Patents by Inventor Katsuya Goto

Katsuya Goto 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: 10680504
    Abstract: To provide a bandgap reference circuit capable of shortening a start time at power-on in a circuit lowered in power consumption. There is provided a bandgap reference circuit using an op amplifier to generate a reference voltage, which is equipped with a first current source connected between a power supply terminal and an operating current input terminal of the op amplifier, a second current source having one end connected to the power supply terminal, and a switch connected between the other end of the second current source and the operating current input terminal of the op amplifier, and in which a switch is turned on at power-on and turned off after starting of the reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: ABLIC INC.
    Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Katsuya Goto
  • Patent number: 10396667
    Abstract: There is provided a DC-DC converter which is safe and secure, but yet with low power consumption. The DC-DC converter is configured such that an overcurrent protection circuit is operated intermittently only for a predetermined period of time based on a signal output from an output control circuit to turn on a switching element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: ABLIC INC.
    Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Katsuya Goto
  • Patent number: 10333292
    Abstract: To provide a switching regulator equipped with an overheat protection circuit small in current consumption. A switching regulator of the present invention is configured to intermittently operate an overheat protection circuit only for a prescribed period based on a signal turning on a switching element, which is outputted from an output control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: ABLIC INC.
    Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Katsuya Goto
  • Patent number: 10284085
    Abstract: A switching regulator includes a comparator, an on-time control circuit, an R-S flip-flop circuit, and a timer circuit that outputs a count-up signal, where the comparator switches an operation current to a low current consumption mode in response to the count-up signal so as to reduce the operation current in a light load operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: ABLIC INC.
    Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Katsuya Goto
  • Patent number: 10050532
    Abstract: The DC-DC converter includes: a switching element connected between an inductor and a power supply terminal; a pseudo ripple generation circuit configured to generate a pseudo ripple voltage depending on a ripple component that is generated in the output voltage, and a smoothed voltage by smoothing the pseudo ripple voltage; a comparison circuit configured to combine a first comparison result obtained by comparing the pseudo ripple voltage and the smoothed voltage to each other, and a second comparison result obtained by comparing a reference voltage and a feedback voltage obtained by dividing the output voltage to each other, and output a comparison result signal; and an output control circuit configured to control the switching element to be turned on and off based on the comparison result signal. The comparison circuit is configured to output only the second comparison result, as the comparison result signal, when a load becomes lighter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: ABLIC INC.
    Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Katsuya Goto
  • Patent number: 10008935
    Abstract: There is provided a DC-DC converter which is safe and secure, but yet with low power consumption. The DC-DC converter is configured to monitor the output voltage of an error amplifier, and detect that the output voltage of the error amplifier becomes a fixed value or smaller to drive an overheat protection circuit and a supply voltage monitoring circuit intermittently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: ABLIC INC.
    Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Katsuya Goto
  • Patent number: 10008923
    Abstract: To provide a soft start circuit capable of obtaining a high-accuracy soft start time. The soft start circuit is equipped with a constant current source, an output terminal which outputs a soft start voltage, a ground terminal, a first transistor which is connected between the constant current source and the ground terminal and has a gate and a drain both short-circuited, a second transistor which is connected between the constant current source and the output terminal and receives a clock signal at a gate thereof, and a capacitor connected between the second transistor and the ground terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: ABLIC INC.
    Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Katsuya Goto
  • Patent number: 9941787
    Abstract: A reference voltage generation circuit includes a bandgap reference circuit, a first resistive element and a second resistive element connected in series between the output node and a ground terminal, a third resistive element, a fourth resistive element, and a first switch connected in series between the output node and the ground terminal, and a second switch having one end connected to a connecting point of the first resistive element and the second resistive element, at which a reference voltage is generated, and the other end connected to a connecting point of the third resistive element and the fourth resistive element. A ratio between resistance values of the first resistive element and the second resistive element is equal to a ratio between resistance values of the third resistive element and the fourth resistive element. The first and second switches are turned on at power-on and turned off after the reference voltage is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: SII SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Katsuya Goto
  • Patent number: 9912237
    Abstract: To provide a COT-controlled switching regulator capable of preventing an output voltage from excessively exceeding a desired voltage even though a light load is connected to an output terminal. A switching regulator of the present invention is configured to be equipped with a 100% DUTY detection circuit which detects a 100% DUTY at which a high-side switching element continues an on state for a prescribed time or more and outputs a detected signal to an output control circuit and to cause the output control circuit to turn off the high-side switching element when the output control circuit receives the detected signal therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: SII SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Katsuya Goto
  • Patent number: 9859795
    Abstract: To operate a plurality of abnormality detecting functions of a switching regulator with low power consumption and configure an occupied area of a semiconductor device to be reduced. A switching regulator is configured to be equipped with a comparison circuit, switch circuits, and a switch control circuit and to switch the switch circuits by control signals of the switch control circuit and realize a plurality of abnormality detecting functions by the one comparison circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: SII Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Katsuya Goto
  • Patent number: 9831769
    Abstract: To provide a switching regulator equipped with a power supply monitoring circuit small in current consumption. A switching regulator is configured to intermittently operate a power supply monitoring circuit only for a prescribed period based on a signal turning on a switching element, which is outputted from an output control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: SII SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Katsuya Goto
  • Publication number: 20170317590
    Abstract: There is provided a DC-DC converter which is safe and secure, but yet with low power consumption. The DC-DC converter is configured to monitor the output voltage of an error amplifier, and detect that the output voltage of the error amplifier becomes a fixed value or smaller to drive an overheat protection circuit and a supply voltage monitoring circuit intermittently.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Akihiro KAWANO, Katsuya GOTO
  • Publication number: 20170317592
    Abstract: There is provided a DC-DC converter which is safe and secure, but yet with low power consumption. The DC-DC converter is configured such that an overcurrent protection circuit is operated intermittently only for a predetermined period of time based on a signal output from an output control circuit to turn on a switching element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Akihiro KAWANO, Katsuya GOTO
  • Publication number: 20170317589
    Abstract: The DC-DC converter includes: a switching element connected between an inductor and a power supply terminal; a pseudo ripple generation circuit configured to generate a pseudo ripple voltage depending on a ripple component that is generated in the output voltage, and a smoothed voltage by smoothing the pseudo ripple voltage; a comparison circuit configured to combine a first comparison result obtained by comparing the pseudo ripple voltage and the smoothed voltage to each other, and a second comparison result obtained by comparing a reference voltage and a feedback voltage obtained by dividing the output voltage to each other, and output a comparison result signal; and an output control circuit configured to control the switching element to be turned on and off based on the comparison result signal. The comparison circuit is configured to output only the second comparison result, as the comparison result signal, when a load becomes lighter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Akihiro KAWANO, Katsuya GOTO
  • Publication number: 20170310204
    Abstract: To provide a bandgap reference circuit capable of shortening a start time at power-on in a circuit lowered in power consumption. There is provided a bandgap reference circuit using an op amplifier to generate a reference voltage, which is equipped with a first current source connected between a power supply terminal and an operating current input terminal of the op amplifier, a second current source having one end connected to the power supply terminal, and a switch connected between the other end of the second current source and the operating current input terminal of the op amplifier, and in which a switch is turned on at power-on and turned off after starting of the reference voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventors: Akihiro KAWANO, Katsuya GOTO
  • Publication number: 20170310214
    Abstract: A reference voltage generation circuit includes a bandgap reference circuit, a first resistive element and a second resistive element connected in series between the output node and a ground terminal, a third resistive element, a fourth resistive element, and a first switch connected in series between the output node and the ground terminal, and a second switch having one end connected to a connecting point of the first resistive element and the second resistive element, at which a reference voltage is generated, and the other end connected to a connecting point of the third resistive element and the fourth resistive element. A ratio between resistance values of the first resistive element and the second resistive element is equal to a ratio between resistance values of the third resistive element and the fourth resistive element. The first and second switches are turned on at power-on and turned off after the reference voltage is started.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventors: Akihiro KAWANO, Katsuya GOTO
  • Patent number: 9800149
    Abstract: To provide a switching regulator equipped with an on-time control circuit small in power consumption. An on-time control circuit is configured to be equipped with switches each turned on/off by a signal controlling on and off of a switching element and be turned off during an off-time of the switching element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: SII SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Katsuya Goto
  • Patent number: 9800157
    Abstract: Provided is a switching regulator configured to suppress noise coupling, which may occur when a comparator is switched between a normal current operation and a low current consumption operation, to thereby operate stably. The switching regulator has a configuration in which switches are connected to input terminals of the comparator, and a feedback resistor having a large resistance value is disconnected from the input terminal of the comparator when switching is performed between the normal current operation and the low current consumption operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: SII SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Katsuya Goto
  • Publication number: 20170271986
    Abstract: To provide a switching regulator equipped with an on-time control circuit small in power consumption. An on-time control circuit is configured to be equipped with switches each turned on/off by a signal controlling on and off of a switching element and be turned off during an off-time of the switching element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Akihiro KAWANO, Katsuya GOTO
  • Publication number: 20170271985
    Abstract: To provide a switching regulator equipped with a power supply monitoring circuit small in current consumption. A switching regulator is configured to intermittently operate a power supply monitoring circuit only for a prescribed period based on a signal turning on a switching element, which is outputted from an output control circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Akihiro KAWANO, Katsuya GOTO