Patents by Inventor Tsuyoshi Nishio

Tsuyoshi Nishio 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: 9905351
    Abstract: A power supply apparatus capable of appropriately supplying electrical power to a power transmission coil even if a foreign object is heated during power supply. The power supply apparatus (100) is provided with a power supply coil (103a) opposing a power-receiving unit (153) provided to a vehicle and supplying power to the power-receiving unit (153), and a casing (103b) accommodating the power supply coil (103a). In the casing (103b), a first cover (202) is formed on a surface of the casing (103b) opposing the power-receiving unit (153), and a second cover (203) opposing the first cover (202) is arranged between the first cover (202) and the power supply coil (103a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiki Tatsuta, Osamu Ohashi, Tsuyoshi Nishio, Noriaki Asaoka, Masayoshi Koizumi
  • Patent number: 9895988
    Abstract: In the present invention, an electricity supply unit (103) contactlessly supplies electricity using electromagnetic induction to an electricity reception unit (153) provided to a vehicle. An electricity supply coil (103a) has a ring shape, and supplies electricity to the electricity reception unit (153) while facing the electricity reception unit (153). A casing (103b) houses the electricity supply coil (103a). The casing (103b) has an inclined section (202) that is inclined in a manner so as to approach the electricity supply coil (103a) gradually in the direction towards the outer periphery (212) of the electricity supply coil (103a) in the radial direction of the electricity supply coil (103a) at the portion at which the electricity supply coil (103a) is projected when the electricity supply coil (103a) is projected at the casing (103b) in the direction towards the electricity reception unit (153).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Koizumi, Osamu Ohashi, Tsuyoshi Nishio, Noriaki Asaoka
  • Publication number: 20180022374
    Abstract: A steering wheel grip detection device includes a series circuit including an inductance element, a thermostat incorporated into a steering wheel, and a heater incorporated into the steering wheel; an electrostatic sensor circuit that detects a grip of the steering wheel by means of an electric or electromagnetic field; and a voltage detecting circuit that detects an open/closed state of the thermostat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Inventors: SHINJI FUJIKAWA, YUTA OKAZAKI, HIROSHI NAITOU, TSUYOSHI NISHIO, NOBUHARU KATSUKI
  • Patent number: 9866036
    Abstract: The electricity supply device (100) supplies electricity using electromagnetic force and opposes an external electricity reception coil (153a). An electricity supply coil (102a) has a hollow section (102b), and has a spiral shape. A reader (103) has an antenna disposed in the projected space resulting from projecting the hollow section (102b) in the central axial direction of the electricity supply coil (102a) and at a position more separated from the electricity reception coil (153a) than the opposing surface that opposes the electricity reception coil (153a) and is of the electricity supply coil (102a), and ID data transmitted by an RF tag (154) installed proximally to the electricity reception coil (153a) is received and detected by the antenna. An electricity-supply-side control unit (104) determines the presence/absence of an electricity reception coil (153a) on the basis of the ID data detected by the reader (103).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Noriaki Asaoka, Osamu Ohashi, Tsuyoshi Nishio, Masayoshi Koizumi
  • Patent number: 9815380
    Abstract: Power supply device is provided with the following: a power supply unit (121) that includes a spiral coil or a solenoid coil; a frequency characteristic acquisition unit (211) that acquires the frequency characteristics of the efficiency of the supply of power from the power supply unit to the power receiving device; a peak determining unit (212) that determines peaks in the frequency characteristics of the efficiency of power supply; and a drive frequency determination unit (213) that, if two peaks have been found, determines as the drive frequency used for supplying power a frequency near the frequency that is the lower of the frequencies of the two peaks, with the lower frequency being given priority over a frequency near the higher frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Koizumi, Osamu Ohashi, Tsuyoshi Nishio, Noriaki Asaoka
  • Publication number: 20170305453
    Abstract: An input device includes an operation part, an operation commencement trigger part, and a detection circuit. The operation part includes an electrostatic capacity-type slider. The operation commencement trigger part is provided at a predetermined location on the slider. The operation commencement trigger part is provided to commence a first operation including a flick operation on the slider. When the detection circuit detects that the operation commencement trigger part has been touched, the detection circuit enables detection of a first operation on the slider.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventors: TSUYOSHI NISHIO, MOTOYUKI OKAYAMA, MASAKI TADA, BAKU SAKAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20170210408
    Abstract: An electrostatic steering wheel hold detection device includes: a first heater element located in a steering wheel, and has one end electrically connected to a power source; an inductor -that is electrically connected to an other end of the first heater element; a second heater element that is included in the steering wheel, and has one end electrically connected to the other end of the first heater element via the inductor; and a sensor circuit that is electrically connected to a connection point between the first heater element and the inductor, and detects, from a change in capacitance at the connection point, whether or not the steering wheel is held. An other end of the second heater element is electrically connected to a ground. The second heater element is located lower than the first heater element in the steering wheel when the steering wheel is in a neutral position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventors: Yuta OKAZAKI, Hiroshi NAITOU, Shinji FUJIKAWA, Tsuyoshi NISHIO, Nobuharu KATSUKI, Takeshi MATSUMURA, Hirotada OTAKE
  • Publication number: 20170183025
    Abstract: A heater device includes: a base member; a heater wire; and a sensor which measures capacitance of the heater wire, wherein the heater wire forms a first wiring pattern and a second wiring pattern connected in series, the first wiring pattern and the second wiring pattern each include N wire blocks, the N wire blocks included in the first wiring pattern and the second wiring pattern are disposed in a manner that arrangement of the N wire blocks included in the first wiring pattern and arrangement of the N wire blocks included in the second wiring pattern are reversed in the circumferential direction of the rim and facing each other in a direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction, and a sum of sensitivity of the sensor to capacitance of a pair of wire blocks facing each other is substantially equal to that of another pair.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD
    Inventors: Yuta OKAZAKI, Hiroshi NAITOU, Shinji FUJIKAWA, Tsuyoshi NISHIO, Nobuharu KATSUKI
  • Publication number: 20170079089
    Abstract: An electrostatic grip detection device includes a base material, a heater wire, a sensor wire, and a detection unit. The heater wire is formed in the base material. The sensor wire is formed in the base material, and has a first end electrically connected to the heater wire and a second end opened. The detection unit is electrically connected to at least one of the heater wire and the sensor wire, and senses a change in electrostatic capacitance of at least one of the heater wire and the sensor wire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Inventors: YUTA OKAZAKI, HIROSHI NAITOU, SHINJI FUJIKAWA, TSUYOSHI NISHIO, NOBUHARU KATSUKI
  • Patent number: 9579978
    Abstract: The present invention is an in-vehicle charger for detecting ground faults originating in sections in which alternating current is flowing. This device is an in-vehicle charger (100) for charging a vehicle-mounted battery, wherein the device is provided with: a bridge rectifier (14) for converting alternating current supplied from a power source to direct current; a ground fault detecting circuit (21) for outputting a test voltage when a test current flows in a circuit in the in-vehicle charger (100) and, based on changes in the test current in response to the presence or absence of a ground fault resistor, for detecting a ground fault in the circuit of the in-vehicle charger (100); and a controller (23) for controlling the ground fault sensing circuit (21) so as to output a test voltage exceeding the forward voltage of a diode provided by the bridge rectifier (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Nishio, Osamu Ohashi, Noriaki Asaoka, Akihiro Morimoto
  • Patent number: 9539911
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle guidance apparatus that can easily guide a vehicle in the vicinity of a power supply section to the power supply unit by guiding the vehicle along a path of travel to the power supply unit without employing image data. In this device, a power supply efficiency calculation unit calculates the power supply efficiency, which is the efficiency with which power is received from the power supply unit by the charging unit. An amount of change calculation unit calculates the amount of change of efficiency of power supply, which is the amount of change of efficiency of power supply calculated by the power supply efficiency calculation unit. A vehicle-side control unit displays on a display guidance to enable the vehicle to reach the power supply unit, based on the amount of change of efficiency of power supply calculated by the amount of change calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Osamu Ohashi, Tsuyoshi Nishio, Noriaki Asaoka
  • Patent number: 9484988
    Abstract: Provided are a power supply device, a power receiving device, a charging system, and an obstacle detection method that obtain a sufficient obstacle detection sensitivity even when an obstacle is small. A modulation unit (202) performs amplitude modulation or phase modulation on a test data sequence output from a test data sequence storage unit (201). A power control unit (203) generates, according to an instruction from a determination unit (204), a power control signal for increasing the power level of the test data sequence every time when the test data sequence is transmitted. The determination unit (204) determines whether there is an obstacle between the power receiving device and the power supply device based on whether the test data sequence output from the test data sequence storage unit (201) coincides with the test data sequence output from a power-transmitting-side receiving circuit (124).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakaya, Tsuyoshi Nishio
  • Publication number: 20160276872
    Abstract: To minimize excessively high output or increases in magnetic-flux leakage by controlling power feeding on the power-feeding side if an unforeseen situation occurs. This power-feeding device (100) feeds power to an external power-receiving device (150) in a contactless manner. A power-feeding coil (103) uses electromagnetic power to feed electrical power to a power-receiving coil (154) in the power-receiving device (150). While power is being fed from said power-feeding coil (103), a power-feeding-side control unit (107) determines the amount of displacement of the power-feeding coil (103) and, on the basis of the determined displacement amount, controls the amount of electrical power being fed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi NISHIO, Osamu OHASHI, Noriaki ASAOKA, Masayoshi KOIZUMI
  • Publication number: 20160141919
    Abstract: Power feed device (100) supplies power to storage battery (152) mounted on vehicle (150), through power receiving unit (154) of vehicle (150). Power supply unit (104) performs preliminary supply to power receiving unit (154) while sequentially changing a frequency, and performs main supply with power larger than in the preliminary supply. Power supply-side controller (103) acquires frequency characteristics associated with power supply coil (104a), and specifies a resonance frequency based on the acquired frequency characteristics. Power supply-side controller (103) determines whether or not to supply power to power reception coil (154a) based on a frequency difference between resonance frequencies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: OSAMU OHASHI, TSUYOSHI NISHIO, NORIAKI ASAOKA, MASAYOSHI KOIZUMI
  • Publication number: 20160114688
    Abstract: Inverter supplies an alternating current (AC) power of a constant voltage or a constant current to power supply coil while varying a drive frequency. Frequency characteristic acquisition unit acquires frequency characteristics of a current value associated with a current flowing through power supply coil that receives the supplied AC power, or a voltage value associated with a voltage applied to power supply coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: MASAYOSHI KOIZUMI, OSAMU OHASHI, TSUYOSHI NISHIO, NORIAKI ASAOKA
  • Publication number: 20160101805
    Abstract: A steering wheel heater device including: a steering wheel heater configured of an electrical resistor which produces heat by electrical energy; an inductor; at least one switch; and a sensor circuit, wherein the inductor is connected in series to a first terminal of the steering wheel heater, the at least one switch turns on and off the supply of power to the steering wheel heater, the sensor circuit is electrically connected to the first terminal and determines whether a detected subject is in contact with a steering wheel based on a magnitude of capacitance of the steering wheel heater, and the at least one switch is at least one of a switch connected in series to the first terminal of the steering wheel heater via the inductor and a switch connected in series to a second terminal of the steering wheel heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: TSUYOSHI NISHIO, HIROSHI NAITOU, BAKU SAKAGUCHI, SHINJI FUJIKAWA, YUTA OKAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20160096543
    Abstract: A steering wheel heater device including: a heating wire; a power line connected in series to the heating wire, for supplying the heating wire with power; a ground line connected in series to the heating wire; a lead-out wire connected to a point along a wiring pattern formed of the heating wire; and a contact detection circuit electrically connected to the wiring pattern formed of the heating wire through the lead-out wire, wherein a portion of the wiring pattern is connected in series between the ground line and the contact detection circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Inventors: Hiroshi NAITOU, Shinji FUJIKAWA, Tsuyoshi NISHIO, Nobuharu KATSUKI
  • Publication number: 20160052405
    Abstract: Power supply device is provided with the following: a power supply unit (121) that includes a spiral coil or a solenoid coil; a frequency characteristic acquisition unit (211) that acquires the frequency characteristics of the efficiency of the supply of power from the power supply unit to the power receiving device; a peak determining unit (212) that determines peaks in the frequency characteristics of the efficiency of power supply; and a drive frequency determination unit (213) that, if two peaks have been found, determines as the drive frequency used for supplying power a frequency near the frequency that is the lower of the frequencies of the two peaks, with the lower frequency being given priority over a frequency near the higher frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventors: Masayoshi KOIZUMI, Osamu OHASHI, Tsuyoshi NISHIO, Noriaki ASAOKA
  • Publication number: 20160043565
    Abstract: The electricity supply device (100) supplies electricity using electromagnetic force and opposes an external electricity reception coil (153a). An electricity supply coil (102a) has a hollow section (102b), and has a spiral shape. A reader (103) has an antenna disposed in the projected space resulting from projecting the hollow section (102b) in the central axial direction of the electricity supply coil (102a) and at a position more separated from the electricity reception coil (153a) than the opposing surface that opposes the electricity reception coil (153a) and is of the electricity supply coil (102a), and ID data transmitted by an RF tag (154) installed proximally to the electricity reception coil (153a) is received and detected by the antenna. An electricity-supply-side control unit (104) determines the presence/absence of an electricity reception coil (153a) on the basis of the ID data detected by the reader (103).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Noriaki ASAOKA, Osamu OHASHI, Tsuyoshi NISHIO, Masayoshi KOIZUMI
  • Publication number: 20150330931
    Abstract: A grip sensor includes: a plurality of capacitive detectors which are disposed in a grip of a steering wheel of a vehicle, and output values which vary according to whether a human body is in contact; and a controller which determines, at a preset timing, a reference value to be subtracted from the values output from the plurality of capacitive detectors, to determine whether the human body is in contact, wherein the controller identifies, from among values output from the plurality of capacitive detectors at the preset timing, one or more values each having an absolute value smaller than a first threshold, and determines, as the reference value, one of the one or more values identified or an average of the one or more values identified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: SHINJI FUJIKAWA, NOBUHARU KATSUKI, TSUYOSHI NISHIO, HIROSHI NAITOU, YUTA OKAZAKI