Patents by Inventor Shigemi Masuda

Shigemi Masuda 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: 9518889
    Abstract: There is provided a water leakage detection device including a water leakage detection unit which is configured to detect water leakage, a water leakage detection circuit unit which is configured to be driven by a DC voltage from a DC power source and apply an AC voltage for detecting water leakage to the water leakage detection unit, and is configured to determine whether water is leaking based on a detection signal of the water leakage detection unit. The water leakage detection unit includes an insulating transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, the second side being connected to the water leakage detection unit, and a water leakage detection determining unit which is connected to the primary side of the insulating transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigemi Masuda, Toshikazu Koshiba
  • Publication number: 20160285403
    Abstract: A motor drive controller includes: a phase current detection circuit including: an RC network circuit in which a resistor and a capacitor are connected in series, the RC network circuit being configured to be connected in parallel with one or more coils of each phase of a motor; and a filter circuit that smooths a signal based on a voltage signal across the capacitor, wherein the phase current detection circuit generates a DC voltage signal that corresponds to a change in a value of a phase current flowing in the coils; a motor driver that drives the motor by applying a voltage to each phase of the motor; and a controller that receives the DC voltage signal from the phase current detection circuit and controls the motor driver based on the DC voltage signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventors: Shigemi MASUDA, Toshikazu KOSHIBA
  • Patent number: 9218010
    Abstract: There is provided a load driving apparatus including: a power converter circuit configured to convert electric power into direct current power; an output electric current detecting circuit configured to detect an output current flowing in the load; and a control circuit section configured to switch ON/OFF-operations of the load depending on an operation instruction information, to perform constant current control during a period of the ON-operation of the load, to output a first pulse signal to the power converter circuit when starting the constant current control, ON-duty of the first pulse signal being substantially same as that during a period of a most recent operation of the load performed immediately before, to perform constant voltage control during a period of the OFF-operation of the load based on an output voltage applied to the load, and to output a second pulse signal to the power converter circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Nakamura, Shigemi Masuda, Toshikazu Koshiba, Naoki Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20150059887
    Abstract: There is provided a water leakage detection device including a water leakage detection unit which is configured to detect water leakage, a water leakage detection circuit unit which is configured to be driven by a DC voltage from a DC power source and apply an AC voltage for detecting water leakage to the water leakage detection unit, and is configured to determine whether water is leaking based on a detection signal of the water leakage detection unit. The water leakage detection unit includes an insulating transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, the second side being connected to the water leakage detection unit, and a water leakage detection determining unit which is connected to the primary side of the insulating transformer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Shigemi MASUDA, Toshikazu KOSHIBA
  • Publication number: 20140062438
    Abstract: There is provided a load driving apparatus including: a power converter circuit configured to convert electric power into direct current power; an output electric current detecting circuit configured to detect an output current flowing in the load; and a control circuit section configured to switch ON/OFF-operations of the load depending on an operation instruction information, to perform constant current control during a period of the ON-operation of the load, to output a first pulse signal to the power converter circuit when starting the constant current control, ON-duty of the first pulse signal being substantially same as that during a period of a most recent operation of the load performed immediately before, to perform constant voltage control during a period of the OFF-operation of the load based on an output voltage applied to the load, and to output a second pulse signal to the power converter circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro NAKAMURA, Shigemi MASUDA, Toshikazu KOSHIBA, Naoki YAMAGUCHI
  • Patent number: 8526201
    Abstract: There is provided switching power unit comprising: a PFC voltage detector that detects PFC voltages of the power-factor improvement unit; an output voltage detector that is provided in a current resonance converter unit; a switching controller into which output signals from the PFC voltage detector and output signals from the output voltage detector are input, wherein the switching controller in a full-bridge circuit of first to fourth switching elements, based on output signals from the PFC voltage detector and the output voltage detector, controls the PFC voltages by changing on-duty of the first and second switching elements, and also controls the output voltages by changing switching frequencies of the full-bridge circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiji Minami, Shigemi Masuda
  • Publication number: 20110242854
    Abstract: There is provided switching power unit comprising: a PFC voltage detector that detects PFC voltages of the power-factor improvement unit; an output voltage detector that is provided in a current resonance converter unit; a switching controller into which output signals from the PFC voltage detector and output signals from the output voltage detector are input, wherein the switching controller in a full-bridge circuit of first to fourth switching elements, based on output signals from the PFC voltage detector and the output voltage detector, controls the PFC voltages by changing on-duty of the first and second switching elements, and also controls the output voltages by changing switching frequencies of the full-bridge circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eiji MINAMI, Shigemi MASUDA
  • Publication number: 20090066158
    Abstract: A load driving apparatus includes a transformer, a transformer driving circuit for supplying an alternate current signal to a primary side of the transformer, a load connected at a secondary side of the transformer, a dummy load connected at the secondary side of the transformer, a first switching device for switching whether to supply a secondary side signal of the transformer to the load, a second switching device for switching whether to supply the secondary side signal to the dummy load, and a switching control portion for controlling the first and second switching devices such that the supply of the secondary side signal to the dummy load is stopped when the secondary side signal is supplied to the load, and that the supply of the secondary side signal to the load is stopped when the secondary side signal is supplied to the dummy load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Inventor: Shigemi Masuda
  • Publication number: 20080258640
    Abstract: A discharge lamp lighting apparatus includes: an inverter circuit; a lamp current detecting portion; and a burst mode control circuit which includes a noise reduction circuit including: an error amplification circuit to receive a feedback signal from the lamp current detecting portion; and a frequency response reduction circuit connected to the error amplification circuit, wherein the frequency response reduction circuit receives a dimming pulse signal for the burst mode dimming control, and the response characteristic of the noise reduction circuit is lowered while the dimming pulse signal is outputted, whereby the lamp current waveforms is suppressed from making a sharp change at the time of burst dimming control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2008
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shigemi Masuda