Abstract: A battery disconnect unit for use in transportation equipment including a battery and a load includes a pyrofuse, a mechanical relay including a first contact and a second contact, a current sensor, and a disconnection control circuit connected to the current sensor and the pyrofuse. The current sensor outputs a current value of a current flowing in a current path between the battery and the load, to the disconnection control circuit. The disconnection control circuit outputs an ignition signal to the pyrofuse based on the current value. The pyrofuse disconnects the current path by the ignition signal, and the mechanical relay is turned on and off by a control signal from outside of the battery disconnect unit.

Abstract: A shutdown device includes: a pyro-fuse that includes a bus bar inserted into a power supply path and a piston disposed above the bus bar, the piston moving toward the bus bar to divide the bus bar; and a melting fuse connected in parallel to the pyro-fuse, in which the melting fuse includes a fuse case, a fuse element provided in the fuse case and is fused when an overcurrent flows, and an arc-extinguishing material provided in the fuse case and being in a granular phase, and the fuse element extends along a direction intersecting a direction in which the piston moves.

Abstract: A fuse that includes a bus bar and cuts off the bus bar in response to an ignition signal, a first current detector that includes a first resistor and detects a current flowing through the bus bar, and a second current detector that includes a second resistor and detects the current flowing through the bus bar are included, wherein the first resistor and the second resistor are integrated with the bus bar, and a current having the same magnitude as the current flowing through the bus bar flows in the first resistor and the second resistor, and the bus bar is cut off between the first current detector and the second current detector in response to the ignition signal, or the first resistor of the first current detector is cut off in response to the ignition signal.

Abstract: A direct current short circuit protection device includes a fuse that includes a bus bar and cuts off the bus bar in response to an ignition signal, a first current detector that includes a first resistor and detects a current flowing through the bus bar, a second current detector that includes a second resistor and detects the current flowing through the bus bar, and a disconnection control circuit that outputs the ignition signal to the fuse based on a first detection signal output from the first current detector and a second detection signal output from the second current detector, wherein the first resistor and the second resistor are integrated with the bus bar, and a current having a same magnitude as the current flowing through the bus bar flows in the first resistor and the second resistor, and the first resistor and second resistor have resistance values different from each other.

Abstract: A battery disconnection system includes: a main relay connected between a battery and a load; a pre-charge relay and a pre-charge resistor connected in parallel to the main relay and connected in series; a current sensor that measures a current of the battery; a pyrotechnic disconnection device that cuts off the current of the battery; a voltage measurement unit that measures a voltage of the pre-charge resistor; and a control circuit. The control circuit controls the pyrotechnic disconnection device based on a measured value of the current sensor when the main relay is turned on, and detects a failure of the current sensor based on a measured value of the voltage measurement unit when the main relay is turned off and the pre-charge relay is turned on.

Abstract: A cutoff device includes a conductor wire, a pyrotechnic circuit breaker, a plurality of drive circuits connected to the pyrotechnic circuit breaker in parallel and configured to activate the pyrotechnic circuit breaker, and a control circuit. The control circuit sets an output current value and a period for which the output current is output to each of the drive circuits, and causes the drive circuits to supply the power for activating the pyrotechnic circuit breaker when the pyrotechnic circuit breaker needs to be activated.

Abstract: A cutoff device includes a conductor wire, a pyrotechnic circuit breaker, a plurality of drive circuits connected to the pyrotechnic circuit breaker in parallel and configured to activate the pyrotechnic circuit breaker, and a control circuit. The control circuit sets an output current value and a period for which the output current is output to each of the drive circuits, and causes the drive circuits to supply the power for activating the pyrotechnic circuit breaker when the pyrotechnic circuit breaker needs to be activated.

Abstract: An in-vehicle cutoff device includes a first input terminal, a first output terminal, a first conductor wire, a second input terminal, a second output terminal, a second conductor wire, a first current detector capable of detecting a current flowing through the first conductor wire or the second conductor wire, a second current detector capable of detecting a current flowing through the first conductor wire or the second conductor wire, a pyrotechnic circuit breaker capable of irreversibly disconnecting the first conductor wire, and controller capable of controlling a cutoff operation of the pyrotechnic circuit breaker in response to the detected currents. The controller causes the cutoff operation of the pyrotechnic circuit breaker to perform the cutoff operation when both of a first current value generated based on a first detection signal and a second current value generated based on the second detection signal exceed an overcurrent threshold.

Abstract: A power source generation circuit includes a regulator circuit which receives an external power source voltage VDDA from an external power source, and generates a predetermined internal power source voltage on a given terminal VDD; and a charging circuit which connects the external power source and the given terminal when the external power source voltage VDDA supplied from the external power source is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold voltage.

Abstract: A radio frequency identification (RFID) device includes: a contact interface for wired communication with a host; a contactless interface for contactless communication with a reader/writer; a command processing unit that obtains a command from the reader/writer in the contactless communication and process the command, the command instructing a data access; and a memory that holds data. The command processing unit determines a communication mode, and (i) executes the data access instructed in the command between the reader/writer and the memory, when the communication mode is determined as a first communication mode, and (ii) executes the data access instructed in the command between the reader/writer and the host, when the communication mode is determined as a second communication mode.

Abstract: A power source generation circuit includes a regulator circuit which receives an external power source voltage VDDA from an external power source, and generates a predetermined internal power source voltage on a given terminal VDD; and a charging circuit which connects the external power source and the given terminal when the external power source voltage VDDA supplied from the external power source is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold voltage.

Abstract: A power source generation circuit includes a regulator circuit which receives an external power source voltage VDDA from an external power source, and generates a predetermined internal power source voltage on a given terminal VDD; and a charging circuit which connects the external power source and the given terminal when the external power source voltage VDDA supplied from the external power source is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold voltage.

Abstract: A radio frequency identification (RFID) device includes: a contact interface for wired communication with a host; a contactless interface for contactless communication with a reader/writer; a command processing unit that obtains a command from the reader/writer in the contactless communication and process the command, the command instructing a data access; and a memory that holds data. The command processing unit determines a communication mode, and (i) executes the data access instructed in the command between the reader/writer and the memory, when the communication mode is determined as a first communication mode, and (ii) executes the data access instructed in the command between the reader/writer and the host, when the communication mode is determined as a second communication mode.

Abstract: A power source generation circuit includes a regulator circuit which receives an external power source voltage VDDA from an external power source, and generates a predetermined internal power source voltage on a given terminal VDD; and a charging circuit which connects the external power source and the given terminal when the external power source voltage VDDA supplied from the external power source is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold voltage.

Abstract: In a single-wire data communication characterized in that a data communication unit time is different in accordance with the polarity of a signal, a communication control time is dependent on a communication data pattern, and hence, the control of the whole system is difficult. A counter for counting a clock continues the counting until a count value thereby obtained reaches a predetermined upper limit value, retains the predetermined upper limit value as the count value until a next pulse is detected in a reception signal after the count value reaches the predetermined upper limit value, and initializes the count value when the next pulse is detected. A data value judger judges a data value depending on whether or not the pulse is detected during a period before the time when the count value reaches the predetermined upper limit value.

Abstract: The present invention is applicable to various sensor outputs including pulse signals and reduces cost for detecting malfunction. The malfunction detection system detects a malfunction in a sensor, and the malfunction detection system includes a sensor including a first terminal, and which outputs a sensor output current that varies a voltage level of the first terminal, a current output unit which varies the voltage level of the first terminal by outputting a constant current for judging to the sensor via the first terminal, and a judging unit which judges that the sensor is malfunctioning when the current for judging causes the voltage level of the first terminal to be equal to or higher than a threshold in a period different from a first period where the sensor output current causes the voltage level of the first terminal to be equal to or higher than the threshold.

Abstract: In a single-wire data communication characterized in that a data communication unit time is different in accordance with the polarity of a signal, a communication control time is dependent on a communication data pattern, and hence, the control of the whole system is difficult. A counter for counting a clock continues the counting until a count value thereby obtained reaches a predetermined upper limit value, retains the predetermined upper limit value as the count value until a next pulse is detected in a reception signal after the count value reaches the predetermined upper limit value, and initializes the count value when the next pulse is detected. A data value judger judges a data value depending on whether or not the pulse is detected during a period before the time when the count value reaches the predetermined upper limit value.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a comparator which includes two input terminals and compares the voltage values between the power supply voltage which is inputted to one side input terminal and the reference voltage which is inputted to the other side input terminal. A resistor element connects two signal lines that are connected to the input terminals of the comparator One end of a capacitance element is connected to a power supply terminal for applying a power supply and the other end is connected to one input terminal of the comparator.

Abstract: The present invention is applicable to various sensor outputs including pulse signals and reduces cost for detecting malfunction. The malfunction detection system detects a malfunction in a sensor, and the malfunction detection system includes a sensor including a first terminal, and which outputs a sensor output current that varies a voltage level of the first terminal, a current output unit which varies the voltage level of the first terminal by outputting a constant current for judging to the sensor via the first terminal, and a judging unit which judges that the sensor is malfunctioning when the current for judging causes the voltage level of the first terminal to be equal to or higher than a threshold in a period different from a first period where the sensor output current causes the voltage level of the first terminal to be equal to or higher than the threshold.

Abstract: A frequency sensor includes at least one a resistor element and a capacitor. A frequency is detected according to a charging/discharging time to/from the capacitor, thereby realizing a frequency sensor with reduced power consumption and reduced circuit scale. Further, plural resistors and plural capacitors can be provided, along with switches connected to the respective resistors and capacitors. Additionally, a time constant can be adjusted after production, whereby variations in production can be reduced. Furthermore, a self-diagnosis circuit can be included for determining whether the frequency sensor itself operates normally or not. Thus, a highly-reliable frequency sensor can be realized.