Patents by Inventor Atsushi Sakurai

Atsushi Sakurai 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).

  • Battery state monitoring circuit and battery device
    Patent number: 7791315
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a battery state monitoring circuit and a battery device which are capable of normally operating when a charger (301) is connected to an opposite polarity in error, and then correctly connected. In the case where the charger (301) is connected to the opposite polarity in error and then correctly connected, a logic circuit (305) does not output a power-down signal that powers down the respective circuits to the respective circuits by the aid of a power-down preventing circuit (110). As a result, the battery device normally operates without falling into the power-down state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.,
    Inventors: Atsushi Sakurai, Kazuaki Sano, Toshiyuki Koike
  • Thin film capacitor and manufacturing method therefor
    Patent number: 7785977
    Abstract: A thin film capacitor including a substrate, a capacitor portion having an upper conductor, a lower conductor, and a dielectric thin film, and a resin protective layer for protecting the capacitor portion. A barrier layer is interposed between the capacitor portion and the resin protective layer. The barrier layer includes a crystalline dielectric barrier layer formed in contact with the capacitor portion and having the same composition system as the dielectric thin film, and an amorphous inorganic barrier layer formed on the surface of the crystalline dielectric barrier layer and composed of silicon nitride having non-conductivity. The inorganic barrier layer prevents deterioration in the properties of the dielectric thin film by blocking diffusion of the constituent elements of the inorganic barrier layer toward the capacitor portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanobu Nomura, Yutaka Takeshima, Atsushi Sakurai
  • Charging and discharging control circuit and charging type power supply device
    Patent number: 7737663
    Abstract: Provided is a charging and discharging protection circuit realizing low current consumption in an overcurrent detection state, easy calculation of an automatic return impedance, and high usability. A pull-down circuit for pulling down an overcurrent detection terminal to a VSS terminal is connected in series between the overcurrent detection terminal and a switching circuit. The switching circuit is connected in series between the pull-down circuit and the VSS terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Atsushi Sakurai, Kazuaki Sano, Toshiyuki Koike
  • Charge/discharge protection circuit and power-supply unit
    Patent number: 7719235
    Abstract: Provided is a charge/discharge protection circuit, which has a simple circuit configuration using a double-throw semiconductor switching device and is capable of recovering from a state where charging/discharging is inhibited with the double-throw semiconductor switching device being turned off. The charge/discharge protection circuit includes a charge/discharge control circuit which is provided with a second terminal for detecting which one of a charger and a load is connected to an external terminal. The second terminal has a first resistor and a first switch connected in series between a power source, and has a second resistor and a second switch connected in series between a ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Kazuaki Sano, Atsushi Sakurai, Toshiyuki Koike
  • Method of generating simulation model while circuit information is omitted
    Patent number: 7720664
    Abstract: For the purpose of providing a simulation model allowing gate simulation but is capable of keeping the circuit information on the functional block (IP) secret, a method of generating a simulation model provided herein by the present invention comprises a step of generating a net list containing circuit information of an electronic circuit using a functional block; and a step of deleting the circuit information based on the net list, and generating a gate simulation model carrying out a timing simulation, including logic information and delay information between input/output of the functional block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Fujitsu Microelectronics Limited
    Inventors: Nobuhide Takaba, Atsushi Sakurai
  • Thin Film Capacitor and Manufacturing Method Therefor
    Publication number: 20100118468
    Abstract: A thin film capacitor including a substrate, a capacitor portion having an upper conductor, a lower conductor, and a dielectric thin film, and a resin protective layer for protecting the capacitor portion. A barrier layer is interposed between the capacitor portion and the resin protective layer. The barrier layer includes a crystalline dielectric barrier layer formed in contact with the capacitor portion and having the same composition system as the dielectric thin film, and an amorphous inorganic barrier layer formed on the surface of the crystalline dielectric barrier layer and composed of silicon nitride having non-conductivity. The inorganic barrier layer prevents deterioration in the properties of the dielectric thin film by blocking diffusion of the constituent elements of the inorganic barrier layer toward the capacitor portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masanobu Nomura, Yutaka Takeshima, Atsushi Sakurai
  • Alkoxide compound, material for thin film formation, and process for thin film formation
    Patent number: 7714155
    Abstract: An alkoxide compound of formula (I) suitable as a material for thin film formation used in thin film formation involving vaporization of a material such as CVD, a material for thin film formation including the alkoxide compound, and a process for thin film formation using the material. The process includes vaporizing the material for thin film formation, introducing the resulting vapor containing the alkoxide compound, onto a substrate, and causing the vapor to decompose and/or chemically react to form a thin film on the substrate. wherein one of R1 and R2 represents an alkyl group having 1-4 carbon atoms, the other representing a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1-4 carbon atoms; R3 and R4 each represent an alkyl group having 1-4 carbon atoms; A represents an alkanediyl group having 1-8 carbon atoms; M represents a silicon atom or a hafnium atom; and n represents 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Adeka Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Sato, Atsushi Sakurai
  • BATTERY PROTECTION IC AND BATTERY DEVICE
    Publication number: 20100060084
    Abstract: Provided are a battery protection IC adaptable to any number of batteries connected in series without increasing a breakdown voltage thereof, and a battery device including the battery protection IC mounted thereon. A charge control signal input terminal and a discharge control signal input terminal of one battery protection IC are provided with a clamp circuit (121), and hence an output driver (112) of another battery protection IC connected to those terminals is not applied with a voltage equal to or higher than a breakdown voltage. Accordingly, the breakdown voltage of the battery protection IC is not required to be high.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Applicant: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Tange, Atsushi Sakurai, Takakazu Ozawa, Kiyoshi Yoshikawa
  • Thin film capacitor and manufacturing method therefor
    Patent number: 7675139
    Abstract: A thin film capacitor including a substrate, a capacitor portion having an upper conductor, a lower conductor, and a dielectric thin film, and a resin protective layer for protecting the capacitor portion. A barrier layer is interposed between the capacitor portion and the resin protective layer. The barrier layer includes a crystalline dielectric barrier layer formed in contact with the capacitor portion and having the same composition system as the dielectric thin film, and an amorphous inorganic barrier layer formed on the surface of the crystalline dielectric barrier layer and composed of silicon nitride having non-conductivity. The inorganic barrier layer prevents deterioration in the properties of the dielectric thin film by blocking diffusion of the constituent elements of the inorganic barrier layer toward the capacitor portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanobu Nomura, Yutaka Takeshima, Atsushi Sakurai
  • METAL COMPOUND, MATERIAL FOR THIN FILM FORMATION, AND PROCESS OF FORMING THIN FILM
    Publication number: 20100028536
    Abstract: A metal compound represented by general formula (I): wherein R1, R2, R3, and R4 each represent an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; A represents an alkanediyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms; M represents a lead atom, a titanium atom or a zirconium atom; n represents 2 when M is a lead atom or 4 when M is a titanium atom or zirconium atom. The metal compound has a low melting point and is therefore deliverable in a liquid state, has a high vapor pressure and is therefore easy to vaporize, and, when mixed with other metal compound, undergoes no denaturation due to a chemical reaction. The metal compound is suitable as a material of thin film formation processes involving vaporization of a metal compound, such as CVD.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: ADEKA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi SAKURAI, Naoki YAMADA
  • ELECTRICITY STORAGE SYSTEM AND METAL BATTERY CASE MANUFACTURING METHOD
    Publication number: 20090269657
    Abstract: An electricity storage system comprises a plurality of battery cells in which battery elements are accommodated in angular metal battery cases, wherein the plurality of battery cells are connected together electrically and are disposed in such a manner as to form spaces between the metal battery cells, and wherein the metal battery cell comprises an angular metallic housing on an external surface of which irregularities are formed and a resin portion which is injection molded integrally on the external surface of the metallic housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2009
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Mita, Atsushi Sakurai
  • CHARGE AND DISCHARGE CONTROL CIRCUIT AND BATTERY DEVICE
    Publication number: 20090243546
    Abstract: Provided are a charge and discharge control circuit capable of reducing a circuit size, and a battery device. In a charger reverse connection detection circuit (116), a comparison circuit or the like is not used, and two NMOS transistors are used, whereby circuit sizes of the reverse connection detection circuit (116) and a charge and discharge control circuit (110) are reduced. Accordingly, a consumption current is reduced, and a manufacturing cost is also reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Inventors: Atsushi Sakurai, Kazuaki Sano
  • CHARGE AND DISCHARGE CONTROL CIRCUIT AND BATTERY DEVICE
    Publication number: 20090243543
    Abstract: Provided is a charge and discharge control circuit capable of further preventing poor charge of a battery, and a battery device. Cell balance periods are detected before charge of respective batteries is stopped even when an overcharge detection voltage of a certain charge and discharge control circuit becomes lower than a cell balance period detection voltage thereof due to process variations occurring in mass production of the charge and discharge control circuits. That is, the charge of the respective batteries is stopped after cell balance control. Therefore, the respective batteries can be further prevented from being poorly charged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Inventors: Muneharu Kawana, Atsushi Sakurai, Kazuaki Sano, Toshiyuki Koike, Yoshihisa Tange
  • BATTERY PROTECTION CIRCUIT AND BATTERY DEVICE
    Publication number: 20090213511
    Abstract: Provided is a battery protection circuit and a battery device which may be manufactured at lower cost. Before all terminals of a battery protection circuit are each connected to batteries, even when a logical circuit malfunctions by an operation of a parasitic bipolar transistor formed by P-wells due to a connection order in which the batteries are connected, the logical circuit is reset by an operation of a parasitic bipolar transistor formed by the P-wells. For this reason, a charge/discharge path of the batteries is not interrupted due to the connection order. Accordingly, no limitation is placed on the connection order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Yoshikawa, Atsushi Sakurai, Toshiyuki Koike, Kazuaki Sano, Yoshihisa Tange
  • OVERHEAT PROTECTION CIRCUIT
    Publication number: 20090185323
    Abstract: In order to provide an overheat protection circuit having a small mounting area, the overheat protection circuit includes: a resistor bridge circuit which includes: a plurality of resistors each having a temperature coefficient; an input terminal; and an output terminal; and a comparator circuit connected to the output terminal and the input terminal of the resistor bridge circuit. Parts are each provided in the vicinity of one of the plurality of resistors each having the temperature coefficient, and the comparator circuit outputs an overheat detection signal when a temperature of one of the parts is equal to or higher than an overheat detection temperature. With this structure, a large number of parts can be protected from overheating by a minimum number of overheat protection circuits. Therefore, a circuit scale becomes smaller, and hence a cost for overheat protection becomes lower.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Yoshikawa, Toshiyuki Koike, Shohei Tsukamoto, Kazuaki Sano, Fumihiko Maetani, Wataru Sakamoto, Atsushi Sakurai, Muneharu Kawana, Yoshihisa Tange
  • BATTERY STATE MONITORING CIRCUIT AND BATTERY DEVICE
    Publication number: 20090179617
    Abstract: Provided is a battery state monitoring circuit for manufacturing a battery device at low cost, and a battery device including the same. A charge control transistor and a discharge control transistor are structured so as to be operated based on a low-level signal which is based on a ground voltage (VSS) and a high-level signal which is based on a voltage of a voltage regulator, which is lower than a power supply voltage (VDD) based on a voltage of a battery, respectively. Accordingly, in the charge control transistor and the discharge control transistor, voltages applied to gates thereof become low, whereby a low-breakdown-voltage element can be used. This leads to a reduction in cost for the charge control transistor and the discharge control transistor, leading to a reduction in manufacturing cost for the battery device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Koike, Atsushi Sakurai, Kazuaki Sano, Yoshihisa Tange, Muneharu Kawana
  • Battery state monitoring circuit and battery device
    Patent number: 7550947
    Abstract: Provided are a battery state monitoring circuit in which charging of a secondary battery in an over-charge detection state is prevented to improve safety, and a battery device including the battery state monitoring circuit. A circuit for consuming a leakage current is provided in the battery state monitoring circuit to prevent the secondary battery from being charged with the leakage current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Atsushi Sakurai, Kazuaki Sano, Toshiyuki Koike
  • Charge and discharge control circuit and rechargeable power supply device
    Publication number: 20090079395
    Abstract: A charge and discharge control circuit which accommodates pulsed charge and pulsed discharge and can control charge and discharge of a secondary battery with safety, and a rechargeable power supply device having the same built therein are provided. The charge and discharge control circuit includes a delay time switching circuit for shortening a delay time of overcharge detection after charge inhibition is canceled. When overcharge is detected after the charge inhibition is canceled, the charge is inhibited in a delay time which is shorter than a normal delay time of the overcharge detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Inventors: Kazuaki Sano, Kiyoshi Yoshikawa, Toshiyuki Koike, Yoshihisa Tange, Atsushi Sakurai
  • Alkoxide compound, thin film-forming material and method for forming thin film
    Patent number: 7501153
    Abstract: The alkoxide compound of the present invention is represented by general formula (I) below. The alkoxide compound of the present invention is an iron compound that can be delivered in a liquid state and is easily vaporized due to its high vapor pressure. The compound particularly enables production of thin films with excellent composition controllability, and hence is suitable for producing multi-component thin films by CVD. (In the formula, R1 and R2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or C1-4 alkyl group, R3 and R4 each represent a C1-4 alkyl group, and A represents a C1-8 alkanediyl group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Adeka Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Yamada, Atsushi Sakurai
  • Alkoxide compound, material for thin film formation, and process for thin film formation
    Publication number: 20090035464
    Abstract: An alkoxide compound of formula (I) suitable as a material for thin film formation used in thin film formation involving vaporization of a material such as CVD, a material for thin film formation including the alkoxide compound, and a process for thin film formation using the material. The process includes vaporizing the material for thin film formation, introducing the resulting vapor containing the alkoxide compound, onto a substrate, and causing the vapor to decompose and/or chemically react to form a thin film on the substrate. wherein one of R1 and R2 represents an alkyl group having 1-4 carbon atoms, the other representing a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1-4 carbon atoms; R3 and R4 each represent an alkyl group having 1-4 carbon atoms; A represents an alkanediyl group having 1-8 carbon atoms; M represents a silicon atom or a hafnium atom; and n represents 4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2005
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicant: ADEKA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki Sato, Atsushi Sakurai