Patents by Inventor Takashi Matsutani

Takashi Matsutani 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: 20230366362
    Abstract: A cylinder block includes a water jacket surrounding a cylinder of an internal combustion engine and a water jacket spacer disposed inside the water jacket. In the cylinder block, a direction toward a center of the cylinder in a radial direction of the cylinder is defined as an inner side. A direction away from the center in the radial direction of the cylinder is defined as an outer side. The water jacket spacer includes a spacer plate and a conversion portion protruding from the spacer plate in the radial direction. The conversion portion has an action surface on which a pressure of coolant flowing through the water jacket acts. The conversion portion converts a force applied to the action surface by the pressure of the coolant into a force pushing the spacer plate toward the inner side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuki AKIMOTO, Takashi MATSUTANI, Kou SHIRAKIGAWA
  • Patent number: 11802521
    Abstract: A cylinder block includes a water jacket surrounding a cylinder of an internal combustion engine and a water jacket spacer disposed inside the water jacket. In the cylinder block, a direction toward a center of the cylinder in a radial direction of the cylinder is defined as an inner side. A direction away from the center in the radial direction of the cylinder is defined as an outer side. The water jacket spacer includes a spacer plate and a conversion portion protruding from the spacer plate in the radial direction. The conversion portion has an action surface on which a pressure of coolant flowing through the water jacket acts. The conversion portion converts a force applied to the action surface by the pressure of the coolant into a force pushing the spacer plate toward the inner side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuki Akimoto, Takashi Matsutani, Kou Shirakigawa
  • Patent number: 10474292
    Abstract: An information reception device is provided with: operation surface which is adjusted to produce a characteristic index vibration by an object contact; a storage device stores candidate information (candidate information is related with the index vibration) which serves as a candidate of input information; a microphone which acquires observation information according to observation of the actual vibration arising in the surrounding environment; and a CPU. The CPU (selecting part) judges whether or not the index vibration exists in the observation information acquired. When the CPU judges that the index vibration exists, the CPU selects the candidate information which is related with the index vibration as the input information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignees: MEGACHIPS CORPORATION, NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Motoyasu Tanaka, Takashi Matsutani, Masayasu Yamamoto, Yuki Haraguchi, Hideo Sugawara, Ikuo Kawamoto, Motoki Haishi, Nobuyuki Kozonoi
  • Patent number: 10267208
    Abstract: A cooling structure of an engine includes a cylinder head and a coolant temperature sensor. The cylinder head gas a first water jacket for cooling a combustion chamber and a second water jacket for cooling an exhaust manifold. The cylinder head includes a joining portion where coolants from the first water jacket and the second water jacket join together. The joining portion has a first coolant passage. A second coolant passage is disposed downstream of the joining portion. The temperature sensing portion is disposed in the second coolant passage. A coolant outlet of the second water jacket is defined in the first coolant passage, and is located at a position on the cylinder head cover attachment surface side in the first coolant passage. The temperature sensing portion is located at a position on the cylinder block attachment surface side in the second coolant passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahito Kudo, Takashi Matsutani
  • Patent number: 10253678
    Abstract: An engine cooling apparatus includes a mechanical water pump having a suction hole and N discharge holes (N is an integer not less than two), N water jackets that are arranged in an engine and correspond to the N discharge holes, N joint passages, each of which joins one of the N discharge holes to the associated water jacket, a return passage that returns coolant to the suction hole after the coolant has passed through the N water jackets and has merged in a merging portion, a coolant stopping mechanism that blocks return flow of coolant through the return passage, and N communication passages each of which allows the corresponding one of the N joint passages to communicate with the suction hole while bypassing the N water jackets and the coolant stopping mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Rihito Kaneko, Noboru Takagi, Isao Takagi, Takashi Matsutani, Naoto Hisaminato, Mitsuru Yamaguchi, Hirokazu Ando
  • Publication number: 20180004354
    Abstract: An information reception device is provided with: operation surface which is adjusted to produce a characteristic index vibration by an object contact; a storage device stores candidate information (candidate information is related with the index vibration) which serves as a candidate of input information; a microphone which acquires observation information according to observation of the actual vibration arising in the surrounding environment; and a CPU. The CPU (selecting part) judges whether or not the index vibration exists in the observation information acquired. When the CPU judges that the index vibration exists, the CPU selects the candidate information which is related with the index vibration as the input information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Applicants: MegaChips Corporation, Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Motoyasu Tanaka, Takashi Matsutani, Masayasu Yamamoto, Yuki Haraguchi, Hideo Sugawara, Ikuo Kawamoto, Motoki Haishi, Nobuyuki Kozonoi
  • Publication number: 20170248064
    Abstract: A cooling structure of an engine includes a cylinder head and a coolant temperature sensor. The cylinder head gas a first water jacket for cooling a combustion chamber and a second water jacket for cooling an exhaust manifold. The cylinder head includes a joining portion where coolants from the first water jacket and the second water jacket join together. The joining portion has a first coolant passage. A second coolant passage is disposed downstream of the joining portion. The temperature sensing portion is disposed in the second coolant passage. A coolant outlet of the second water jacket is defined in the first coolant passage, and is located at a position on the cylinder head cover attachment surface side in the first coolant passage. The temperature sensing portion is located at a position on the cylinder block attachment surface side in the second coolant passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahito KUDO, Takashi MATSUTANI
  • Publication number: 20170218879
    Abstract: An engine cooling apparatus includes a mechanical water pump having a suction hole and N discharge holes (N is an integer not less than two), N water jackets that are arranged in an engine and correspond to the N discharge holes, N joint passages, each of which joins one of the N discharge holes to the associated water jacket, a return passage that returns coolant to the suction hole after the coolant has passed through the N water jackets and has merged in a merging portion, a coolant stopping mechanism that blocks return flow of coolant through the return passage, and N communication passages each of which allows the corresponding one of the N joint passages to communicate with the suction hole while bypassing the N water jackets and the coolant stopping mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Rihito KANEKO, Noboru TAKAGI, Isao TAKAGI, Takashi MATSUTANI, Naoto HISAMINATO, Mitsuru YAMAGUCHI, Hirokazu ANDO
  • Patent number: 9369178
    Abstract: A PLC/power-supply hybrid device includes a power supply circuit. The power supply circuit includes a switching part for chopping a voltage of a voltage input terminal side, and a control circuit that controls the chopping by controlling switching of the switching part. The control circuit is operated in a normal mode and a transmission mode. The normal mode is a mode in which voltage conversion is performed. The transmission mode is a mode in which data transmission is performed through PLC using a power line that leads to the voltage input terminal. In the transmission mode, the control circuit modulates the switching of the switching part in accordance with transmission data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: MegaChips Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Matsutani
  • Patent number: 9282170
    Abstract: A communication device includes: a first communication element configured to perform communication in a first communication scheme; a second communication element configured to perform communication in a second communication scheme different from the first communication scheme by using, as common hardware, at least part among hardware that implements the communication in the first communication scheme; a schedule management section that manages which of the first communication element and the second communication element is to be used; and a sequence control section that, in accordance with an instruction given from the schedule management section, sets the common hardware so as to enable the communication in the first communication scheme or the communication in the second communication scheme to be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: MegaChips Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Matsutani, Shigenori Motooka
  • Patent number: 9197317
    Abstract: A communication system includes information acquisition devices having facility information and an information collection device for collecting the facility information from the information acquisition devices. The information collection device requests the information acquisition devices to send the facility information by using the first communication unit and the second communication unit of the information collection device. Each of the information acquisition devices includes a communication scheme specifying section for specifying which one of the first communication unit and the second communication unit in each of the information acquisition devices has first received the request to send from the information collection device, and a communication control section for making a reply to the request to send by using the communication unit specified by the communication scheme specifying section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: MegaChips Corporation
    Inventors: Shigenori Motooka, Koji Ishio, Takashi Matsutani
  • Patent number: 9049087
    Abstract: A communication device includes: a reception element for receiving a radio signal modulated in a first modulation scheme or a second modulation scheme; a first demodulation element for demodulating the received radio signal in a first demodulation scheme corresponding to the first modulation scheme; a second demodulation element for demodulating the received radio signal in a second demodulation scheme corresponding to the second modulation scheme; and a modulation scheme detection section for detecting a modulation scheme of the received radio signal. The received radio signal includes modulation scheme determination information. The modulation scheme detection section detects the modulation scheme of the received radio signal based on a result of demodulation of the modulation scheme determination information performed by the first demodulation element and a result of demodulation of the modulation scheme determination information performed by the second demodulation element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: MegaChips Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Matsutani, Shigenori Motooka, Keishi Kajiwara
  • Patent number: 9014294
    Abstract: A communication system includes a first communication apparatus and a second communication apparatus. The first communication apparatus generates and transmits communication data in accordance with a predetermined protocol. The second communication apparatus includes a power circuit section having a switching regulator, and is configured to receive the communication data transmitted from the first communication apparatus. The predetermined protocol includes a protocol defining that at least one portion of a bit sequence constituting the communication data should be associated with an operation of the switching regulator. The second communication apparatus causes the switching regulator to operate in a time period in which the at least one portion of the communication data is received, in a state where the communication data is received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: MegaChips Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Matsutani
  • Publication number: 20140154974
    Abstract: A communication system includes information acquisition devices having facility information and an information collection device for collecting the facility information from the information acquisition devices. The information collection device requests the information acquisition devices to send the facility information by using the first communication unit and the second communication unit of the information collection device. Each of the information acquisition devices includes a communication scheme specifying section for specifying which one of the first communication unit and the second communication unit in each of the information acquisition devices has first received the request to send from the information collection device, and a communication control section for making a reply to the request to send by using the communication unit specified by the communication scheme specifying section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: MegaChips Corporation
    Inventors: Shigenori Motooka, Koji Ishio, Takashi Matsutani
  • Publication number: 20130234690
    Abstract: A power supply device includes a power supply circuit and a power information generation part. The power supply circuit performs voltage conversion in which an input voltage applied to a voltage input terminal is converted into a voltage having a predetermined voltage value, and outputs the voltage obtained as a result of the voltage conversion to a voltage output terminal. The power supply circuit includes a switching part for, by a switching operation thereof, chopping a voltage of the voltage input terminal side, and a control circuit that controls the switching operation of the switching part. The power information generation part generates power information concerning power that is outputted from the voltage output terminal based on a content of the switching operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: MegaChips Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Matsutani
  • Publication number: 20130182781
    Abstract: A PLC/power-supply hybrid device includes a power supply circuit. The power supply circuit includes a switching part for chopping a voltage of a voltage input terminal side, and a control circuit that controls the chopping by controlling switching of the switching part. The control circuit is operated in a normal mode and a transmission mode. The normal mode is a mode in which voltage conversion is performed. The transmission mode is a mode in which data transmission is performed through PLC using a power line that leads to the voltage input terminal. In the transmission mode, the control circuit modulates the switching of the switching part in accordance with transmission data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: MegaChips Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Matsutani
  • Publication number: 20130124743
    Abstract: A communication device includes: a first communication element configured to perform communication in a first communication scheme; a second communication element configured to perform communication in a second communication scheme different from the first communication scheme by using, as common hardware, at least part among hardware that implements the communication in the first communication scheme; a schedule management section that manages which of the first communication element and the second communication element is to be used; and a sequence control section that, in accordance with an instruction given from the schedule management section, sets the common hardware so as to enable the communication in the first communication scheme or the communication in the second communication scheme to be performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: MegaChips Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Matsutani, Shigenori Motooka
  • Publication number: 20130107976
    Abstract: A communication device includes: a reception element for receiving a radio signal modulated in a first modulation scheme or a second modulation scheme; a first demodulation element for demodulating the received radio signal in a first demodulation scheme corresponding to the first modulation scheme; a second demodulation element for demodulating the received radio signal in a second demodulation scheme corresponding to the second modulation scheme; and a modulation scheme detection section for detecting a modulation scheme of the received radio signal. The received radio signal includes modulation scheme determination information. The modulation scheme detection section detects the modulation scheme of the received radio signal based on a result of demodulation of the modulation scheme determination information performed by the first demodulation element and a result of demodulation of the modulation scheme determination information performed by the second demodulation element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: MegaChips Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Matsutani, Shigenori Motooka, Keishi Kajiwara
  • Publication number: 20120281782
    Abstract: A communication system includes a first communication apparatus and a second communication apparatus. The first communication apparatus generates and transmits communication data in accordance with a predetermined protocol. The second communication apparatus includes a power circuit section having a switching regulator, and is configured to receive the communication data transmitted from the first communication apparatus. The predetermined protocol includes a protocol defining that at least one portion of a bit sequence constituting the communication data should be associated with an operation of the switching regulator. The second communication apparatus causes the switching regulator to operate in a time period in which the at least one portion of the communication data is received, in a state where the communication data is received.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2010
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: MegaChips Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Matsutani
  • Patent number: 8231356
    Abstract: A control system is provided with an electric water pump that has a sensorless-type brushless motor including a rotor that rotates so as to circulate a coolant between an internal combustion engine and a radiator, and a control device that issues an instruction to stop the brushless motor and prohibits a start of the brushless motor till the rotor stops rotating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Matsutani, Koichi Aizawa