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).

  • Publication number: 20160061905
    Abstract: The invention provides a semiconductor device, a battery monitoring system, and a method for activating the semiconductor device that may reduce current consumption in standby state. IC includes an activation circuit that uses a ground of the IC as its ground and a power source voltage of the IC as its power source, and a driving circuit that uses the power source voltage as its 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 to 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: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Inventor: Hidekazu KIKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20160028987
    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: October 1, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Nakajima, Hidekazu Kikuchi, Takamichi Mitsuhashi
  • Publication number: 20160021422
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a communication system, a transmitter, a receiver, a communication method, a program, and a communication cable for providing high-speed bidirectional communication while maintaining compatibility. When an HDMI (R) source performs bidirectional IP communication with an HDMI (R) sink using a CEC line and a signal line, a switching control unit controls a switch so that, when data is transmitted, the switch selects a constituent signal forming a differential signal output from a converting unit and, when data is transmitted, the switch selects a constituent signal forming a differential signal output from a receiver. When bidirectional communication is performed using only the CEC line, the switching control unit controls the switch so that the CEC signal output from the HDMI (R) source or the receiver is selected. The present invention is applicable to, for example, HDMI (R).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2015
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Nakajima, Hidekazu Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20160018474
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a voltage generation circuit configured to generate a specific voltage; a first terminal configured to output the specific voltage; a second terminal configured to receive a temperature sensitive voltage; an analog/digital conversion circuit configured to convert the specific voltage and the temperature sensitive voltage to digital values; a storage unit configured to store the specific voltage and the temperature sensitive voltage; and a third terminal configured to transmit the specific voltage and the temperature sensitive voltage to an external semiconductor device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2015
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventor: Hidekazu Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 9231280
    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: August 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Komatsu, Hidekazu Kikuchi, Koji Umetsu, Naoyuki Sugeno, Morihiko Sato
  • Patent number: 9231720
    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: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Gen Ichimura, Hidekazu Kikuchi, Yasuhisa Nakajima
  • Patent number: 9210353
    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: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Nakajima, Hidekazu Kikuchi, Takamichi Mitsuhashi
  • Patent number: 9210465
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a communication system, a transmitter, a receiver, a communication method, a program, and a communication cable for providing high-speed bidirectional communication while maintaining compatibility. When an HDMI (R) source performs bidirectional IP communication with an HDMI (R) sink using a CEC line and a signal line, a switching control unit controls a switch so that, when data is transmitted, the switch selects a constituent signal forming a differential signal output from a converting unit and, when data is transmitted, the switch selects a constituent signal forming a differential signal output from a receiver. When bidirectional communication is performed using only the CEC line, the switching control unit controls the switch so that the CEC signal output from the HDMI (R) source or the receiver is selected. The present invention is applicable to, for example, HDMI (R).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Nakajima, Hidekazu Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 9191136
    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: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Gen Ichimura, Hidekazu Kikuchi, Yasuhisa Nakajima
  • Patent number: 9143637
    Abstract: Methods and systems for allowing a contents list of a video camera recorder to be smoothly displayed on a television receiver and improve the performance of a selecting operation on video content by a user. A video camera recorder (source device) 10A and a television receiver (sink device) 30A are connected through an HDMI cable 1. The video camera recorder 10A is provided with an HDMI transmission unit (HDMI TX) 28 and a high-speed data line I/F 28A. The television receiver 30A is provided with an HDMI reception unit (HDMI RX) 32 and a high-speed data line I/F 32A. In response to a transmission request from the television receiver 30A side, the video camera recorder 10A transmits, at high speed, additional information (contents list and thumbnail data) to the television receiver 30A by using a high-speed data line constituted by specific lines of the HDMI cable 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Nakajima, Hidekazu Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 9106776
    Abstract: Methods and systems for allowing a contents list of a video camera recorder to be smoothly displayed on a television receiver and improve the performance of a selecting operation on video content by a user. A video camera recorder (source device) 10A and a television receiver (sink device) 30A are connected through an HDMI cable 1. The video camera recorder 10A is provided with an HDMI transmission unit (HDMI TX) 28 and a high-speed data line I/F 28A. The television receiver 30A is provided with an HDMI reception unit (HDMI RX) 32 and a high-speed data line I/F 32A. In response to a transmission request from the television receiver 30A side, the video camera recorder 10A transmits, at high speed, additional information (contents list and thumbnail data) to the television receiver 30A by using a high-speed data line constituted by specific lines of the HDMI cable 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Nakajima, Hidekazu Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20150181284
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a communication system, a transmitter, a receiver, a communication method, a program, and a communication cable for providing high-speed bidirectional communication while maintaining compatibility. When an HDMI (R) source performs bidirectional IP communication with an HDMI (R) sink using a CEC line and a signal line, a switching control unit controls a switch so that, when data is transmitted, the switch selects a constituent signal forming a differential signal output from a converting unit and, when data is transmitted, the switch selects a constituent signal forming a differential signal output from a receiver. When bidirectional communication is performed using only the CEC line, the switching control unit controls the switch so that the CEC signal output from the HDMI (R) source or the receiver is selected. The present invention is applicable to, for example, HDMI (R).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Nakajima, Hidekazu Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 9066384
    Abstract: The light emitting device control circuit device 100 in accordance with the disclosure includes a power source V1, a transistor TR1, a light emitting unit EU1, switches S1 to S17, constant current sources CC1 to CC17, and a controller 110. A switching voltage Vs1 is supplied from the controller 110 to turn ON or turn OFF the transistor TR intermittently, a pulse voltage is supplied to a pulse voltage supplying line Y1 connected to a drain terminal D of the transistor TR1. The driving signals SP1 to SP17 are sequentially supplied to the switches S1 to S17 to turn ON or turn OFF them (i.e., time division drive). The light emitting devices A1 to A17 are driven sequentially by a pulse current (i.e., time division drive) when a high voltage is supplied to the pulse voltage supplying line Y1 and when the driving signals SP1 to SP17 are turned ON.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Kikuchi, Akinobu Sawada
  • Publication number: 20150163001
    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: February 13, 2015
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gen Ichimura, Hidekazu Kikuchi, Yasuhisa Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20150137357
    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: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hidekazu KIKUCHI
  • Patent number: 9036666
    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, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Gen Ichimura, Hidekazu Kikuchi, Yasuhisa Nakajima
  • Patent number: 9013636
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a communication system, a transmitter, a receiver, a communication method, a program, and a communication cable for providing high-speed bidirectional communication while maintaining compatibility. When an HDMI (R) source performs bidirectional IP communication with an HDMI (R) sink using a CEC line and a signal line, a switching control unit controls a switch so that, when data is transmitted, the switch selects a constituent signal forming a differential signal output from a converting unit and, when data is transmitted, the switch selects a constituent signal forming a differential signal output from a receiver. When bidirectional communication is performed using only the CEC line, the switching control unit controls the switch so that the CEC signal output from the HDMI (R) source or the receiver is selected. The present invention is applicable to, for example, HDMI (R).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Nakajima, Hidekazu Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20150103254
    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: December 17, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Nakajima, Hidekazu Kikuchi, Takamichi Mitsuhashi
  • Patent number: 9009335
    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: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Gen Ichimura, Hidekazu Kikuchi, Yasuhisa Nakajima
  • Patent number: 8988610
    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: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Nakajima, Hidekazu Kikuchi, Takamichi Mitsuhashi