Patents by Inventor Hidekazu Kikuchi

Hidekazu Kikuchi 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: 10018680
    Abstract: A semiconductor device, a battery monitoring system, and a method for activating the semiconductor device that may reduce current consumption in standby state. An integrated circuit (IC) of the semiconductor device includes an activation circuit that uses a ground of the IC as ground and a power source voltage of the IC as its power source, and a driving circuit that uses the power source voltage as ground and a boosted voltage output from a boosting circuit as its power source. In the IC, only the activation circuit enters an operation state in a standby state, and when recovered from the standby state, causes the activation circuit to make inner circuits of the IC enter the operation state based on an activation signal. When all the inner circuits enter the operation state, the driving circuit outputs the activation signal to the activation circuit of an upper IC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: LAPIS SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hidekazu Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20180048045
    Abstract: A signal transmission system including: a first connector apparatus, and a second connector apparatus that is coupled with the first connector apparatus. The first connector apparatus and the second connector apparatus are coupled together to form an electromagnetic field coupling unit, and a transmission object signal is converted into a radio signal, which is then transmitted through the electromagnetic field coupling unit, between the first connector apparatus and the second connector apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Applicant: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Hidekazu KIKUCHI, Takayuki MOGI, Yoshiyuki AKIYAMA, Hirofumi KAWAMURA
  • Publication number: 20180013412
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a comparator, an AD converter, a solid-state image pickup device, an electronic device, a method of controlling the comparator, a data writing circuit, a data reading circuit, and a data transferring circuit, capable of improving the determining speed of the comparator and reducing power consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventors: HIDEKAZU KIKUCHI, TADAYUKI TAURA, MASAKI SAKAKIBARA
  • Patent number: 9825348
    Abstract: A signal transmission system including: a first connector apparatus, and a second connector apparatus that is coupled with the first connector apparatus. The first connector apparatus and the second connector apparatus are coupled together to form an electromagnetic field coupling unit, and a transmission object signal is converted into a radio signal, which is then transmitted through the electromagnetic field coupling unit, between the first connector apparatus and the second connector apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Hidekazu Kikuchi, Takayuki Mogi, Yoshiyuki Akiyama, Hirofumi Kawamura
  • Patent number: 9769520
    Abstract: Electronic equipment and methods for permitting quick control of the operating state of a source equipment side from sink equipment. A television receiver (sink equipment) 100 and an amplifier (repeater equipment) 200 are interconnected over an HDMI cable 610, and the amplifier 200 and a DVD recorder (source equipment) 300 are interconnected over an HDMI cable 620. Each of the pieces of equipment includes, in addition to an HDMI receiving unit and an HDMI transmitting unit, a high-speed data line I/F included in a bidirectional communication unit that uses predetermined lines of the HDMI cable. The bidirectional communication unit is used to transmit channel selection information, a remote control code instructing recording, “theater mode” designating information, a remote control code, or the like from the television receiver 100 to the audio amplifier 200 or DVD recorder 300.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Nakajima, Hidekazu Kikuchi, Takamichi Mitsuhashi
  • Publication number: 20170264111
    Abstract: A battery system includes a plurality of electronic storage modules serially connected together wherein the electronic storage modules include a battery block group including a plurality of battery cells, and a different magnetic core connected to each battery block group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventors: Yoshihiro KOMATSU, Hidekazu KIKUCHI, Koji UMETSU
  • Patent number: 9741314
    Abstract: There is an image data processing circuit including a memory storing input image data, the input image data being limited to a specific number of colors or to a specific image range, and a correction processing part replacing, when a predetermined tone change is present between a pixel in image data previous by one frame whose data is stored by the memory and a pixel in image data in a current frame whose data is input, a relevant pixel in the current frame with a color of a specific tone. The memory is built in an integrated circuit included in the correction processing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC
    Inventors: Hidekazu Kikuchi, Takayuki Mogi, Atsuhiro Naka, Hiroshi Iizuka
  • Publication number: 20170230205
    Abstract: A video signal and an audio signal are TMDS transmitted from a source device to a sink device. Through a reserved line and a HPD line provided separately from a TMDS transmission line, an Ethernet™ signal is bidirectionally transmitted, and also, a SPDIF signal is transmitted from the sink device to the source device. The Ethernet™ signal bidirectionally transmitted between Ethernet™ transmitter/receiver circuits is differentially transmitted by an amplifier and is received by the amplifier. The SPDIF signal from a SPDIF transmitter circuit is common-mode transmitted from an adder and is received by the adder to be supplied to the SPDIF receiver circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Gen Ichimura, Hidekazu Kikuchi, Yasuhisa Nakajima
  • Patent number: 9728821
    Abstract: A power storage apparatus, electric device, electric vehicle, and power system are disclosed. In an example embodiment, a power storage apparatus includes a battery block comprising a plurality of battery cells and an isolating unit that enables wireless information transfer regarding battery information of the battery block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Komatsu, Hidekazu Kikuchi, Koji Umetsu, Naoyuki Sugeno, Morihiko Sato
  • Patent number: 9705341
    Abstract: A battery system includes a plurality of electronic storage modules serially connected together. Each electronic storage module includes a battery block group including a plurality of battery cells, and a different magnetic core connected to each battery block group. An electronic device, an electric vehicle and electric power system including the battery system are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Komatsu, Hidekazu Kikuchi, Koji Umetsu
  • Publication number: 20170184678
    Abstract: A semiconductor device for measuring a voltage of a battery cell, including first and second nodes, and first and second battery voltage measurement units. The first node is configured to receive a first voltage, the first voltage being a voltage of a capacitor that accumulates an electric charge based on the voltage of the battery cell. The first battery voltage measurement unit measures the first voltage through a first path. The second node is configured to receive a second voltage based on the voltage of the battery cell, the second node being different from the first node. The second battery voltage measurement unit measures the second voltage through a second path that is different from the first path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Applicant: LAPIS Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaru SEKIGUCHI, Hidekazu KIKUCHI, Naoaki SUGIMURA
  • Patent number: 9667979
    Abstract: An image compression circuit includes: a transform section configured to transform a plurality of pieces of pixel data into a plurality of pieces of coefficient data; and a quantization section configured to obtain a quantization parameter based on a predetermined number of pieces of the coefficient data, and to quantize the predetermined number of pieces of the coefficient data with use of the quantization parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Iizuka, Hidekazu Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 9667369
    Abstract: A video signal and an audio signal are TMDS transmitted from a source device to a sink device. Through a reserved line and a HPD line provided separately from a TMDS transmission line, an Ethernet™ signal is bidirectionally transmitted, and also, a SPDIF signal is transmitted from the sink device to the source device. The Ethernet™ signal bidirectionally transmitted between Ethernet™ transmitter/receiver circuits is differentially transmitted by an amplifier and is received by the amplifier. The SPDIF signal from a SPDIF transmitter circuit is common-mode transmitted from an adder and is received by the adder to be supplied to the SPDIF receiver circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Gen Ichimura, Hidekazu Kikuchi, Yasuhisa Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20160373809
    Abstract: Electronic equipment and methods for permitting quick control of the operating state of a source equipment side from sink equipment. A television receiver (sink equipment) 100 and an amplifier (repeater equipment) 200 are interconnected over an HDMI cable 610, and the amplifier 200 and a DVD recorder (source equipment) 300 are interconnected over an HDMI cable 620. Each of the pieces of equipment includes, in addition to an HDMI receiving unit and an HDMI transmitting unit, a high-speed data line I/F included in a bidirectional communication unit that uses predetermined lines of the HDMI cable. The bidirectional communication unit is used to transmit channel selection information, a remote control code instructing recording, “theater mode” designating information, a remote control code, or the like from the television receiver 100 to the audio amplifier 200 or DVD recorder 300.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Nakajima, Hidekazu Kikuchi, Takamichi Mitsuhashi
  • Patent number: 9462211
    Abstract: Electronic equipment and methods for permitting quick control of the operating state of a source equipment side from sink equipment. A television receiver (sink equipment) 100 and an amplifier (repeater equipment) 200 are interconnected over an HDMI cable 610, and the amplifier 200 and a DVD recorder (source equipment) 300 are interconnected over an HDMI cable 620. Each of the pieces of equipment includes, in addition to an HDMI receiving unit and an HDMI transmitting unit, a high-speed data line I/F included in a bidirectional communication unit that uses predetermined lines of the HDMI cable. The bidirectional communication unit is used to transmit channel selection information, a remote control code instructing recording, “theater mode” designating information, a remote control code, or the like from the television receiver 100 to the audio amplifier 200 or DVD recorder 300.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Nakajima, Hidekazu Kikuchi, Takamichi Mitsuhashi
  • Patent number: 9425170
    Abstract: An inventive semiconductor device includes: a first semiconductor chip; a second semiconductor chip having a front surface opposed to a front surface of the first semiconductor chip; a first electrode region including a first electrode provided between the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip to electrically connect the first semiconductor chip to the second semiconductor chip; and a juncture portion provided between the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip as surrounding the first electrode region to connect the first semiconductor chip to the second semiconductor chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hidekazu Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20160211566
    Abstract: A signal transmission system including: a first connector apparatus, and a second connector apparatus that is coupled with the first connector apparatus. The first connector apparatus and the second connector apparatus are coupled together to form an electromagnetic field coupling unit, and a transmission object signal is converted into a radio signal, which is then transmitted through the electromagnetic field coupling unit, between the first connector apparatus and the second connector apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hidekazu KIKUCHI, Takayuki Mogi, Yoshiyuki Akiyama, Hirofumi Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20160172721
    Abstract: A power storage apparatus, electric device, electric vehicle, and power system are disclosed. In an example embodiment, a power storage apparatus includes a battery block comprising a plurality of battery cells and an isolating unit that enables wireless information transfer regarding battery information of the battery block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: YOSHIHIRO KOMATSU, HIDEKAZU KIKUCHI, KOJI UMETSU, NAOYUKI SUGENO, MORIHIKO SATO
  • Patent number: 9337919
    Abstract: A signal transmission system including: a first connector apparatus, and a second connector apparatus that is coupled with the first connector apparatus. The first connector apparatus and the second connector apparatus are coupled together to form an electromagnetic field coupling unit, and a transmission object signal is converted into a radio signal, which is then transmitted through the electromagnetic field coupling unit, between the first connector apparatus and the second connector apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidekazu Kikuchi, Takayuki Mogi, Yoshiyuki Akiyama, Hirofumi Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20160072603
    Abstract: A video signal and an audio signal are TMDS transmitted from a source device to a sink device. Through a reserved line and a HPD line provided separately from a TMDS transmission line, an Ethernet™ signal is bidirectionally transmitted, and also, a SPDIF signal is transmitted from the sink device to the source device. The Ethernet™ signal bidirectionally transmitted between Ethernet™ transmitter/receiver circuits is differentially transmitted by an amplifier and is received by the amplifier. The SPDIF signal from a SPDIF transmitter circuit is common-mode transmitted from an adder and is received by the adder to be supplied to the SPDIF receiver circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Gen Ichimura, Hidekazu Kikuchi, Yasuhisa Nakajima