Patents by Inventor Makoto Hamada

Makoto Hamada 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: 7701784
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell unit, word lines, a driver circuit, and a voltage generator. The memory cell unit includes a plurality of memory cells connected in series. Each of the memory cells includes a charge accumulation layer and a control gate. The word lines are connected to the control gate. The driver circuit selects one of the word lines and applies voltages to a selected word line and unselected word lines. The voltage generator includes first and second charge pump circuits and outputs a voltage generated by the first and second charge pump circuits to the driver circuit. The first charge pump circuit is exclusively used to generate a voltage for a first word line. The first word line is one of the unselected word lines located adjacent to the selected word line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hiroshi Maejima, Makoto Hamada
  • Patent number: 7663932
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device capable of reading and verifying a negative threshold cell by biasing a source line and a well line to a positive voltage. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a precharge circuit which precharges a bit line to the same voltage as that of the source line in reading and verifying the negative threshold cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Makoto Hamada, Hiroshi Maejima
  • Publication number: 20090273976
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes memory cells, a source line, a word line, a bit line, and a driver circuit. The memory cells are formed on a semiconductor layer and have a charge accumulation layer and a control gate on the charge accumulation layer. The word line is connected to gate of the memory cell. The bit line is electrically connected to a drain of the memory cell. The source line is electrically connected to a source of the memory cell. The driver circuit varies potential of the semiconductor layer in conjunction with potential of the source line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2007
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Inventors: Hiroshi Maejima, Makoto Hamada
  • Patent number: 7558117
    Abstract: There is provided a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device which can read and verify a cell with a negative threshold voltage by biasing voltages of a source line and well line to a positive voltage. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a voltage control circuit which applies a select gate voltage obtained by adding the biased positive voltage to a voltage set at read time of a cell with a positive threshold voltage to a select gate at a read time and verify time for the cell with the negative threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hiroshi Maejima, Makoto Hamada
  • Publication number: 20090168542
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device capable of reading and verifying a negative threshold cell by biasing a source line and a well line to a positive voltage. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a precharge circuit which precharges a bit line to the same voltage as that of the source line in reading and verifying the negative threshold cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Inventors: Makoto Hamada, Hiroshi Maejima
  • Publication number: 20090168527
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array having a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines, and at least first and second page buffers to which the plurality of bit lines are connected. The plurality of word lines are divided into first and second word lines and the first and second word lines are arranged in positions corresponding to the at least first and second page buffers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Inventor: Makoto Hamada
  • Publication number: 20090159949
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell unit, word lines, a driver circuit, and a voltage generator. In the memory cell unit, memory cells having a charge accumulation layer and a control gate are connected in series. The word lines are connected to the control gates. The driver circuit selects the word lines. The voltage generator generates a first voltage and a second voltage lower than the first voltage. The first voltage is used by the first driver circuit to transfer a voltage to the unselected word line. The second voltage is used by circuits other than the first driver circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventors: Hiroshi Maejima, Makoto Hamada
  • Patent number: 7542321
    Abstract: A memory cell array in a semiconductor substrate has a plurality of memory cells arranged in rows and columns. A first circuit is located at one end of the memory cell array in a column direction. A second circuit is located at the other end of the memory cell array in the column direction. A first wire is located above the memory cell array between the first circuit and the second circuit. The first wire is located in a most upper layer in the semiconductor substrate to supply power to the second circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hiroshi Maejima, Takumi Abe, Makoto Hamada
  • Publication number: 20090116292
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell unit, word lines, a driver circuit, and a voltage generator. The memory cell unit includes a plurality of memory cells connected in series. Each of the memory cells includes a charge accumulation layer and a control gate. The word lines are connected to the control gate. The driver circuit selects one of the word lines and applies voltages to a selected word line and unselected word lines. The voltage generator includes first and second charge pump circuits and outputs a voltage generated by the first and second charge pump circuits to the driver circuit. The first charge pump circuit is exclusively used to generate a voltage for a first word line. The first word line is one of the unselected word lines located adjacent to the selected word line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2007
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Inventors: Hiroshi Maejima, Makoto Hamada
  • Patent number: 7518921
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array, a word line, a source line, a row decoder, and a source line driver circuit. The memory cell array includes a memory cell unit having a plurality of memory cells connected in series. The word line is connected to control gates of the memory cells. The source line is electrically connected to sources of the memory cells positioned on one end sides of the memory cell unit. The row decoder selects the word line. The source line driver circuit is arranged in the row decoder and applies a first voltage to the source line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaish Toshiba
    Inventors: Hiroshi Maejima, Makoto Hamada
  • Publication number: 20090059670
    Abstract: There is provided a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device which can read and verify a cell with a negative threshold voltage by biasing voltages of a source line and well line to a positive voltage. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a voltage control circuit which applies a select gate voltage obtained by adding the biased positive voltage to a voltage set at read time of a cell with a positive threshold voltage to a select gate at a read time and verify time for the cell with the negative threshold voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Hiroshi Maejima, Makoto Hamada
  • Publication number: 20090027941
    Abstract: A memory cell array in a semiconductor substrate has a plurality of memory cells arranged in rows and columns. A first circuit is located at one end of the memory cell array in a column direction. A second circuit is located at the other end of the memory cell array in the column direction. A first wire is located above the memory cell array between the first circuit and the second circuit. The first wire is located in a most upper layer in the semiconductor substrate to supply power to the second circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Inventors: Hiroshi Maejima, Takumi Abe, Makoto Hamada
  • Publication number: 20080310229
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array, a first row decoder which drives the memory cell array, and a second row decoder which drives the memory cell array. The first and second row decoders simultaneously drive the memory cell array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Publication date: December 18, 2008
    Inventor: Makoto HAMADA
  • Publication number: 20080232183
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array, a word line, a source line, a row decoder, and a source line driver circuit. The memory cell array includes a memory cell unit having a plurality of memory cells connected in series. The word line is connected to control gates of the memory cells. The source line is electrically connected to sources of the memory cells positioned on one end sides of the memory cell unit. The row decoder selects the word line. The source line driver circuit is arranged in the row decoder and applies a first voltage to the source line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Inventors: Hiroshi Maejima, Makoto Hamada
  • Patent number: 7177210
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory encompasses a memory cell array having a spare memory cell array; a holding circuit having banks of fuses, configured to read and hold fuse information; a decision circuit configured to determine which address of memory cell is to be replaced with which spare memory cell based on the fuse information from the holding circuit; and a holding-controller configured to control reading and holding of the fuse information in the holding circuit by receiving a power supply completion signal and a refresh signal. The holding circuit rereads the fuse information when the reread signal is generated, after the holding circuit reads once the fuse information by receiving the power supplying completion signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Makoto Hamada, Kazuyoshi Muraoka, Masahiro Yoshihara
  • Patent number: 7172048
    Abstract: An airbag apparatus for pedestrian protection 18 including an airbag body 22 disposed along a vertical direction is disposed in an upper portion 16A of each of right and left front pillars 16. The expansion of the airbag body 22 toward the outer side of the vehicle is restrained to a predetermined amount by a cloth 22C connecting an attachment portion 22A of the airbag body 22 with a sewn portion 22B when the airbag body 22 is expanded. Thus, the airbag body 22 is expanded along the outer peripheral portion. In addition, a portion of the airbag body 22 expanded toward approximately the outer side in the lateral direction contacts a curved portion 30F expanded toward the inner side in the lateral direction, which is in a deployment portion 30A of a garnish panel 30. Thus, the airbag body 22 is expanded toward approximately the inner side in the lateral direction to a large extent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Hamada, Toshiaki Hosoya, Hideya Innami
  • Publication number: 20060181727
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. In this apparatus, a control panel functions to allow a user to input an instruction. A period setting section functions to set an output inhibit period. A job control section, upon receiving a job, stores the job in a memory unit while converting the job into a stored job that is to be printed at a scheduled output time after passage of the output inhibit period, and executes printing of the stored job at the scheduled output time, if the job is not a panel-activated job and is received during the output inhibit period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2005
    Publication date: August 17, 2006
    Inventors: Tetsuo Numata, Makoto Hamada, Tomokazu Yoshimura
  • Publication number: 20060146620
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory encompasses a memory cell array having a spare memory cell array; a holding circuit having banks of fuses, configured to read and hold fuse information; a decision circuit configured to determine which address of memory cell is to be replaced with which spare memory cell based on the fuse information from the holding circuit; and a holding-controller configured to control reading and holding of the fuse information in the holding circuit by receiving a power supply completion signal and a refresh signal. The holding circuit rereads the fuse information when the reread signal is generated, after the holding circuit reads once the fuse information by receiving the power supplying completion signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2006
    Publication date: July 6, 2006
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Makoto Hamada, Kazuyoshi Muraoka, Masahiro Yoshihara
  • Patent number: 7038969
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory encompasses a memory cell array having a spare memory cell array; a holding circuit having banks of fuses, configured to read and hold fuse information; a decision circuit configured to determine which address of memory cell is to be replaced with which spare memory cell based on the fuse information from the holding circuit; and a holding-controller configured to control reading and holding of the fuse information in the holding circuit by receiving a power supply completion signal and a refresh signal. The holding circuit rereads the fuse information when the reread signal is generated, after the holding circuit reads once the fuse information by receiving the power supplying completion signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Makoto Hamada, Kazuyoshi Muraoka, Masahiro Yoshihara
  • Publication number: 20050257979
    Abstract: An airbag apparatus for pedestrian protection 18 including an airbag body 22 disposed along a vertical direction is disposed in an upper portion 16A of each of right and left front pillars 16. The expansion of the airbag body 22 toward the outer side of the vehicle is restrained to a predetermined amount by a cloth 22C connecting an attachment portion 22A of the airbag body 22 with a sewn portion 22B when the airbag body 22 is expanded. Thus, the airbag body 22 is expanded along the outer peripheral portion. In addition, a portion of the airbag body 22 expanded toward approximately the outer side in the lateral direction contacts a curved portion 30F expanded toward the inner side in the lateral direction, which is in a deployment portion 30A of a garnish panel 30. Thus, the airbag body 22 is expanded toward approximately the inner side in the lateral direction to a large extent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Publication date: November 24, 2005
    Inventors: Makoto Hamada, Toshiaki Hosoya, Hideya Innami