Patents by Inventor Wataru Horio
Wataru Horio 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).
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Patent number: 11742776Abstract: An inverter circuit includes a plurality of flying capacitors and converts a DC voltage supplied from a DC power supply into an AC voltage. A filter circuit approximates a waveform of an output voltage of the inverter circuit to a sinusoidal wave. An excess current protection circuit supplies a block signal for turning off a plurality of switching elements to the driving circuit when an excess current is detected. When at least one of an abnormal voltage in any of the plurality of flying capacitors and an abrupt change in an output voltage of the power converter occurs, voltages other than a positive voltage of the DC power supply, a negative voltage of the DC power supply, and a zero voltage are restricted from being output from the inverter circuit.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2020Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Kenji Hanamura, Wataru Horio, Hiroyuki Fujii, Shogo Hirota
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Publication number: 20220321027Abstract: An inverter circuit includes a plurality of flying capacitors and converts a DC voltage supplied from a DC power supply into an AC voltage. A filter circuit approximates a waveform of an output voltage of the inverter circuit to a sinusoidal wave. An excess current protection circuit supplies a block signal for turning off a plurality of switching elements to the driving circuit when an excess current is detected. When at least one of an abnormal voltage in any of the plurality of flying capacitors and an abrupt change in an output voltage of the power converter occurs, voltages other than a positive voltage of the DC power supply, a negative voltage of the DC power supply, and a zero voltage are restricted from being output from the inverter circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 21, 2020Publication date: October 6, 2022Inventors: Kenji HANAMURA, Wataru HORIO, Hiroyuki FUJII, Shogo HIROTA
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Patent number: 11411428Abstract: In a power converter including: a first DC-DC converter, an inverter, and a control circuit, a second DC-DC converter that controls an input and an output of a power storage unit is connectable to a DC bus. The control circuit deactivates a reverse power flow suppression function for suppressing a reverse power flow from the inverter to a power system when the second DC-DC converter is not connected to the DC bus and activates the reverse power flow suppression function when the second DC-DC converter is connected to the DC bus.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2019Date of Patent: August 9, 2022Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kota Maeba, Akihiro Kikuchi, Wataru Horio, Hiroyuki Fujii, Kenji Hanamura, Tomoki Ito
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Patent number: 11329488Abstract: The converter circuit includes an inverter. The converter circuit receives DC power from a DC power supply (such as a solar cell or a storage battery unit), has the DC power converted into AC power by at least the inverter, and outputs the AC power to a load or a power grid. When acquiring information that two or more types of power curtailment causes have arisen, a control circuit makes the converter circuit limit power output to a maximum degree of power curtailment out of two or more degrees of power curtailment according to specifics of the two or more types of power curtailment causes.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2019Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Wataru Horio, Hiroyuki Fujii, Kenji Hanamura, Kota Maeba
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Publication number: 20210288504Abstract: The converter circuit includes an inverter. The converter circuit receives DC power from a DC power supply (such as a solar cell or a storage battery unit), has the DC power converted into AC power by at least the inverter, and outputs the AC power to a load or a power grid. When acquiring information that two or more types of power curtailment causes have arisen, a control circuit makes the converter circuit limit power output to a maximum degree of power curtailment out of two or more degrees of power curtailment according to specifics of the two or more types of power curtailment causes.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 19, 2019Publication date: September 16, 2021Inventors: Wataru HORIO, Hiroyuki FUJII, Kenji HANAMURA, Kota MAEBA
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Publication number: 20200019199Abstract: In a power converter including: a first DC-DC converter, an inverter, and a control circuit, a second DC-DC converter that controls an input and an output of a power storage unit is connectable to a DC bus. The control circuit deactivates a reverse power flow suppression function for suppressing a reverse power flow from the inverter to a power system when the second DC-DC converter is not connected to the DC bus and activates the reverse power flow suppression function when the second DC-DC converter is connected to the DC bus.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2019Publication date: January 16, 2020Inventors: Kota MAEBA, Akihiro KIKUCHI, Wataru HORIO, Hiroyuki FUJII, Kenji HANAMURA, Tomoki ITO
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Patent number: 7840313Abstract: Disclosed is a grid interconnection device that converts electric power from a power supply device into predetermined alternating-current power, and interconnects the power supply device to a power distribution system. The grid interconnection device includes a detector that detects islanding of the power supply device, and a receiver that receives power failure information including local area information indicative of an area in which a power failure occurs, through a predetermined transmission path. The detector enhances detection sensitivity for the islanding when the received power failure information includes the local area information indicative of a different area from the area to which the power distribution system belongs.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2008Date of Patent: November 23, 2010Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Wataru Horio, Kazuo Ito, Masahiro Makino
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Patent number: 7745956Abstract: A grid interconnection device includes a relay controller configured to control separation or interconnection of a relay; a receiver configured to receive, from a predetermined transmission path, power failure information containing at least local area information indicating an area in which a power failure occurs; a determination unit configured to determine an occurrence of a power failure in a power distribution system, when the power failure information includes local area information of an area to which the power distribution system belongs; and a detector configured to detect an islanding state. The detector increases detection sensitivity of the islanding state when the determination unit determines the power failure in the power distribution system. The relay controller performs separation control for the relay when the islanding state is detected by the detector.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2007Date of Patent: June 29, 2010Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kazuo Ito, Wataru Horio, Masahiro Makino, Ryuzo Hagihara, Haruhiko Tatsumi, Takeo Ishida, Osamu Tajima
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Publication number: 20080179966Abstract: Disclosed is a grid interconnection device that converts electric power from a power supply device into predetermined alternating-current power, and interconnects the power supply device to a power distribution system. The grid interconnection device includes a detector that detects islanding of the power supply device, and a receiver that receives power failure information including local area information indicative of an area in which a power failure occurs, through a predetermined transmission path. The detector enhances detection sensitivity for the islanding when the received power failure information includes the local area information indicative of a different area from the area to which the power distribution system belongs.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2008Publication date: July 31, 2008Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.Inventors: Wataru HORIO, Kazuo Ito, Masahiro Makino
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Publication number: 20080100145Abstract: A grid interconnection device includes a relay controller configured to control separation or interconnection of a relay; a receiver configured to receive, from a predetermined transmission path, power failure information containing at least local area information indicating an area in which a power failure occurs; a determination unit configured to determine an occurrence of a power failure in a power distribution system, when the power failure information includes local area information of an area to which the power distribution system belongs; and a detector configured to detect an islanding state. The detector increases detection sensitivity of the islanding state when the determination unit determines the power failure in the power distribution system. The relay controller performs separation control for the relay when the islanding state is detected by the detector.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2007Publication date: May 1, 2008Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTDInventors: Kazuo ITO, Wataru Horio, Masahiro Makino, Ryuzo Hagihara, Haruhiko Tatsumi, Takeo Ishida, Osamu Tajima
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Patent number: 6595576Abstract: A housing for a member disposed at a vehicle exterior is formed by assembling a plurality of parts substantially in a vehicle longitudinal direction. At a matching portion when the plurality of parts are assembled together substantially in the vehicle longitudinal direction, a housing outer side end portion of a matching surface substantially at a vehicle frontward side is displaced further outward than a housing outer side end portion of a matching surface substantially at a vehicle rearward side. Or, the housing outer side end portion of the matching surface substantially at the vehicle rearward side may have a curved surface or a flat surface.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2001Date of Patent: July 22, 2003Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-SeisakushoInventors: Toshinobu Mizutani, Kiyohide Imaeda, Yoshio Ohashi, Masakazu Aoki, Masaaki Ito, Wataru Horio, Masahide Inayama, Tadayoshi Kato
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Patent number: 6481863Abstract: In a door mirror in accordance with the present invention, at a connecting portion near a driver's seat or a passenger seat, an opposing portion which is a boundary between the connecting portion and a lid is exposed on the surface of a visor at a side toward the substantial rear of a vehicle. Therefore, even if steps are formed at the opposing portion and slight irregularities are thereby formed on the surface of the visor, air flow does not flow over the opposing portion, or orientation of air flow is not rapidly changed or turbulence is not generated over or below the opposing portion. In this way, noise such as wind noise generated near the connecting portion can be reduced or eliminated.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2001Date of Patent: November 19, 2002Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-SeisakushoInventors: Wataru Horio, Tadashi Ejiri, Toshinobu Mizutani, Tadayoshi Kato, Masahide Inayama
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Publication number: 20010028178Abstract: A housing for a member disposed at a vehicle exterior is formed by assembling a plurality of parts substantially in a vehicle longitudinal direction. At a matching portion when the plurality of parts are assembled together substantially in the vehicle longitudinal direction, a housing outer side end portion of a matching surface substantially at a vehicle frontward side is displaced further outward than a housing outer side end portion of a matching surface substantially at a vehicle rearward side. Or, the housing outer side end portion of the matching surface substantially at the vehicle rearward side may have a curved surface or a flat surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 3, 2001Publication date: October 11, 2001Inventors: Toshinobu Mizutani, Kiyohide Imaeda, Yoshio Ohashi, Masakazu Aoki, Masaaki Ito, Wataru Horio, Masahide Inayama, Tadayoshi Kato
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Publication number: 20010026411Abstract: In a door mirror in accordance with the present invention, at a connecting portion near a driver's seat or a passenger seat, an opposing portion which is a boundary between the connecting portion and a lid is exposed on the surface of a visor at a side toward the substantial rear of a vehicle. Therefore, even if steps are formed at the opposing portion and slight irregularities are thereby formed on the surface of the visor, air flow does not flow over the opposing portion, or orientation of air flow is not rapidly changed or turbulence is not generated over or below the opposing portion. In this way, noise such as wind noise generated near the connecting portion can be reduced or eliminated.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2001Publication date: October 4, 2001Inventors: Wataru Horio, Tadashi Ejiri, Toshinobu Mizutani, Tadayoshi Kato, Masahide Inayama
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Patent number: 5627737Abstract: A power inverter for use in the system interconnection of a direct-current supply with a commercial alternating-current supply includes an inverter circuit and a filter circuit. Feedback signals affecting the frequency of an output to be produced by the inverter circuit are taken from the filter circuit having frequency response characteristics such that the phase angle is reduced to 0.degree. at three frequencies consisting of a higher frequency, lower frequency and commercial frequency, the last of which lies halfway between the first and second. Under the normal condition, the frequency of the output produced by the inverter circuit is equal to the commercial frequency. In the event of a power failure or power cut in the commercial alternating-current supply system, deviation from the commercial frequency is caused by the characteristics of the filter circuit.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 1994Date of Patent: May 6, 1997Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masahiro Maekawa, Yasuhiro Makino, Etsuko Yamamoto, Masaki Yugo, Wataru Horio, Takehito Ike, Ding Lu