Patents by Inventor Tomonori Kanai

Tomonori Kanai 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: 9897662
    Abstract: A battery system includes a battery module having a plurality of assembled batteries. Battery monitoring circuits are provided to correspond to each of the assembled batteries of the battery module. A control circuit controls operation of the battery monitoring circuits. A first signal transmission path transmits signals that are input and output between the battery monitoring circuits and the control circuit. A first isolation element is connected to the control circuit, and a second isolation element is connected to the battery monitoring circuit. The first signal transmission path is isolated from the control circuit by the first isolation element and is isolated from the battery monitoring circuit by the second isolation element. The electrical potential of the first signal transmission path is a floating potential in relation to the electrical potentials of the control circuit and battery monitoring circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hikaru Miura, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Akihiko Kudoh, Tomonori Kanai
  • Publication number: 20180043781
    Abstract: Cell voltage measurement is executed immediately after termination of diagnosis on a cell voltage detection function. In a battery managing device 10, a voltage detecting unit 140 detects a terminal voltage of each of battery cells 21 and 22. An RC filter 110 is electrically connected to voltage detecting lines L1, L2, and L3, and a status variation causing unit 130 causes an electrical status variation with respect to the voltage detecting lines L1, L2, and L3. A voltage fluctuating unit 120 fluctuates the terminal voltage of the battery cells 21 and 22 in response to the electrical status variation that is caused by the status variation causing unit 130. A microcomputer 150 diagnoses the voltage detecting unit 140 on the basis of a detection result of the terminal voltage of the battery cells 21 and 22 by the voltage detecting unit 140 when the terminal voltage of the battery cells 21 and 22 is fluctuated by the voltage fluctuating unit 120.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomonori KANAI, Akihiko KUDO, Tomoyuki ARIMA, Akiko TSUKAMOTO
  • Patent number: 9880224
    Abstract: A battery system monitoring device includes a plurality of battery monitoring circuits, which is respectively provided in cell groups, and a balancing resistor. Each of the battery monitoring circuits includes a cell voltage measurement unit to measure a cell voltage of each single battery cell at predetermined timing, a discharge switch to switch a state of a discharge current which flows from each single battery cell through the balancing resistor, and a balancing control unit configured to control the discharge switch. A filter circuit is connected between the cell voltage measurement unit and each single battery cell. The cell voltage measurement unit determines whether a cell voltage is measured within a transient response period corresponding to a time constant of the filter circuit and corrects a measurement value of a cell voltage by using a correction value correcting a result of the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiko Kudo, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Tomonori Kanai
  • Publication number: 20180017631
    Abstract: An object is to achieve management control of an assembled battery using an accurate measured value of a cell voltage. A battery system monitoring apparatus 10 that monitors and controls a battery system includes battery monitoring circuits 100 provided for respective cell groups 120. Each of the battery monitoring circuits 100 includes a cell voltage measurement module 6 that is connected with two electrodes of respective single battery cells 110 of a corresponding cell group 120 via voltage detection lines 2 and that measures a cell voltage of each of the single battery cells 110 at each of predetermined timings. An RC filter 4 is connected with the voltage detection lines 2. The RC filter 4 includes resistors and capacitors. The cell voltage measurement module 6 extends intervals at which the cell voltage is to be measured when a stored charge amount in the capacitor in the RC filter 4 changes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiko KUDO, Tomonori KANAI, Tomoyuki ARIMA, Akiko TSUKAMOTO
  • Patent number: 9755453
    Abstract: A cell controller in a battery-monitoring device that monitors an assembled battery having a single cell group or a plurality of cell groups, each made up with a plurality of battery cells connected in series, includes: a startup terminal to which a first discharge resistor is connected and a startup voltage is applied; and a cell-balancing unit that executes cell balancing operation in order to adjust charge levels of the plurality of battery cells during a time period through which the startup voltage remains equal to or greater than a predetermined voltage, wherein: the startup voltage is applied for a predetermined length of time by a first timer unit that includes a passive element capable of accumulating electric energy and capable of discharging electric energy to the startup terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomonori Kanai, Akihiko Kudoh, Hikaru Miura, Mitsuo Noda, Mutsumi Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 9746525
    Abstract: A battery system monitoring device that monitors a battery system provided with a cell group having a plurality of battery cells connected in series with each other, including: a first control device that monitors and controls states of the plurality of battery cells of the cell group; a second control device that controls the first control device; a temperature detection unit that measures a temperature in the vicinity of the first control device; and a plurality of voltage detection lines, for measuring an inter-terminal voltage of the battery cell, which connect each of a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the battery cell and the first control device. The first control device includes a balancing switch, which performs balancing discharge of the battery cell for each of the battery cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiko Kudo, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Tomonori Kanai, Tatsumi Yamauchi, Akihiro Machida
  • Patent number: 9696383
    Abstract: A battery monitoring system includes a plurality of battery monitoring devices connected to a battery formed by connecting a plurality of battery cell groups in series, and monitor a state of the battery for the respective battery cell groups, each of the plurality of battery cell groups being of one or a plurality of battery cells connected in series, and a controller that performs wireless communication with the plurality of battery monitoring devices. First identification information portions which are different from each other are set in the plurality of battery monitoring devices in advance, and second identification information corresponding to an order of potentials of the battery cell groups in the battery, to which the battery monitoring devices are connected, is assigned to each of the plurality of battery monitoring devices. The controller stores a relationship between the first and second identification information for each battery monitoring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Mutsumi Kikuchi, Akihiko Kudo, Tomonori Kanai, Hikaru Miura, Akihiko Emori
  • Patent number: 9651625
    Abstract: A battery monitoring apparatus comprises a reception section to receive a radio signal and to output power and a demodulated signal according to the radio signal; a first power source circuit to perform power supply based on the power; a decode circuit to operate upon receiving the power supply from the first power source circuit and to output an activation signal and a command based on the demodulated signal; a second power source circuit to be activated according to the activation signal and to perform power supply; a battery monitoring circuit to operate upon receiving the power supply from the second power source circuit and to output a monitoring result of a state of the battery according to the command; and a transmission section to operate upon receiving the power supply from the second power source circuit and to wirelessly transmit the monitoring result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Mutsumi Kikuchi, Akihiko Kudo, Tomonori Kanai, Hikaru Miura, Akihiko Emori
  • Patent number: 9568557
    Abstract: A battery monitoring device for monitoring a cell group made by connecting a plurality of single battery cells in series includes a reference voltage generation circuit configured to generate a variable reference voltage, a switching circuit configured to select, as a measurement target voltage, any one of a plurality of types of voltages including the cell voltages of the single battery cells in the cell group and the reference voltage, and an AD converter configured to measure the measurement target voltage which is selected by the switching circuit, and output a digital signal according to the measurement result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiko Kudo, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Tomonori Kanai, Tatsumi Yamauchi, Akihiro Machida
  • Patent number: 9519027
    Abstract: A battery monitoring device for monitoring a cell group made by connecting a plurality of single battery cells in series including a first switching circuit configured to select, as a measurement target voltage, a type of voltage a differential amplifier circuit including a first input terminal and a second input terminal, configured to convert the measurement target voltage, which is selected by the first switching circuit and input between the first input terminal and the second input terminal, into a voltage in a predetermined range by performing differential amplification, and an AD converter configured to measure the measurement target voltage selected by the first switching circuit and converted by the differential amplifier circuit, and output a digital signal according to the measurement result, wherein an abnormality detection voltage, is output to the AD converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiko Kudo, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Tomonori Kanai, Tatsumi Yamauchi, Akihiro Machida
  • Publication number: 20160301112
    Abstract: Communication distance can be extended in a battery system that transmits states of the battery cells by wireless communication. Each of cell controllers wirelessly transmits measurement result of states of battery cells in cell groups to a battery controller, by using an electric power supplied from the battery cells in the cell groups. The battery controller continuously transmits unmodulated carrier wave to each of the cell controllers. Each of the cell controllers changes an impedance for the unmodulated carrier wave transmitted from the battery controller at a predetermined timing in dependence on the measurement result of the states of the battery cells in the cell groups. Due to this, the measurement result of the states of the battery cells in the cell groups is wirelessly transmitted to the battery controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takanori YAMAZOE, Hiroshi IWASAWA, Takahide TERADA, Takashi TAKEUCHI, Mutsumi KIKUCHI, Akihiko KUDO, Tomonori KANAI
  • Publication number: 20160226276
    Abstract: Even with a large ripple voltage superposed on a voltage of a battery cell, the voltage of the battery cell can be measured accurately. In a battery monitoring device, a supply circuit, based on a reference voltage inputted from an assembled battery, generates a driving voltage for driving each of switching elements, of a selection circuit and supplies the driving voltage to the selection circuit. The reference voltage is inputted from the assembled battery to the supply circuit via a detecting filter circuit. As a result, a time constant of a route through which the reference voltage is inputted from the assembled battery to the supply circuit is approximately equal to time constants of detecting filter circuits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2014
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi IWASAWA, Akihiko KUDO, Mitsuo NODA, Mutsumi KIKUCHI, Tomonori KANAI
  • Publication number: 20160169976
    Abstract: Provided are a battery monitoring device capable of suppressing a current flowing to individual battery cells and enhancing the safety thereof, even when there is a short circuit, for example, in a connection line connecting substrates having integrated circuits mounted thereon and a substrate having a microcomputer mounted thereon or a connection line connecting the substrates having the integrated circuits mounted thereon, and a battery system using the same. Resistors are provided in a positive electrode input line 13a connecting a positive electrode side of a battery pack group 200 and a total voltage detecting unit 13 and/or a negative electrode input line 13b connecting a negative electrode side of the battery pack group 200 and the total voltage detecting unit 13 and the resistors of the positive electrode input line 13a and/or negative electrode input line 13b are arranged on individual cell monitoring circuit boards 31 and 32.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hikaru MIURA, Akihiko KUDOH, Mutsumi KIKUCHI, Tomonori KANAI
  • Publication number: 20160069962
    Abstract: A battery system includes a battery module having a plurality of assembled batteries. Battery monitoring circuits are provided to correspond to each of the assembled batteries of the battery module. A control circuit controls operation of the battery monitoring circuits. A first signal transmission path transmits signals that are input and output between the battery monitoring circuits and the control circuit. A first isolation element is connected to the control circuit, and a second isolation element is connected to the battery monitoring circuit. The first signal transmission path is isolated from the control circuit by the first isolation element and is isolated from the battery monitoring circuit by the second isolation element. The electrical potential of the first signal transmission path is a floating potential in relation to the electrical potentials of the control circuit and battery monitoring circuits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2013
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hikaru MIURA, Mutsumi KIKUCHI, Akihiko KUDOH, Tomonori KANAI
  • Publication number: 20160061901
    Abstract: A battery system monitoring device includes a plurality of battery monitoring circuits, which is respectively provided in cell groups, and a balancing resistor. Each of the battery monitoring circuits includes a cell voltage measurement unit to measure a cell voltage of each single battery cell at predetermined timing, a discharge switch to switch a state of a discharge current which flows from each single battery cell through the balancing resistor, and a balancing control unit configured to control the discharge switch. A filter circuit is connected between the cell voltage measurement unit and each single battery cell. The cell voltage measurement unit determines whether a cell voltage is measured within a transient response period corresponding to a time constant of the filter circuit and corrects a measurement value of a cell voltage by using a correction value correcting a result of the determination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Inventors: Akihiko KUDO, Mutsumi KIKUCHI, Tomonori KANAI
  • Publication number: 20150357685
    Abstract: A battery system that is capable of transmitting the voltage value of each cell by means of wireless communication while suppressing costs and suppressing the number of components includes: a plurality of cells, each having a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal; voltage detection circuits that detect the voltages of the plurality cells; voltage detection lines that connect each of the positive electrode and negative electrode terminals of the cells to each voltage detection circuit; and an upper controller that performs wireless communication with the voltage detection circuits so as to receive, from each of the voltage detection circuits, the corresponding voltage of each cells. The voltage detection lines function as an antenna used to provide wireless communication between the voltage detection circuit and the upper controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi IWASAWA, Takahide TERADA, Mutsumi KIKUCHI, Takanori YAMAZOE, Tomonori KANAI, Akihiko KUDO, Takashi TAKEUCHI
  • Publication number: 20150340883
    Abstract: A cell controller in a battery-monitoring device that monitors an assembled battery having a single cell group or a plurality of cell groups, each made up with a plurality of battery cells connected in series, includes: a startup terminal to which a first discharge resistor is connected and a startup voltage is applied; and a cell-balancing unit that executes cell balancing operation in order to adjust charge levels of the plurality of battery cells during a time period through which the startup voltage remains equal to or greater than a predetermined voltage, wherein: the startup voltage is applied for a predetermined length of time by a first timer unit that includes a passive element capable of accumulating electric energy and capable of discharging electric energy to the startup terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventors: Tomonori KANAI, Akihiko KUDOH, Hikaru MIURA, Mitsuo NODA, Mutsumi KIKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20150323609
    Abstract: A battery monitoring device for monitoring a cell group made by connecting a plurality of single battery cells in series includes a reference voltage generation circuit configured to generate a variable reference voltage, a switching circuit configured to select, as a measurement target voltage, any one of a plurality of types of voltages including the cell voltages of the single battery cells in the cell group and the reference voltage, and an AD converter configured to measure the measurement target voltage which is selected by the switching circuit, and output a digital signal according to the measurement result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiko KUDO, Mutsumi KIKUCHI, Tomonori KANAI, Tatsumi YAMAUCHI, Akihiro MACHIDA
  • Publication number: 20150070023
    Abstract: A battery monitoring device for monitoring a cell group made by connecting a plurality of single battery cells in series including a first switching circuit configured to select, as a measurement target voltage, a type of voltage a differential amplifier circuit including a first input terminal and a second input terminal, configured to convert the measurement target voltage, which is selected by the first switching circuit and input between the first input terminal and the second input terminal, into a voltage in a predetermined range by performing differential amplification, and an AD converter configured to measure the measurement target voltage selected by the first switching circuit and converted by the differential amplifier circuit, and output a digital signal according to the measurement result, wherein an abnormality detection voltage, is output to the AD converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiko Kudo, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Tomonori Kanai, Tatsumi Yamauchi, Akihiro Machida
  • Publication number: 20140354291
    Abstract: A battery monitoring system includes a plurality of battery monitoring devices connected to a battery formed by connecting a plurality of battery cell groups in series, and monitor a state of the battery for the respective battery cell groups, each of the plurality of battery cell groups being of one or a plurality of battery cells connected in series, and a controller that performs wireless communication with the plurality of battery monitoring devices. First identification information portions which are different from each other are set in the plurality of battery monitoring devices in advance, and second identification information corresponding to an order of potentials of the battery cell groups in the battery, to which the battery monitoring devices are connected, is assigned to each of the plurality of battery monitoring devices. The controller stores a relationship between the first and second identification information for each battery monitoring device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: HITACHI VEHICLE ENERGY, LTD.
    Inventors: Mutsumi Kikuchi, Akihiko Kudo, Tomonori Kanai, Hikaru Miura, Akihiko Emori