inverter (utility connected inverter) having non-insulated input and output, the input voltage of a converter circuit and/or the intermediate voltage between the converter circuit and an inverter circuit are varied to control the potential to ground at each portion of the solar battery to a value other than a value close to zero.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2001Date of Patent: July 18, 2006Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Seiji Kurokami, Naoki Manabe, Nobuyoshi Takehara
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Patent number: 6963147Abstract: Control means is provided, in which the whole of the phase difference of a power waveform of each phase is matched to a value dividing a cycle of the power waveform into n-equal portions, and at the same time, the whole of the power value of each phase is controlled to be identical, so that the power conversion unit having a n-alternating current output (n is an integer numeral serving as n?2) connected to the direct current power source and smoothing means provided between the direct current power source and the power conversion unit are made small in capacity.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2004Date of Patent: November 8, 2005Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Seiji Kurokami, Nobuyoshi Takehara, Manabu Nakanishi
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Publication number: 20050234599Abstract: An electric power control apparatus outputs output from a power generation apparatus to a power system has a power converter that converts power output from the power generation apparatus and a power storage apparatus that stores output from the power generation apparatus or output from the power converter as well as discharges stored electric power as necessary detects an amount of electric power generated at the power generation apparatus within a predetermined time period, sets an output pattern of the electric power control apparatus in a next predetermined time period based on the amount of electric power of each predetermined time period, and controls the output of the electric power control apparatus in accordance with the output pattern.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2005Publication date: October 20, 2005Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Seiji Kurokami, Nobuyoshi Takehara
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Patent number: 6927955Abstract: In a power conversion system having a DC power supply which has an almost fixed DC voltage to ground and a predetermined stray capacitance to ground and outputs a DC power, and a power converter which converts the DC power output from the DC power supply into an AC power by switching, the phase of an AC voltage to ground generated in the DC power supply by switching is detected, the phase of an AC ground fault current that flows through the stray capacitance to ground and the ground fault resistance of the DC power supply is detected, and the difference between the two detected phases is compared with a predetermined threshold value, thereby determining a DC ground fault in the DC power supply. With this arrangement, the ground fault state of the DC power supply can more accurately be detected. In addition, the operation efficiency of the power conversion system can be increased.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2002Date of Patent: August 9, 2005Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masaki Suzui, Nobuyoshi Takehara, Seiji Kurokami
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Patent number: 6838611Abstract: AC module, integrating a solar battery and an inverter, can easily be connected with other plural AC modules in parallel by way of cascade connections. However, when the number of AC modules connected is improvidently increased, the current flowing through the current path or connector of the AC module exceeds a rated current. In view of this, the current detector detects a current in the collective-power current path of the AC module, and when the detected current value exceeds a value set in the reference current setting circuit, the current detector stops the inverter.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2001Date of Patent: January 4, 2005Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroshi Kondo, Nobuyoshi Takehara, Seiji Kurokami
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Publication number: 20040223351Abstract: In a power conversion apparatus having a plurality of transformers, each of the plurality of transformers includes an input terminal having a first polarity, an input terminal having a second polarity, a wiring unit to connect one end of a primary winding of the transformer to the input terminal having the first polarity and the other end of the primary winding of the transformer to the input terminal having the second polarity, and a switching element which is arranged in series between the wiring unit and the other end to control voltage application to the primary winding of the transformer. Part of the wiring unit is connected to one end or the other end to surround the transformer connected to the wiring unit. A solar power generation system includes a solar cell and the above power conversion apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2004Publication date: November 11, 2004Applicant: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Seiji Kurokami, Nobuyoshi Takehara, Fumitaka Toyomura
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Publication number: 20040174720Abstract: Control means is provided, in which the whole of the phase difference of a power waveform of each phase is matched to a value dividing a cycle of the power waveform into n-equal portions, and at the same time, the whole of the power value of each phase is controlled to be identical, so that the power conversion unit having a n-alternating current output (n is an integer numeral serving as n≧2) connected to the direct current power source and smoothing means provided between the direct current power source and the power conversion unit are made small in capacity.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2004Publication date: September 9, 2004Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Seiji Kurokami, Nobuyoshi Takehara, Manabu Nakanishi
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Patent number: 6678174Abstract: In a solar power generation system having an inverter, if a smoothing capacitor in the inverter degrades, the operation of the inverter is interrupted, and a loss in the amount of power generation occurs inevitably. To prevent this loss, a degradation determination section (211) and output suppressing section (212) are provided in an inverter (2). If the degradation determination section (211) determines a degradation in capacitor (24), the operation of the inverter (2) is continued while suppressing the output current of the inverter (2) by the output suppressing section (212). In addition, a warning section (213) warns the user about the degradation in capacitor (24). With this arrangement, a solar power generation system capable of detecting a degradation in smoothing capacitor in the inverter (2) and appropriately operating the inverter (2) can be provided.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2001Date of Patent: January 13, 2004Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masaki Suzui, Naoki Manabe, Nobuyoshi Takehara, Seiji Kurokami
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Publication number: 20030234038Abstract: In a power generation system of this invention, the outputs from power generation layers electrically connected in series are input to corresponding power conversion devices, and boosted outputs are connected in parallel and fed to a load. Alternatively, the output from one of power generation layers electrically connected in series is input to a first power conversion device, and the serial output and the boosted output from the first power conversion device are connected in parallel, input to a second power conversion device, boosted, and fed to the load. Since the two power generation layers can be individually output-controlled, each power generation layer can be optimized basically without considering current balance. Since the optical spectrum utilization efficiency increases, the power generation efficiency increases. In addition, since the power can be fed not to separate loads but to one load, the convenience largely increases.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2003Publication date: December 25, 2003Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Seiji Kurokami, Kimitoshi Fukae, Akiharu Takabayashi, Nobuyoshi Takehara
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Patent number: 6611441Abstract: In a power supply system for converting the output of a DC power supply having an earth capacitance to AC power, an input voltage from an input-voltage detector and an intermediate voltage from an intermediate-voltage detector are input to an input-ripple controller. The latter calculates the difference between ripple voltages of the two voltages. The input-ripple controller adjusts the size of a ripple command value, which indicates the ripple current that is to be input to a converter circuit, so as to null the difference between the ripple voltages. Furthermore, using a ripple reference waveform having a DC level, the input-ripple controller generates a ripple current waveform so as to null the average value of a full-wave rectified waveform synchronized to the output of an inverter circuit, and outputs the generated ripple current waveform to an output calculator.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2002Date of Patent: August 26, 2003Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Seiji Kurokami, Naoki Manabe, Nobuyoshi Takehara
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Publication number: 20030067723Abstract: In a power conversion system having a DC power supply which has an almost fixed DC voltage to ground and a predetermined stray capacitance to ground and outputs a DC power, and a power converter which converts the DC power output from the DC power supply into an AC power by switching, the phase of an AC voltage to ground generated in the DC power supply by switching is detected, the phase of an AC ground fault current that flows through the stray capacitance to ground and the ground fault resistance of the DC power supply is detected, and the difference between the two detected phases is compared with a predetermined threshold value, thereby determining a DC ground fault in the DC power supply. With this arrangement, the ground fault state of the DC power supply can more accurately be detected. In addition, the operation efficiency of the power conversion system can be increased.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2002Publication date: April 10, 2003Applicant: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masaki Suzui, Nobuyoshi Takehara, Seiji Kurokami
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Publication number: 20020118559Abstract: In a power supply system for converting the output of a DC power supply having an earth capacitance to AC power, an input voltage from an input-voltage detector and an intermediate voltage from an intermediate-voltage detector are input to an input-ripple controller. The latter calculates the difference between ripple voltages of the two voltages. The input-ripple controller adjusts the size of a ripple command value, which indicates the ripple current that is to be input to a converter circuit, so as to null the difference between the ripple voltages. Furthermore, using a ripple reference waveform having a DC level, the input-ripple controller generates a ripple current waveform so as to null the average value of a full-wave rectified waveform synchronized to the output of an inverter circuit, and outputs the generated ripple current waveform to an output calculator.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2002Publication date: August 29, 2002Applicant: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Seiji Kurokami, Naoki Manabe, Nobuyoshi Takehara
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Publication number: 20020085397Abstract: In a solar power generation system having an inverter, if a smoothing capacitor in the inverter degrades, the operation of the inverter is interrupted, and a loss in the amount of power generation occurs inevitably. To prevent this loss, a degradation determination section (211) and output suppressing section (212) are provided in an inverter (2). If the degradation determination section (211) determines a degradation in capacitor (24), the operation of the inverter (2) is continued while suppressing the output current of the inverter (2) by the output suppressing section (212). In addition, a warning section (213) warns the user about the degradation in capacitor (24). With this arrangement, a solar power generation system capable of detecting a degradation in smoothing capacitor in the inverter (2) and appropriately operating the inverter (2) can be provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2001Publication date: July 4, 2002Inventors: Masaki Suzui, Naoki Manabe, Nobuyoshi Takehara, Seiji Kurokami
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Publication number: 20020038667Abstract: AC module, integrating a solar battery and an inverter, can easily be connected with other plural AC modules in parallel by way of cascade connections. However, when the number of AC modules connected is improvidently increased, the current flowing through the current path or connector of the AC module exceeds a rated current. In view of this, the current detector detects a current in the collective-power current path of the AC module, and when the detected current value exceeds a value set in the reference current setting circuit, the current detector stops the inverter.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2001Publication date: April 4, 2002Inventors: Hiroshi Kondo, Nobuyoshi Takehara, Seiji Kurokami
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Publication number: 20010048605Abstract: The object is to reliably detect a ground fault of a solar battery. To detect a ground fault position to take an efficient measure against the ground fault, DC power input from a solar battery is converted into AC power and supplied to a system. In a system interconnection inverter (utility connected inverter) having non-insulated input and output, the input voltage of a converter circuit and/or the intermediate voltage between the converter circuit and an inverter circuit are varied to control the potential to ground at each portion of the solar battery to a value other than a value close to zero.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2001Publication date: December 6, 2001Inventors: Seiji Kurokami, Naoki Manabe, Nobuyoshi Takehara
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Patent number: 6320769Abstract: In a solar power generation apparatus using a solar battery having a relatively large ground capacitor and a power conditioner having a non-insulated input and output, a customer's ground fault interrupter may perform unwanted interruption due to a ground fault outside the customer's premises. To prevent this, when a ground fault is detected by a detector capable of detecting a ground fault within a shorter time than the customer's ground fault interrupter, the gate of inverter of the power conditioner is blocked, a switch is changed to an open state, and the input voltage of inverter is held at a voltage value higher than the peak value of the alternate current voltage of a power system until at least the switch changes to the open state.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2000Date of Patent: November 20, 2001Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Seiji Kurokami, Naoki Manabe, Nobuyoshi Takehara