Patents by Inventor Toshifumi Nakamura
Toshifumi Nakamura 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: 11473549Abstract: An object is to reduce the required numbers of connector pins and A/D converters, without degrading the detection accuracy. There is provided an ignition apparatus which includes: ignition plugs provided for multiple cylinders; an ignition coil provided for each cylinder, and having a primary coil and a secondary coil magnetically coupled to the primary coil and connected to the ignition plug; switching devices each for switching between application and shut-off of current to the primary coil; a primary-voltage-signal separator provided for each cylinder, for inputting thereto a voltage of the primary coil and outputting the voltage as a primary signal; a primary-signal combiner for electrically combining together each primary signal corresponding to each cylinder, to thereby output a composite primary signal; and a primary-voltage-information detector for inputting thereto the composite primary signal, to thereby output primary voltage information of each cylinder.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2021Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Toshifumi Nakamura, Takahiko Inada
-
Publication number: 20210388806Abstract: An object is to reduce the required numbers of connector pins and A/D converters, without degrading the detection accuracy. There is provided an ignition apparatus which includes: ignition plugs provided for multiple cylinders; an ignition coil provided for each cylinder, and having a primary coil and a secondary coil magnetically coupled to the primary coil and connected to the ignition plug; switching devices each for switching between application and shut-off of current to the primary coil; a primary-voltage-signal separator provided for each cylinder, for inputting thereto a voltage of the primary coil and outputting the voltage as a primary signal; a primary-signal combiner for electrically combining together each primary signal corresponding to each cylinder, to thereby output a composite primary signal; and a primary-voltage-information detector for inputting thereto the composite primary signal, to thereby output primary voltage information of each cylinder.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2021Publication date: December 16, 2021Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Toshifumi NAKAMURA, Takahiko INADA
-
Patent number: 11105311Abstract: An ignition device for an internal combustion engine includes an ignition coil, a first switch, a secondary current adjuster, and controller The ignition coil includes a primary coil, a core, and a secondary coil. The first switch switches an energized state of the primary coil between an ON state and an OFF state. The secondary current adjuster adjusts a current value of a secondary current flowing through the secondary coil. The controller controls the secondary current adjuster so that a current value of the secondary current in at least a part of a charging period of the ignition plug, which is a period from when the energized state of the primary coil is switched from the ON state to the OFF state by the first switch to when dielectric breakdown occurs in the ignition plug, becomes smaller than a peak value of the secondary current after the dielectric breakdown occurs.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2020Date of Patent: August 31, 2021Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Toshifumi Nakamura, Takahiko Inada
-
Publication number: 20210222665Abstract: An ignition device for an internal combustion engine includes an ignition coil, a first switch, a secondary current adjuster, and controller. The ignition coil includes a primary coil, a core, and a secondary coil. The first switch switches an energized state of the primary coil between an ON state and an OFF state. The secondary current adjuster adjusts a current value of a secondary current flowing through the secondary coil. The controller controls the secondary current adjuster so that a current value of the secondary current in at least a part of a charging period of the ignition plug, which is a period from when the energized state of the primary coil is switched from the ON state to the OFF state by the first switch to when dielectric breakdown occurs in the ignition plug, becomes smaller than a peak value of the secondary current after the dielectric breakdown occurs.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2020Publication date: July 22, 2021Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Toshifumi NAKAMURA, Takahiko INADA
-
Patent number: 10934991Abstract: The invention provides an internal combustion engine combustion state detecting device such that ascertaining a combustion state using ionic current detection is carried out accurately over a wide operating range of an internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine combustion state detecting device includes a spark plug that has a central electrode and a grounding electrode opposing across a gap, and a discharge stopping-induced current detecting device that estimates an induced current caused by a stopping of a spark discharge generated in the gap between the central electrode and the grounding electrode, wherein an ionic current detection threshold is set to a threshold value that is not affected by the induced current using the induced current estimated by the discharge stopping-induced current detecting device.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2018Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Toshifumi Nakamura, Takahiko Inada
-
Patent number: 10859059Abstract: Even when detecting the primary voltage of the primary coil side, without detecting the secondary voltage of the secondary coil side of high voltage, it is desired to provide a discharge state detecting apparatus of an internal combustion engine which can detect a spark discharge state with good accuracy, by reducing influences of the discharge current and the resistance component of the discharge path of the secondary coil side, which are generated in the primary voltage. A discharge state detecting apparatus of an internal combustion engine performs correction which reduces a signal component generated by the secondary current in the ignition coil from the primary voltage detected by the primary voltage detector, based on the detected secondary current, and outputs a primary voltage after correction; and determines a spark discharge state based on the primary voltage after correction.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2020Date of Patent: December 8, 2020Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventor: Toshifumi Nakamura
-
Patent number: 10808673Abstract: To provide a control device, of an internal combustion engine, that accurately identifies the combustion state through ion current detection in a wide operation range of the internal combustion engine, without impairing the reliability and the durability of the control device of the internal combustion engine. This internal combustion engine control device includes: an ignition plug having a center electrode and a ground electrode opposed to each other with a gap therebetween; a circulation device for short-circuiting a primary winding to cause a circulation route to enter a conduction state, thereby stopping spark discharge; and an ion-current-detection bias voltage control device for controlling bias voltage for ion current detection. The potential of the center electrode in an ion current detection period is controlled by adjusting the value of the bias voltage and the changing speed of the bias voltage.Type: GrantFiled: January 2, 2019Date of Patent: October 20, 2020Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Toshifumi Nakamura, Takahiko Inada
-
Publication number: 20200318599Abstract: Even when detecting the primary voltage of the primary coil side, without detecting the secondary voltage of the secondary coil side of high voltage, it is desired to provide a discharge state detecting apparatus of an internal combustion engine which can detect a spark discharge state with good accuracy, by reducing influences of the discharge current and the resistance component of the discharge path of the secondary coil side, which are generated in the primary voltage. A discharge state detecting apparatus of an internal combustion engine performs correction which reduces a signal component generated by the secondary current in the ignition coil from the primary voltage detected by the primary voltage detector, based on the detected secondary current, and outputs a primary voltage after correction; and determines a spark discharge state based on the primary voltage after correction.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2020Publication date: October 8, 2020Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventor: Toshifumi NAKAMURA
-
Patent number: 10499331Abstract: Because it is not possible to sufficiently reduce the number base stations that start uselessly in spite of being in a low traffic state, it is not possible to lower interference between adjacent cells and power consumption sufficiently. A base station starts transmission of a control signal with predetermined power when communication between another base station and a mobile station is started and a first predetermined condition is satisfied.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2018Date of Patent: December 3, 2019Assignee: NEC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshifumi Nakamura, Kojiro Hamabe, Masayuki Ariyoshi, Kazushi Muraoka
-
Publication number: 20190331083Abstract: To provide a control device, of an internal combustion engine, that accurately identifies the combustion state through ion current detection in a wide operation range of the internal combustion engine, without impairing the reliability and the durability of the control device of the internal combustion engine. This internal combustion engine control device includes: an ignition plug having a center electrode and a ground electrode opposed to each other with a gap therebetween; a circulation device for short-circuiting a primary winding to cause a circulation route to enter a conduction state, thereby stopping spark discharge; and an ion-current-detection bias voltage control device for controlling bias voltage for ion current detection. The potential of the center electrode in an ion current detection period is controlled by adjusting the value of the bias voltage and the changing speed of the bias voltage.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 2, 2019Publication date: October 31, 2019Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Toshifumi NAKAMURA, Takahiko INADA
-
Patent number: 10364787Abstract: Provided is a discharge stopping device for stopping a spark discharge during discharge, including an ignition plug, an ignition coil, a power source device, a first switch, and a controller which causes a spark discharge to be generated by controlling the switching of the first switch, the discharge stopping device further including a second switch which is disposed in a current circulation path connecting both ends of a primary coil of the ignition coil and switches the current circulation path between connected and disconnected states, wherein the controller includes a re-energization control process unit which switches the first switch to a connected state and re-energizes the primary coil with current during occurrence of the spark discharge, and a circulation control process unit which switches a second switch to a connected state and sets a current circulation path to a connected state during occurrence of the spark discharge.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2017Date of Patent: July 30, 2019Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventor: Toshifumi Nakamura
-
Publication number: 20190113017Abstract: The invention provides an internal combustion engine combustion state detecting device such that ascertaining a combustion state using ionic current detection is carried out accurately over a wide operating range of an internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine combustion state detecting device includes a spark plug that has a central electrode and a grounding electrode opposing across a gap, and a discharge stopping-induced current detecting device that estimates an induced current caused by a stopping of a spark discharge generated in the gap between the central electrode and the grounding electrode, wherein an ionic current detection threshold is set to a threshold value that is not affected by the induced current using the induced current estimated by the discharge stopping-induced current detecting device.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2018Publication date: April 18, 2019Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Toshifumi NAKAMURA, Takahiko INADA
-
Publication number: 20190037490Abstract: Because it is not possible to sufficiently reduce the number base stations that start uselessly in spite of being in a low traffic state, it is not possible to lower interference between adjacent cells and power consumption sufficiently. A base station starts transmission of a control signal with predetermined power when communication between another base station and a mobile station is started and a first predetermined condition is satisfied.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2018Publication date: January 31, 2019Applicant: NEC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshifumi NAKAMURA, Kojiro HAMABE, Masayuki ARIYOSHI, Kazushi MURAOKA
-
Patent number: 10167841Abstract: An internal-combustion-engine combustion state detecting apparatus is configured in such a way as to include a circulation unit that short-circuits a primary winding so as to form a circulation path including the primary winding, while a spark discharge is produced in an ignition plug, and a circulation current control unit that controls a circulation current flowing in the circulation path and in such a way that based on an ion current detected by an ion current detection apparatus, the combustion state of an inflammable fuel-air mixture is detected.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2017Date of Patent: January 1, 2019Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Toshifumi Nakamura, Takahiko Inada
-
Patent number: 10123267Abstract: Because it is not possible to sufficiently reduce the number base stations that start uselessly in spite of being in a low traffic state, it is not possible to lower interference between adjacent cells and power consumption sufficiently. A base station starts transmission of a control signal with predetermined power when communication between another base station and a mobile station is started and a first predetermined condition is satisfied.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2017Date of Patent: November 6, 2018Assignee: NEC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshifumi Nakamura, Kojiro Hamabe, Masayuki Ariyoshi, Kazushi Muraoka
-
Publication number: 20180230960Abstract: An internal-combustion-engine combustion state detecting apparatus is configured in such a way as to include a circulation unit that short-circuits a primary winding so as to form a circulation path including the primary winding, while a spark discharge is produced in an ignition plug, and a circulation current control unit that controls a circulation current flowing in the circulation path and in such a way that based on an ion current detected by an ion current detection apparatus, the combustion state of an inflammable fuel-air mixture is detected.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2017Publication date: August 16, 2018Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Toshifumi NAKAMURA, Takahiko INADA
-
Patent number: 9998937Abstract: A method and a device for estimating a communication load, as well as a radio station and an upper-level apparatus in a radio communication system, are provided that can estimate a communication load in a target network with high accuracy by using received quality information. A communication load estimation function (1) for estimating a communication load in a network (NW) estimates the communication load in the network by using at least a first quality indicator (Q1), which is a quality measurement value including entire received power, and a second quality indicator (Q2), which is a quality measurement value including the signal-to-noise-and-interference ratio of a reference signal.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2014Date of Patent: June 12, 2018Assignee: NEC CorporationInventors: Hiroto Sugahara, Jun Shikida, Hiroaki Aminaka, Toshifumi Nakamura
-
Publication number: 20180119666Abstract: Provided is a discharge stopping device for stopping a spark discharge during discharge, including an ignition plug, an ignition coil, a power source device, a first switch, and a controller which causes a spark discharge to be generated by controlling the switching of the first switch, the discharge stopping device further including a second switch which is disposed in a current circulation path connecting both ends of a primary coil of the ignition coil and switches the current circulation path between connected and disconnected states, wherein the controller includes a re-energization control process unit which switches the first switch to a connected state and re-energizes the primary coil with current during occurrence of the spark discharge, and a circulation control process unit which switches a second switch to a connected state and sets a current circulation path to a connected state during occurrence of the spark discharge.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 4, 2017Publication date: May 3, 2018Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventor: Toshifumi NAKAMURA
-
Publication number: 20170303193Abstract: Because it is not possible to sufficiently reduce the number base stations that start uselessly in spite of being in a low traffic state, it is not possible to lower interference between adjacent cells and power consumption sufficiently. A base station starts transmission of a control signal with predetermined power when communication between another base station and a mobile station is started and a first predetermined condition is satisfied.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 3, 2017Publication date: October 19, 2017Applicant: NEC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshifumi NAKAMURA, Kojiro HAMABE, Masayuki ARIYOSHI, Kazushi MURAOKA
-
Patent number: 9693301Abstract: Because it is not possible to sufficiently reduce the number base stations that start uselessly in spite of being in a low traffic state, it is not possible to lower interference between adjacent cells and power consumption sufficiently. A base station starts transmission of a control signal with predetermined power when communication between another base station and a mobile station is started and a first predetermined condition is satisfied.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2016Date of Patent: June 27, 2017Assignee: NEC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshifumi Nakamura, Kojiro Hamabe, Masayuki Ariyoshi, Kazushi Muraoka