Abstract: A polyolefin microporous membrane that may serve as a separator for a lithium ion battery is a single-layer or laminated structure and includes a film that forms a surface layer and contains organosilicone particles.

Abstract: A switching regulator for converting input voltage to output voltage includes a switch; an inductor energized by input voltage by the switch; a rectifier for discharging the inductor; and a slope voltage generator for generating slope voltage inclined responsive to current of the inductor, amplifies a difference between reference voltage and divided output voltage, and compares the amplified voltage and the slope voltage to generate signal for controlling the switch. The slope voltage generator includes a detector for converting current flowing through the inductor when the switch is on into voltage; and a voltage generator for generating ramp voltage. These voltages are added as the slope voltage. The voltage generator includes constant current; a resistor; and a ramp capacitor charged by the constant current through the resistor. Voltage drop of the resistor is added to terminal voltage of the ramp capacitor to output the ramp voltage.

Abstract: A reference voltage generator includes a reference voltage generating circuit that outputs a second reference voltage; and a DA converter that DA-converts a digital signal from outside in accordance with the second reference voltage. The circuit includes a first constant voltage circuit that operates on a DC voltage and outputs a first constant voltage; a second voltage divider that divides the first constant voltage at a second dividing ratio and outputs a second partial voltage; an output transistor that operates on the DC voltage and allows current to flow therethrough according to a signal applied to its control electrode; a current-voltage converter that converts the current from the output transistor into a voltage and outputs the voltage (second reference voltage); and a second op-amplifier that operates on the first constant voltage and controls the output transistor so that the second reference voltage equals to the second partial voltage.

Abstract: A constant voltage circuit converts a voltage input to an input terminal and outputs a predetermined constant voltage from an output terminal. The constant voltage circuit includes an output transistor that outputs an electrical current corresponding to a control signal input thereto to the output terminal, a differential amplifier circuit that outputs the control signal according to a difference between a comparative voltage proportional to the output voltage and a predetermined reference voltage, a current mirror circuit that serves as a load of a pair of input transistors included in the differential amplifier circuit, and a voltage comparator that compares a voltage at a control electrode of a transistor included in the current mirror circuit and a voltage of the control signal. The differential amplifier circuit controls a bias electrical current supplied to the pair of input transistors according to a comparison result of the voltage comparison.

Abstract: A DC-DC converter converts an input voltage input from an input terminal to a predetermined voltage and outputs the converted voltage from an output terminal, the DC-DC converter including an output control transistor and an operation control circuit that has an error amplifying circuit, whereby the error amplifying circuit includes an output circuit configured to output an error voltage and include an output transistor of a source follower connection, a series circuit configured to include a resistor for phase compensation and a capacitor for phase compensation and be connected between a control electrode of the output circuit and a grounding voltage terminal, and an amplifying circuit configured to be positioned on a side more distant from a side outputting the error voltage relative to the output circuit in the error amplifying circuit, and include a voltage generating element as a load of the amplifying circuit.

Abstract: A charging circuit charges a secondary battery by using a first direct current power supply that generates and outputs a first voltage. A highest voltage among the first voltage of the first direct current power supply, a second voltage generated from power supplied from outside, and a secondary battery voltage of the secondary battery is supplied as a power supply to the charging circuit.

Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus includes a constant voltage circuit that converts an input voltage and outputs a prescribed constant voltage. The constant voltage circuit includes an output transistor that receives an input of a control signal and outputs a current (from an input terminal to an output terminal) in accordance with the control signal. Also included is an error amplifier circuit that controls the output transistor to create a voltage in proportion to an output voltage outputted from the output terminal becomes a prescribed reference level. A direct current power source supplies direct current power to the constant voltage circuit. A voltage creating circuit creates and outputs a voltage higher than that of the direct current power.

Abstract: A switching regulator circuit for achieving stepping-up or stepping-down, including a basic circuit and an inductor connected to the basic circuit. The basic circuit includes a switching circuit to perform switching, a control circuit to control the switching circuit, a first terminal connected to one end of the inductor and the switching circuit, and second and third terminals connected to the switching circuit. When the input voltage is stepped up, the control circuit causes the switching circuit to charge the inductor via the first terminal and the third terminal and to discharge the inductor via the first terminal and the second terminal. When the input voltage is stepped down, the control circuit causes the switching circuit to charge the inductor via the first terminal and the second terminal and to discharge the inductor via the first terminal and the third terminal.

Abstract: A switching regulator includes a first switch, an inductor, a second switch, a controller to control a switching operation by switching the first switch and switching the second switch complementally to the first switch, and a reverse current detector to detect a reverse current that flows from an output terminal toward the second switch. The reverse current detector generates a proportional voltage that is proportional to a voltage at a junction node between the second switch and the inductor, and detects a generation or an indication of the reverse current based on the proportional voltage. The controller turns the second switch off to create a shutdown state when the reverse current detector detects the generation or the indication of the reverse current.

Abstract: A power supply circuit includes an output driver transistor, a buffer circuit, and an error amplification circuit. The buffer circuit includes a first transistor connected to an output terminal and a second transistor functioning as a load for the first transistor. The error amplification circuit includes a differential pair including a first pair of transistors, a current mirror circuit including a second pair of transistors, a constant current source supplying a current and driving the differential pair and the current mirror circuit, a third transistor connected between one of the differential pair and the current mirror circuit. The first and second transistor have the same polarity as the transistors constituting the current mirror circuit, and control terminals of the first and third transistors are connected at a first junction node that is connected to a second junction node between the one of the differential pair and the third transistor.

Abstract: A charging current for a secondary battery is reduced when the secondary battery voltage gets close to a previously set constant voltage. When the charging current has become less than a charging completion current value as a reference for determining whether the charging has been completed, a charging control sequence circuit determines that the charging of the secondary battery has been completed and proceeds to a first flow consumption current mode. The charging control sequence circuit turns off a first switch to cut off an electrical connection to stop the operation of the charging control circuit, whereby a switching element and a switching element for synchronous rectification are turned off to cut-off electrical connections so that the charging current becomes 0 mA.

Abstract: A protection circuit to protect an element against static electricity includes a clamp element connected in parallel to the protected element and a static electricity detection circuit connected to the protected element, to detect static electricity applied to the protected element. The static electricity detection circuit clamps a voltage applied to the protected element by turning on the clamp element when the detected static electricity exceeds a predetermined value and, in response to an externally input enable signal, turns off the clamp element, thereby stopping clamping the voltage applied to the protected element.

Abstract: A DC-DC converter configured to vary an output voltage includes an oscillator circuit configured to output a first clock signal; a digital-to-analog converter controlled based on the first clock signal input thereto and configured to output a voltage according to a voltage setting signal; a delay circuit configured to output a second clock signal delayed by a predetermined delay time with respect to the first clock signal input thereto; an error amplifier circuit having the output voltage of the digital-to-analog converter input thereto as a reference voltage; a pulse width modulation comparator provided with an output of the error amplifier circuit and a voltage into which a current flowing through an inductor is converted; and a control part configured to control a switching transistor of the DC-DC converter based on the second clock signal output by the delay circuit and an output of the pulse width modulation comparator.

Abstract: A power source device includes a main power source circuit, a sub power source circuit whose output voltage is changed when the output voltage of the main power source circuit is changed, a voltage difference detecting circuit which detects whether a voltage difference between the output voltages of the main and sub power source circuits is within a predetermined voltage difference, and a voltage control circuit which controls the output voltages of the main and sub power source circuits based on a voltage changing signal and an output from the voltage difference detecting circuit. The voltage control circuit controls so that the voltage difference between the output voltages of the main and sub power source circuits is within the predetermined voltage difference by controlling output voltage changing speed when the voltage difference between the output voltages of the main and sub power source circuits is over the predetermined voltage difference.

Abstract: A power supply circuit supplying power to a charge control circuit charging a secondary battery is disclosed. The power supply circuit includes a direct-current power supply configured to generate and output a predetermined voltage; and a DC-DC converter configured, to detect the voltage of the secondary battery, convert the predetermined voltage input from the direct-current power supply into a voltage according to the detected voltage of the secondary battery, and output the converted voltage to the charge control circuit.

Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes a switching transistor connected to an inductor and a power input terminal, with the inductor connected to an output terminal, a synchronous rectification transistor connected to a junction node therebetween, a first electric current detector to detect whether or not an electric current flowing through the synchronous rectification transistor is larger than a first electric current, a second electric current detector to detect whether or not the electric current flowing through the synchronous rectification transistor is larger than a second electric current that is larger than the first electric current, and a selection mechanism to select one of the first and second electric current detectors in accordance with a control signal. The synchronous rectification transistor is turned off by outputting an output signal the selected current detector.

Abstract: A voltage change detecting circuit part amplifies an output signal of a differential amplifying circuit so that a slew rate thereof may be larger than that of a control signal output from a first error amplifying circuit to an output transistor, responding to change of an output voltage output from an output terminal quicker than a control signal output from the first error amplifying circuit to a first transistor, and causing a discharging circuit part to carry out discharging operation.

Abstract: A switching regulator for converting input voltage to output voltage includes a switch; an inductor energized by input voltage by the switch; a rectifier for discharging the inductor; and a slope voltage generator for generating slope voltage inclined responsive to current of the inductor, amplifies a difference between reference voltage and divided output voltage, and compares the amplified voltage and the slope voltage to generate signal for controlling the switch. The slope voltage generator includes a detector for converting current flowing through the inductor when the switch is on into voltage; and a voltage generator for generating ramp voltage. These voltages are added as the slope voltage. The voltage generator includes constant current; a resistor; and a ramp capacitor charged by the constant current through the resistor. Voltage drop of the resistor is added to terminal voltage of the ramp capacitor to output the ramp voltage.

Abstract: A constant-current circuit includes a first transistor for supplying a current based on a control signal input to a gate of the first transistor so as to serve as a current source, a second transistor for supplying a current to a load based on the control signal input to a gate of the second transistor, a voltage regulation unit for controlling a drain voltage of the first transistor according to a drain voltage of the second transistor, a current detector for detecting a value of a current flowing through the first transistor and output a current according to the detected value, and a controller for controlling each gate voltage of the first and second transistors according to the value detected by the current detector so that the current flowing through the first transistor becomes a predetermined value. The first and second transistors are MOS transistors having the same conductivity.

Abstract: A current-mode control type DC-DC converter includes a switching transistor turned on with a clock signal output in predetermined cycles, an inductor supplied with electric current when the switching transistor is turned on, an error amplifier circuit to output an error voltage that is an amplified difference between a predetermined reference voltage and a divided output voltage of the DC-DC converter, a slope voltage generation circuit to generate a slope voltage by performing slope compensation on an inductor current, a PWN comparator to compare the slope voltage with the error voltage and generate a reset pulse to turn off the switching transistor when the slope voltage reaches the error voltage, and a slope voltage maintenance mechanism to keep the slope voltage at the ground voltage from when the reset pulse is generated to when a subsequent clock signal is generated.