Patents by Inventor Yasuhiro Umekage

Yasuhiro Umekage 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: 8849590
    Abstract: If determination is erroneous in appliance determination according to the instantaneous flow rate output from a flow rate measurement unit, a flow rate measurement apparatus registers it as an unknown appliance, rechecks the flow rate of the unknown appliance, and makes it possible to enhance the accuracy of the appliance determination. The apparatus has a flow rate measurement unit 3, a flow rate information storage unit 8 for storing the flow rate value of the flow rate measurement unit 3, a computation unit 6 for finding a difference value between the flow rate values output from the flow rate measurement unit 3, an appliance registration storage unit 7, an appliance determination unit 9 for determining an appliance, and an unknown appliance registration unit 10 for registering information according to which the appliance cannot be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hajime Miyata, Yasuhiro Umekage
  • Patent number: 8734578
    Abstract: An indoor dust collecting system includes an air conditioner having an indoor unit that generates an air current, a dust collector, and a controller for controlling the air current from the indoor unit. A moving body detector is provided to detect a moving body such as, for example, a person, a pet, a cleaning robot, and the like. The air current from the indoor unit is controlled by the controller based on the position of the indoor unit, the position of a spot of occurrence of dust detected by the moving body detector, and the position of the dust collector such that the air current from the indoor unit reaches the dust collector via the spot of occurrence of dust in order for the dust collector to effectively suck the dust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tadashi Miki, Masami Fukumoto, Osamu Eguchi, Yasuhiro Umekage, Kazuhiro Kuroyama, Hiroaki Kurihara
  • Patent number: 8515692
    Abstract: Object of the present invention is to measure the quantity of a gas flowing through a gas meter and accurately calculate, on a per-appliance basis, the quantity of used gas in each time during which a gas appliance connected to a downstream point is used, without involvement of a waveform pattern. A flow rate measuring apparatus (10) has a flow rate measurement unit that measures a flow rate at given time intervals; an appliance determination unit that calculates a flow difference between flow rates acquired at two arbitrary times by measuring the use of an appliance connected to a downstream point with reference to the flow rate measurement unit, thereby determining an operating appliance; and an appliance flow rate calculation unit that calculates the appliance-specific usage flow rate by switching a calculation method according to the number, types, combinations, and priority levels of currently-operating gas appliances that are results of determination made by the appliance determination unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Umekage, Hajime Miyata, Kenichi Kamon
  • Publication number: 20120234179
    Abstract: An indoor dust collecting system includes an air conditioner having an indoor unit that generates an air current, a dust collector, and a controller for controlling the air current from the indoor unit. A moving body detector is provided to detect a moving body such as, for example, a person, a pet, a cleaning robot, and the like. The air current from the indoor unit is controlled by the controller based on the position of the indoor unit, the position of a spot of occurrence of dust detected by the moving body detector, and the position of the dust collector such that the air current from the indoor unit reaches the dust collector via the spot of occurrence of dust in order for the dust collector to effectively suck the dust.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadashi Miki, Masami Fukumoto, Osamu Eguchi, Yasuhiro Umekage, Kazuhiro Kuroyama, Hiroaki Kurihara
  • Patent number: 8265887
    Abstract: A fluid measurement apparatus capable of accurately determining an activated appliance is provided. A flow measurement apparatus 100 has a flow measurement unit 12 that measures an amount of fluid flowing through a passageway, a determination zone storage unit 16 that allocates and stores a flow measured by the flow measurement unit 12 into determination zones classified by combination of a plurality of conditions; a grouping unit 18 that groups determination zones according to appliances to be used on the basis of determination-zone-specific storage values stored in the determination zone storage unit 16 and that registers the grouped determination zones; and an integration unit 20 that integrates a flow value for each of the determination zones registered by the grouping unit 18. Thus, a flow is integrated for each determination zone grouped according to an appliance. An appliance is determined by reference to a database including the integrated data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Youichi Itou, Hajime Miyata, Yasuhiro Umekage, Kenichi Kamon
  • Patent number: 8180207
    Abstract: A heat exchanger comprises a substantially pillar sheathed heater, a substantially cylindrical case, and a spiral spring. The sheathed heater is accommodated in the case. The spring is provided so as to be wound around an outer peripheral surface of the sheathed heater. Thus, a spiral flow path is formed among an outer peripheral surface of the sheathed heater, an inner peripheral surface of the case, and the spring. The spring functions as a flow velocity conversion mechanism, a turbulent flow generation mechanism, a flow direction conversion mechanism, and an impurity removal mechanism. A water inlet and a water outlet are respectively arranged at positions eccentric from a central axis of the case on a side surface of the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeru Shirai, Yasuhiro Umekage, Kazushige Nakamura, Mitsuyuki Furubayashi, Keiko Yasui
  • Patent number: 8155911
    Abstract: The present invention provides a flow rate measurement device for measuring a volume of gas flowing through a gas supply system in which a plurality of appliances are connected. The flow rate measurement device according to the second embodiment comprises a flow rate sensor configured to detect a gas flow flowing through the gas supply system and a differentiator configured to differentiate the detected gas flow. A memory is provided in which profiles of gas consumption by appliances are storable in relation to identities of the appliances. The flow rate measurement device according to the present invention also comprises a first profile finder which is responsive to the differentiated gas flow to search for a profile from the stored profiles which corresponds to the detected gas flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hajime Miyata, Yasuhiro Umekage, Kenichi Kamon
  • Patent number: 8099248
    Abstract: A flow rate measuring device has a flow rate measurement unit, an appliance registering unit, a calculating unit, a determining unit, a first appliance identifying unit, and a second appliance identifying unit. The appliance registering unit stores at least first gas flow rate variation profiles on activation of respective gas appliances coupled to a flow channel, and second gas flow rate variation profiles based on the control specific to the respective gas appliances. The first appliance identifying unit identifies which gas appliance is activated based on the first gas flow rate variation profiles on activation. When a determining unit detects a stop of any of gas appliances, the second appliance identifying unit identifies a gas appliance in continuous use by using the second gas flow rate variation profiles based on the control specific to the respective gas appliances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Umekage, Hajime Miyata, Kenichi Kamon
  • Patent number: 8055457
    Abstract: A flow rate measuring device has a flow rate measurement unit, an appliance registering unit, a calculating unit, a determining unit, a first appliance identifying unit, and a second appliance identifying unit. The appliance registering unit stores at least first gas flow rate variation profiles on activation of respective gas appliances coupled to a flow channel, and second gas flow rate variation profiles based on the control specific to the respective gas appliances. The first appliance identifying unit identifies which gas appliance is activated based on the first gas flow rate variation profiles on activation. When a determining unit detects a stop of any of gas appliances, the second appliance identifying unit identifies a gas appliance in continuous use by using the second gas flow rate variation profiles based on the control specific to the respective gas appliances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Umekage, Hajime Miyata, Kenichi Kamon
  • Patent number: 7920779
    Abstract: A heat exchanger comprises a substantially pillar sheathed heater, a substantially cylindrical case, and a spiral spring. The sheathed heater is accommodated in the case. The spring is provided so as to be wound around an outer peripheral surface of the sheathed heater. Thus, a spiral flow path is formed among an outer peripheral surface of the sheathed heater, an inner peripheral surface of the case, and the spring. The spring functions as a flow velocity conversion mechanism, a turbulent flow generation mechanism, a flow direction conversion mechanism, and an impurity removal mechanism. A water inlet and a water outlet are respectively arranged at positions eccentric from a central axis of the case on a side surface of the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeru Shirai, Yasuhiro Umekage, Kazushige Nakamura, Mitsuyuki Furubayashi, Keiko Yasui, Koji Oka
  • Publication number: 20110036544
    Abstract: A heat exchanger comprises a substantially pillar sheathed heater, a substantially cylindrical case, and a spiral spring. The sheathed heater is accommodated in the case. The spring is provided so as to be wound around an outer peripheral surface of the sheathed heater. Thus, a spiral flow path is formed among an outer peripheral surface of the sheathed heater, an inner peripheral surface of the case, and the spring. The spring functions as a flow velocity conversion mechanism, a turbulent flow generation mechanism, a flow direction conversion mechanism, and an impurity removal mechanism. A water inlet and a water outlet are respectively arranged at positions eccentric from a central axis of the case on a side surface of the case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeru SHIRAI, Yasuhiro UMEKAGE, Kazushige NAKAMURA, Mitsuyuki FURUBAYASHI, Keiko YASUI
  • Publication number: 20100326548
    Abstract: If determination is erroneous in appliance determination according to the instantaneous flow rate output from a flow rate measurement unit, a flow rate measurement apparatus registers it as an unknown appliance, rechecks the flow rate of the unknown appliance, and makes it possible to enhance the accuracy of the appliance determination. The apparatus has a flow rate measurement unit 3, a flow rate information storage unit 8 for storing the flow rate value of the flow rate measurement unit 3, a computation unit 6 for finding a difference value between the flow rate values output from the flow rate measurement unit 3, an appliance registration storage unit 7, an appliance determination unit 9 for determining an appliance, and an unknown appliance registration unit 10 for registering information according to which the appliance cannot be determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hajime Miyata, Yasuhiro Umekage
  • Patent number: 7809514
    Abstract: A flow rate measurement device (1) connected to a household gas supply pipe includes: a flow rate sensor (3) which measures a flow rate at predetermined time intervals; a computing unit (6) which differentiate the measured flow rate; a library (7); and an judging unit (8) which compares the differentiated flow rate against an activation threshold value stored in the library (7) and determines a change of the operation state of an appliance connected downstream of the flow rate sensor (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hajime Miyata, Yasuhiro Umekage
  • Publication number: 20100017150
    Abstract: A fluid measurement apparatus capable of accurately determining an activated appliance is provided. A flow measurement apparatus 100 has a flow measurement unit 12 that measures an amount of fluid flowing through a passageway, a determination zone storage unit 16 that allocates and stores a flow measured by the flow measurement unit 12 into determination zones classified by combination of a plurality of conditions; a grouping unit 18 that groups determination zones according to appliances to be used on the basis of determination-zone-specific storage values stored in the determination zone storage unit 16 and that registers the grouped determination zones; and an integration unit 20 that integrates a flow value for each of the determination zones registered by the grouping unit 18. Thus, a flow is integrated for each determination zone grouped according to an appliance. An appliance is determined by reference to a database including the integrated data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Youichi Itou, Hajime Miyata, Yasuhiro Umekage, Kenichi Kamon
  • Publication number: 20090271128
    Abstract: Object of the present invention is to measure the quantity of a gas flowing through a gas meter and accurately calculate, on a per-appliance basis, the quantity of used gas in each time during which a gas appliance connected to a downstream point is used, without involvement of a waveform pattern. A flow rate measuring apparatus (10) has a flow rate measurement unit that measures a flow rate at given time intervals; an appliance determination unit that calculates a flow difference between flow rates acquired at two arbitrary times by measuring the use of an appliance connected to a downstream point with reference to the flow rate measurement unit, thereby determining an operating appliance; and an appliance flow rate calculation unit that calculates the appliance-specific usage flow rate by switching a calculation method according to the number, types, combinations, and priority levels of currently-operating gas appliances that are results of determination made by the appliance determination unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Umekage, Hajime Miyata, Kenichi Kamon
  • Publication number: 20090240444
    Abstract: The present invention provides a flow rate measurement device for measuring a volume of gas flowing through a gas supply system in which a plurality of appliances are connected. The flow rate measurement device according to the second embodiment comprises a flow rate sensor configured to detect a gas flow flowing through the gas supply system and a differentiator configured to differentiate the detected gas flow. A memory is provided in which profiles of gas consumption by appliances are storable in relation to identities of the appliances. The flow rate measurement device according to the present invention also comprises a first profile finder which is responsive to the differentiated gas flow to search for a profile from the stored profiles which corresponds to the detected gas flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Inventors: Hajime Miyata, Yasuhiro Umekage, Kenichi Kamon
  • Publication number: 20090240445
    Abstract: A flow rate measuring device has a flow rate measurement unit, an appliance registering unit, a calculating unit, a determining unit, a first appliance identifying unit, and a second appliance identifying unit. The appliance registering unit stores at least first gas flow rate variation profiles on activation of respective gas appliances coupled to a flow channel, and second gas flow rate variation profiles based on the control specific to the respective gas appliances. The first appliance identifying unit identifies which gas appliance is activated based on the first gas flow rate variation profiles on activation. When a determining unit detects a stop of any of gas appliances, the second appliance identifying unit identifies a gas appliance in continuous use by using the second gas flow rate variation profiles based on the control specific to the respective gas appliances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Umekage, Hajime Miyata, Kenichi Kamon
  • Publication number: 20080270045
    Abstract: A flow rate measurement device (1) connected to a household gas supply pipe includes: a flow rate sensor (3) which measures a flow rate at predetermined time intervals; a computing unit (6) which differentiate the measured flow rate; a library (7); and an judging unit (8) which compares the differentiated flow rate against an activation threshold value stored in the library (7) and determines a change of the operation state of an appliance connected downstream of the flow rate sensor (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Miyata, Yasuhiro Umekage
  • Patent number: 7372002
    Abstract: A washing water inlet for receiving washing water is provided on an upper surface at one end of a case main body in a fluid heating device, and a washing water outlet for feeding heated washing water to a pump is provided on an upper surface at the other end of the case main body. A linear sheathed heater is arranged so as to penetrate the case main body. A spring is spirally wound around an outer peripheral surface of the sheathed heater. An outer peripheral surface of the sheathed heater, the spring, and an inner peripheral surface of the case main body form a flow path. The flow path is formed in a spiral shape with the length of the case main body used as its axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazushige Nakamura, Shigeru Shirai, Yasuhiro Umekage, Mitsuyuki Furubayashi, Koji Oka
  • Patent number: 7360449
    Abstract: An ultrasonic fluid measurement instrument is capable of highly accurate fluid measurement. A measurement part is provided forming a plurality of split channels partitioned by partition boards halfway across a fluid channel, and at least a pair of ultrasonic transmitter-receivers for transmitting ultrasonic waves into the fluid flowing through the split channels and receiving ultrasonic waves that have passed through the fluid. Further, an arithmetic unit calculates the flow velocity and/or flow volume of the fluid according to the propagation time of the ultrasonic waves. The measurement part further includes an approach channel for preliminarily rectifying the fluid flowing to the split channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Umekage, Yoshinori Inui, Yukio Nagaoka, Hajime Miyata, Shigeru Iwanaga