Patents by Inventor Souichi Sakai

Souichi Sakai 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: 9768612
    Abstract: To provide a power supply system equipped with a storage battery assembly including a plurality of storage battery control units, the power supply system being configured such that a group of the storage battery control units, which are selected from the storage battery control units, and which have output voltages within a predetermined voltage range, are first connected to the parallel connection line, and such that the voltage range is set so as to maximize the number of the storage battery control units having output voltages within the voltage range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiya Iwasaki, Yasuo Okuda, Souichi Sakai
  • Patent number: 9148020
    Abstract: The method of controlling a battery storing electric power generated by a power generator generating electric power using renewable energy comprises detecting an amount of electric power generated by the power generator at a first time and a second time that is prior to the first time; computing a rate of increase or decrease of the amount of electric power between the first time and the second time; computing a target output value for the electric power to be supplied to an electric power transmission system based on the rate, and supplying to the electric power transmission system electric power corresponding to the target output value from at least one of the power generator and the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yohei Yamada, Hayato Ikebe, Souichi Sakai
  • Patent number: 8952663
    Abstract: A master controller of a battery charge and discharge control apparatus is a device performing charge and discharge control on a group of a predetermined number of battery arrays, the battery arrays being connected together in parallel. The master controller acquires an entire charge or discharge instruction intended for the entire battery array group, starts charging or discharging each of the battery arrays at a uniform charge or discharge power value, acquires a charge or discharge status of each of the battery arrays after the beginning of the charge or discharge and compares the charge or discharge status with a predetermined charge or discharge set value for the entire battery array group, and changes the charge or discharge power value of each of the battery arrays based on a result of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Okuda, Toshiya Iwasaki, Souichi Sakai, Hirotsugu Murashima
  • Patent number: 8836285
    Abstract: Provided is a power management system capable of controlling charge and discharge of storage batteries according to power requirement of load even when handling electric power of large scale. A system controller receives load-related information data including the power requirement of load and storage battery-related information data including a state of a storage battery assembly including multiple storage batteries and creates an overall charge-discharge control instruction for the entire power management system based on the load-related information data and the storage battery-related information data. A hierarchical charge-discharge control apparatus receives the overall charge-discharge control instruction from the system controller and performs charge-discharge control of the multiple storage batteries, classified into hierarchical levels, on a hierarchical level basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken Yamada, Takeshi Nakashima, Hayato Ikebe, Souichi Sakai, Yasuo Okuda, Takuji Sugata, Toshiya Iwasaki, Youichiro Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 8527110
    Abstract: A charge/discharge control device capable of increasing the lifetime of a storage portion while suppressing effects of fluctuation in power generated by a power generator on a power grid is provided. This charge/discharge control device is so formed as to start charge/discharge control of the storage portion if an amount of change in power detected by a power detection portion detecting power passing through a prescribed portion of a line between the power generator and the power grid is at least a prescribed amount of change when the detected power changes from first power to second power while the detected power does not return to power in the vicinity of the first power from the second power within a first period from a time point when the detected power changes from the first power to the second power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakashima, Souichi Sakai, Ryuzo Hagihara
  • Publication number: 20130218358
    Abstract: A power management system is configured to comprise: a plurality of power management units (32, 36, 38, 40, 42) that divide power information about a whole facilities complex into power information about a plurality of management areas, and each of which takes partial charge and manages power information about the area pertaining thereto; and a system controller (30) that is connected to each of the power management units (32, 36, 38, 40, and 42) through a communication element, and that is for conducting power management of the whole facilities complex. When failure information is detected from the power information, an alarm signal is output by the system controller (30), and details about the failure information, which are located at a power management unit (32) for a power apparatus, are transmitted to the other power management units via a server (200).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken Yamada, Hayato Ikebe, Takuji Sugata, Souichi Sakai, Yasuo Okuda
  • Publication number: 20130193768
    Abstract: To provide a power supply system equipped with a storage battery assembly including a plurality of storage battery control units, the power supply system being configured such that a group of the storage battery control units, which are selected from the storage battery control units, and which have output voltages within a predetermined voltage range, are first connected to the parallel connection line, and such that the voltage range is set so as to maximize the number of the storage battery control units having output voltages within the voltage range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO.,LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiya Iwasaki, Yasuo Okuda, Souichi Sakai
  • Publication number: 20130187466
    Abstract: Provided is a power management system, wherein charging/discharging is conducted while reliably preventing overcharging/over-discharging, and charging/discharging control of a storage-battery system comprising a plurality of storage battery units is conducted. An overall storage-battery-unit management unit detects voltages of storage-battery packs composing the storage-battery system, voltages of unit cells composing the storage-battery packs, and serial voltages of the storage battery units, each of which comprises a plurality of storage-battery packs connected in series. Charging is stopped when either of these voltages exceeds an upper limit value, and discharging is stopped when either of these voltages is less than a lower limit value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Souichi Sakai, Yasuo Okuda, Toshiya Iwasaki
  • Publication number: 20120256483
    Abstract: This charge and discharge system comprises a battery connected to a bus to which multiple power a generator and an electric power transmission system are connected, a charger configured to supply power from the bus to the battery, a discharger separate from the charger and configured to output electric power from the battery to the bus, and a controller configured to separately control the charger and the discharger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi NAKASHIMA, Souichi Sakai, Ryuzo Hagihara, Zenjirou Uchida
  • Publication number: 20120253537
    Abstract: The method of controlling a power generator generating electric power using renewable energy and a battery storing electric power generated by the power generator, comprising: acquiring data on an amount of electric power generated by the power generator at predetermined time intervals over a sampling period, the data being acquired as electric signals; computing a target output value for the electric power to be supplied to an electric power transmission system based on the data on the amount of electric power generated by the power generator; supplying to the electric power transmission system electric power equal to the target output value from at least one of the power generator and the battery; determining a fading condition of the battery; and varying the sampling period in accordance with the fading condition of the battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hiroyuki OKUDA, Atsuhiro Funahashi, Yoshito Kaga, Takeshi Nakashima, Souichi Sakai, Ryuzo Hagihara
  • Publication number: 20120235484
    Abstract: The method of controlling a battery storing electric power generated by a power generator generating electric power using renewable energy comprises detecting an amount of electric power generated by the power generator at a first time and a second time that is prior to the first time; computing a rate of increase or decrease of the amount of electric power between the first time and the second time; computing a target output value for the electric power to be supplied to an electric power transmission system based on the rate, and supplying to the electric power transmission system electric power corresponding to the target output value from at least one of the power generator and the battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yohei YAMADA, Hayato Ikebe, Souichi Sakai
  • Publication number: 20120239214
    Abstract: A charge/discharge control device capable of increasing the lifetime of a storage portion while suppressing effects of fluctuation in power generated by a power generator on a power grid is provided. This charge/discharge control device is so formed as to start charge/discharge control of the storage portion if an amount of change in power detected by a power detection portion detecting power passing through a prescribed portion of a line between the power generator and the power grid is at least a prescribed amount of change when the detected power changes from first power to second power while the detected power does not return to power in the vicinity of the first power from the second power within a first period from a time point when the detected power changes from the first power to the second power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakashima, Souichi Sakai, Ryuzo Hagihara
  • Publication number: 20120235497
    Abstract: This method of controlling a battery storing electric power generated by a power generator generating electric power using renewable energy comprising, detecting a power output data at plural points in time during a specified period, the power output data being amounts of electric power generated by the power generator, computing a target output value for supplying to an electric power transmission system based on an average value of the power output data detected at the plural points, and supplying to the electric power transmission system electric power corresponding to the target output value from at least one of the power generator and the battery, wherein the average value is determined so that different weights are applied to the power output data detected at the plural points in calculating the average value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Souichi SAKAI, Ken Yamada
  • Publication number: 20120229093
    Abstract: This electrical charge and discharge system comprises a battery configured to store electric power generated by a power generator using renewable energy, a power output device configured to output power generated by the power generator and power discharged by the battery and a controller configured to control charge and discharge of the battery and to terminate the charge and discharge control of the battery when determined that a fluctuation in power generated by the power generator is less than a standard in continuity for not less than a first period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Souichi SAKAI
  • Publication number: 20120228941
    Abstract: An electrical power supply system is managed by a master management system external to the supply system. The system includes a power generator generating electric power using renewable energy, a battery storing electric power generated by the power generator, and a power output device outputting power from the power generator or the battery. The system also includes a charge and discharge controller acquiring generated power data from the power generator, transmitting the generated power data to the master management system, computing a target output value for output from the power output device, and controlling charge and discharge of the battery such that the target output value is outputted from the power output device. The charge and discharge controller receives charge and discharge instruction signals from the master management device, and initiates or terminates the charge and discharge of the battery based on the charge and discharge instruction signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Souichi SAKAI
  • Publication number: 20120228939
    Abstract: A method of controlling a battery storing electric power generated by a power generator generating electric power using renewable energy, comprising: computing a output value for the electric power to be supplied to an electric power transmission system based on a predetermined maximum charge rate of the battery, and a predetermined maximum discharge rate for the battery; and supplying to the electric power transmission system with electric power corresponding to the output value from at least one of the power generator and the battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshito KAGA, Hiroyuki OKUDA, Atsuhiro FUNAHASHI, Takeshi NAKASHIMA, Souichi SAKAI, Ryuzo HAGIHARA
  • Publication number: 20120228950
    Abstract: This stabilization system providing plural power supply systems, the power supply systems comprising, distributed type power sources, and detection unit detecting the power passing through specific parts of the distribution lines between the distributed type power sources and the power grid, wherein smoothing control is performed on the power output to the power grid based on the detected power output data of the detection unit, and said plural power supply systems include a first power supply system performing smoothing control in the event that the amount of fluctuation of the value of said detected power output is not less than a first threshold value, and a second power supply system performing smoothing control in the event that the amount of fluctuation of the value of said detected power output is not less than a second threshold value which is greater than the first threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Souichi SAKAI
  • Publication number: 20120223579
    Abstract: The electric power generation system has a power generator configured to generate electric power using renewable energy, a battery configured to store electric power generated by the power generator, a detector configured to detect regularly a power data that is the amount of electric power generated by the power generator, a power output means configured to output electric power generated by the power generator and electric power discharged by the battery, and a controller configured to control the charge and discharge of the battery. The controller is configured to acquire the power data from the detector, to determine a first period based on the size of the fluctuations in the amount of electric power generated by the power generator from a first generated power output to a second generated power output, to control the charge and discharge of the battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Souichi SAKAI, Takeshi Nakashima
  • Publication number: 20120212062
    Abstract: A first line includes a switching element and is electrically coupled to a branch point and an external load which is electrically connectable to a battery parallel-operation circuit. A second line includes a resistive element, and is electrically coupled to the external load and the branch point. The first line and the second line are each provided in a plurality. The plural first lines are connected in parallel to one another, and the plural second lines are connected in parallel to one another. The branch points are electrically coupled respectively to plural external, connectable battery units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ken Yamada, Takeshi Nakashima, Hayato Ikebe, Souichi Sakai, Yasuo Okuda, Takuji Sugata, Toshiya Iwasaki, Youichiro Nishikawa
  • Publication number: 20120212183
    Abstract: Provided is a power management system capable of controlling charge and discharge of storage batteries according to power requirement of load even when handling electric power of large scale. A system controller receives load-related information data including the power requirement of load and storage battery-related information data including a state of a storage battery assembly including multiple storage batteries and creates an overall charge-discharge control instruction for the entire power management system based on the load-related information data and the storage battery-related information data. A hierarchical charge-discharge control apparatus receives the overall charge-discharge control instruction from the system controller and performs charge-discharge control of the multiple storage batteries, classified into hierarchical levels, on a hierarchical level basis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ken YAMADA, Takeshi NAKASHIMA, Hayato IKEBE, Souichi SAKAI, Yasuo OKUDA, Takuji SUGATA, Toshiya IWASAKI, Youichiro NISHIKAWA