Patents by Inventor Akihiro Kawano
Akihiro Kawano 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: 11192591Abstract: A vehicle body structure in a vehicle rear portion includes a first rear lateral ring-shaped vehicle body framework (RWC1) extending in a vehicle lateral direction in a vehicle body rear portion (1R) from vicinities of a pair of left and right damper support portions (54) supporting suspension dampers (55) and disposed in rear wheelhouses (52) at vehicle rear of side door openings (Es) of the vehicle. The vehicle body structure also includes coupling members (33) coupling longitudinal ring-shaped vehicle body frameworks (SLC) each having a substantially ring shape in a vehicle longitudinal direction to the first rear lateral ring-shaped vehicle body framework (RWC1).Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2019Date of Patent: December 7, 2021Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Kenichi Sato, Masanori Fukuda, Shuichi Nakagami, Akihiro Kawano
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Publication number: 20210376727Abstract: The switching power supply device includes first and second switches connected in series between an application end of an input voltage and an application end of a low voltage lower than the input voltage, and third and fourth switches connected in series between an application end of the input voltage and an application end of the low voltage, and a control unit configured to control the on/off state of each of the first to fourth switches. The first to fourth switches are configured such that an inductor is provided between a first connection node connecting the first switch and the second switch and a second connection node connecting the third switch and the fourth switch.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 26, 2021Publication date: December 2, 2021Inventors: Shingo Hashiguchi, Isao Takobe, Keita Itohara, Akihiro KAWANO, Hironori SUMITOMO
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Publication number: 20210119540Abstract: A switching power supply device includes first to fourth switches sequentially connected in series, an inductor, a first capacitor whose first end is connected to a connection node of the first switch and the second switch and whose second end is connected to a connection node of the third switch, the fourth switch, and the inductor, a second capacitor whose first end is connected to a connection node of the second switch and the third switch, and a controller that controls switching on and off of the first to fourth switches. In at least one of a first pair configured with the first switch and the third switch and a second pair configured with the second switch and the fourth switch, the controller shifts a timing of switching from off to on between two switches.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2020Publication date: April 22, 2021Inventors: Akihiro KAWANO, Yuhei YAMAGUCHI
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Patent number: 10967909Abstract: A side frame comprises a center pillar which includes a reinforcement provided on an outward side in a vehicle width direction and an inner panel provided on an inward side in the vehicle width direction. The reinforcement comprises upper-and-lower hinge attachment sections for attaching rear-door hinges and first-and-second recessed beads for promoting bending of the center pillar in a vehicle side collision. The hinge attachment sections are provided to be spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction. The first recessed bead is provided at a higher level than the lower hinge attachment section. The second recessed bead is provided at a lower level than the lower hinge attachment section and configured to be bent before the first recessed bead in the vehicle side collision.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2019Date of Patent: April 6, 2021Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Hideaki Hoshuyama, Shuang Gao, Ryota Nakayama, Akihiro Kawano, Satoshi Okumura
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Publication number: 20210086837Abstract: A vehicle body structure in a vehicle rear portion includes a first rear lateral ring-shaped vehicle body framework (RWC1) extending in a vehicle lateral direction in a vehicle body rear portion (1R) from vicinities of a pair of left and right damper support portions (54) supporting suspension dampers (55) and disposed in rear wheelhouses (52) at vehicle rear of side door openings (Es) of the vehicle. The vehicle body structure also includes coupling members (33) coupling longitudinal ring-shaped vehicle body frameworks (SLC) each having a substantially ring shape in a vehicle longitudinal direction to the first rear lateral ring-shaped vehicle body framework (RWC1).Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2019Publication date: March 25, 2021Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Kenichi SATO, Masanori FUKUDA, Shuichi NAKAGAMI, Akihiro KAWANO
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Publication number: 20200343293Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus configured to decrease occurrence of exfoliation between a conductor layer and an insulator layer is provided. A first region containing silicon and copper is disposed between a first conductor portion and a first insulator portion. A second region containing silicon and copper is disposed between a second conductor portion and a second insulator portion. The first region has a maximum nitrogen concentration higher than that of the second region.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 20, 2020Publication date: October 29, 2020Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Yukinobu Suzuki, Takayasu Kanesada
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Patent number: 10680504Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 18, 2017Date of Patent: June 9, 2020Assignee: ABLIC INC.Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Katsuya Goto
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Publication number: 20200127030Abstract: Photoelectric conversion apparatus includes semiconductor layer in which first photoelectric converters are arranged in light-receiving region and second photoelectric converters are arranged in light-shielded region, light-shielding wall arranged above the semiconductor layer and defining apertures respectively corresponding to the first photoelectric converters, and light-shielding film arranged above the semiconductor layer. The light-shielding film includes first portion extending along principal surface of the semiconductor layer to cover the second photoelectric converters. The first portion has lower surface and upper surface. The light-shielding wall includes second portion whose distance from the semiconductor layer is larger than distance between the upper surface and the principal surface. Thickness of the first portion in direction perpendicular to the principal surface is larger than thickness of the second portion in direction parallel to the principal surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2019Publication date: April 23, 2020Inventors: Toshiyuki Ogawa, Sho Suzuki, Takehito Okabe, Mitsuhiro Yomori, Yukinobu Suzuki, Akihiro Kawano, Tsutomu Tange
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Publication number: 20200102016Abstract: A side frame comprises a center pillar which includes a reinforcement provided on an outward side in a vehicle width direction and an inner panel provided on an inward side in the vehicle width direction. The reinforcement comprises upper-and-lower hinge attachment sections for attaching rear-door hinges and first-and-second recessed beads for promoting bending of the center pillar in a vehicle side collision. The hinge attachment sections are provided to be spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction. The first recessed bead is provided at a higher level than the lower hinge attachment section. The second recessed bead is provided at a lower level than the lower hinge attachment section and configured to be bent before the first recessed bead in the vehicle side collision.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 18, 2019Publication date: April 2, 2020Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Hideaki HOSHUYAMA, Shuang GAO, Ryota NAKAYAMA, Akihiro KAWANO, Satoshi OKUMURA
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Patent number: 10431617Abstract: There is provided a photoelectric conversion device in which a distance from a main surface to an inner surface of a first part of a dielectric film is smaller than a distance from the main surface to a top surface of a light shielding member, a distance from the main surface to an outer surface of the first part is smaller than a distance from the main surface to an outer surface of a second part of the dielectric film, an outer surface of a third part inclines to the top surface, a surface of a dielectric member inclines to the top surface, between the dielectric film and the top surface in a normal direction, and the dielectric member has a refractive index lower than a refractive index of the dielectric film.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2018Date of Patent: October 1, 2019Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Akihiro Kawano, Yoshiyuki Nakagawa, Masao Ishioka, Takashi Okagawa
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Patent number: 10396667Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 26, 2017Date of Patent: August 27, 2019Assignee: ABLIC INC.Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Katsuya Goto
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Patent number: 10333292Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 9, 2017Date of Patent: June 25, 2019Assignee: ABLIC INC.Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Katsuya Goto
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Patent number: 10298121Abstract: Provided are a switching regulator and a voltage-current conversion circuit configured to shorten a start-up period. The voltage-current conversion circuit includes: a first MOS transistor of a first conductivity type including a gate and a drain connected in common, and a source connected to a first power supply terminal; a first resistor connected between the drain of the first MOS transistor and a second power supply terminal; and a correction current generation unit including a second resistor, and configured to generate, as a correction current, through use of the second resistor, a current corresponding to a current generated when a voltage corresponding to an absolute value of a gate-source voltage of the first MOS transistor is applied to the first resistor. The voltage-current conversion circuit is configured to add the correction current to a current flowing through the first resistor, to thereby generate the conversion current.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2017Date of Patent: May 21, 2019Assignee: ABLIC INC.Inventors: Kosuke Takada, Akihiro Kawano
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Patent number: 10284085Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 25, 2017Date of Patent: May 7, 2019Assignee: ABLIC INC.Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Katsuya Goto
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Patent number: 10124838Abstract: A deflector comprises a protrusion portion which protrudes downward, including a slant face portion slanting obliquely rearward and downward, and a vertical wall portion which is provided in back of the protrusion portion to extend in a vehicle width direction. A lower end portion of the vertical wall portion is positioned at a lower level than a rear end portion of the slant face portion. The lower end portion of part of the vertical wall portion located inward from the other part of the vertical wall portion located so as to overlap the front wheel in a front view is positioned at a higher level than the lower end portion of the other part of the vertical wall portion located so as to overlap the front wheel in the front view.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2016Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Nobuyuki Shibutake, Nobuyuki Nakayama, Koji Yoshitake, Akihiro Kawano, Masafumi Aburame
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Patent number: 10096545Abstract: There is provided an image capturing apparatus including a pixel circuit that generates a pixel signal based on an electric charge generated by photoelectric conversion and a logic circuit that outputs a signal based on the pixel signal. The image capturing apparatus includes a first contact plug connected to a source or a drain of a first transistor constituting the pixel circuit and a second contact plug connected to a source or a drain of a second transistor constituting the logic circuit. A diameter of the first contact plug is smaller than a diameter of the second contact plug.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2016Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Akihiro Kawano, Tsutomu Tange, Masao Ishioka, Koichi Tazoe
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Publication number: 20180247967Abstract: There is provided a photoelectric conversion device in which a distance from a main surface to an inner surface of a first part of a dielectric film is smaller than a distance from the main surface to a top surface of a light shielding member, a distance from the main surface to an outer surface of the first part is smaller than a distance from the main surface to an outer surface of a second part of the dielectric film, an outer surface of a third part inclines to the top surface, a surface of a dielectric member inclines to the top surface, between the dielectric film and the top surface in a normal direction, and the dielectric member has a refractive index lower than a refractive index of the dielectric film.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 26, 2018Publication date: August 30, 2018Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Yoshiyuki Nakagawa, Masao Ishioka, Takashi Okagawa
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Patent number: 10050532Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 26, 2017Date of Patent: August 14, 2018Assignee: ABLIC INC.Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Katsuya Goto
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Patent number: 10008923Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 15, 2016Date of Patent: June 26, 2018Assignee: ABLIC INC.Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Katsuya Goto
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Patent number: 10008935Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 26, 2017Date of Patent: June 26, 2018Assignee: ABLIC INC.Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Katsuya Goto