Patents by Inventor Isao Niwa

Isao Niwa 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: 11326917
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a first terminal arranged to accept an external input of an analog input signal, an amplifier configured to amplify the analog input signal to generate an amplified signal, a logic unit configured to generate a digital output signal that is in accordance with the amplified signal, and a second terminal arranged to externally output an analog output signal that is in accordance with the amplified signal. The first terminal is disposed at a first side of a package, and the second terminal is disposed at a second side which is different from the first side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Isao Niwa, Yuji Kaneda, Yuzo Mizushima
  • Patent number: 10894519
    Abstract: Provided is an integrated circuit (41) that operates in normal mode or sleep mode corresponding to the on/off state of a vehicle engine. On the basis of information of setting data information stored in an internal register (42) and information of the on/off state of the vehicle engine from an MPU (50), the integrated circuit (41) generates monitoring signals (INZ0 to INZ7), monitoring signals (INA0 to INA7), and monitoring signals (INB0 to INB5). These monitoring signals enables to monitor states of a head light switch (11), a door switch (12), and a window switch (13). As the switch state monitoring method, intermittent operation or constant monitoring operation is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Kaneda, Yuzo Mizushima, Shogo Takamura, Isao Niwa
  • Patent number: 10852404
    Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor 1000 has a transmission/reception processing circuit 100, and the transmission/reception processing circuit 100 has a burst signal transmission circuit 1 that generates and transmits burst signals S0, and a signal processing circuit 7 that processes reception signals received by a piezoelectric element 4. The signal processing circuit 7 verifies the reverberation frequency of the reverberation signals of ultrasonic signals (reception signals) reflected to the piezoelectric element 4 from a subject, and on the basis of the verified reverberation frequency and reverberation time of the reception signals, adjusts the frequency of the burst signals S0 to be substantially equal to the reverberation frequency, said burst signals being to be generated by the burst signal transmission circuit 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Isao Niwa
  • Patent number: 10816374
    Abstract: A signal processing apparatus for processing a signal is provided. The apparatus includes a comparator having one input terminal to which a signal is inputted, a first switch configured to switch between application and non-application of a reference voltage, a second switch configured to switch between application and non-application of an envelope reference voltage; a third switch configured to switch between application and non-application of an error detection reference voltage; and a controller configured to perform switching control of the first switch, the second switch and the third switch based on an output of the comparator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Isao Niwa
  • Patent number: 10782169
    Abstract: An ultrasonic flowmeter has oscillators 1, 2, a transmitter 31 for transmitting burst waves BURST, amplifiers 34, 35 for amplifying a received signal, a first comparator 36 for checking whether the crest of the amplified signal falls within a predetermined range, a second comparator 37 for checking whether the amplified signal exceeds a predetermined threshold, a third comparator 38 for detecting zero-cross points in the amplified signal, and a controller 40 including a time counter for measuring the propagation time from when the burst waves are transmitted until when the amplified signal reaches a zero-cross point. The time counter has a low-speed clock, a mid-speed clock whose frequency is calibrated with the low-speed clock and whose propagation time is shorter than that of the low-speed clock, and a high-speed clock whose frequency is calibrated with the mid-speed clock and whose propagation time is shorter than that of the mid-speed clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Isao Niwa
  • Publication number: 20200269780
    Abstract: Provided is an integrated circuit (41) that operates in normal mode or sleep mode corresponding to the on/off state of a vehicle engine. On the basis of information of setting data information stored in an internal register (42) and information of the on/off state of the vehicle engine from an MPU (50), the integrated circuit (41) generates monitoring signals (INZ0 to INZ7), monitoring signals (INA0 to INA7), and monitoring signals (INB0 to INB5). These monitoring signals enables to monitor states of a head light switch (11), a door switch (12), and a window switch (13). As the switch state monitoring method, intermittent operation or constant monitoring operation is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Applicant: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Kaneda, Yuzo Mizushima, Shogo Takamura, Isao Niwa
  • Publication number: 20200064168
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a first terminal arranged to accept an external input of an analog input signal, an amplifier configured to amplify the analog input signal to generate an amplified signal, a logic unit configured to generate a digital output signal that is in accordance with the amplified signal, and a second terminal arranged to externally output an analog output signal that is in accordance with the amplified signal. The first terminal is disposed at a first side of a package, and the second terminal is disposed at a second side which is different from the first side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Applicant: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Isao Niwa, Yuji Kaneda, Yuzo Mizushima
  • Patent number: 10491225
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a clock generating device for generating an internal clock signal having a frequency correlated with a clock frequency of an external oscillator when the clock frequency of the external oscillator is not specified in advance. A clock generating device 105 comprises a memory 134 and a PLL circuit 120. The memory 134 is configured to store information about a frequency of an external clock signal generated by an external oscillator 200 at a predetermined timing. The PLL circuit 120 generates a second clock signal correlated with a first clock signal based on the information stored in the memory 134.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Isao Niwa
  • Patent number: 10374143
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit constituting a part of a sensor signal processing apparatus for processing sensor signal output from a sensor includes: a first terminal where one end of a vibrator externally attached to the semiconductor integrated circuit is connected and a second terminal where the other end of the vibrator is connected; and an oscillation circuit oscillating the vibrator connected via the first and second terminals, wherein the oscillator circuit intermittently oscillating the vibrator based on control signal, wherein a first period where the oscillation circuit oscillates the vibrator and a second period where the oscillation circuit does not oscillate the vibrator are alternately switched, wherein, during the first period, potentials of the first and second terminals are alternately switched complementarily to high level and low level, and wherein, during the second period, the potentials of the first terminal and the second terminal are fixed to the low level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Ota, Yuzo Mizushima, Yuji Kaneda, Isao Niwa
  • Patent number: 10288686
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit for monitoring a switch, including: a first detection part that detects a state of a first switch; a second detection part that detects a state of a second switch; a sub-voltage monitoring part that monitors whether the sub-voltage is within a predetermined range; a switch monitoring part that monitors a change in a state of the first switch and a change in a state of the second switch; a setting part that determines an invalid period, during which the monitoring result of the switch monitoring part regarding the change in the state of the second switch is invalidated; and a transmission part that transmits the monitoring result of the switch monitoring part and information on the invalid period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shogo Takamura, Isao Niwa, Yuji Kaneda, Yuzo Mizushima
  • Publication number: 20190078919
    Abstract: An ultrasonic flowmeter has oscillators 1, 2, a transmitter 31 for transmitting burst waves BURST, amplifiers 34, 35 for amplifying a received signal, a first comparator 36 for checking whether the crest of the amplified signal falls within a predetermined range, a second comparator 37 for checking whether the amplified signal exceeds a predetermined threshold, a third comparator 38 for detecting zero-cross points in the amplified signal, and a controller 40 including a time counter for measuring the propagation time from when the burst waves are transmitted until when the amplified signal reaches a zero-cross point. The time counter has a low-speed clock, a mid-speed clock whose frequency is calibrated with the low-speed clock and whose propagation time is shorter than that of the low-speed clock, and a high-speed clock whose frequency is calibrated with the mid-speed clock and whose propagation time is shorter than that of the mid-speed clock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Inventor: Isao NIWA
  • Publication number: 20190049277
    Abstract: A signal processing apparatus for processing a signal is provided. The apparatus includes a comparator having one input terminal to which a signal is inputted, a first switch configured to switch between application and non-application of a reference voltage, a second switch configured to switch between application and non-application of an envelope reference voltage; a third switch configured to switch between application and non-application of an error detection reference voltage; and a controller configured to perform switching control of the first switch, the second switch and the third switch based on an output of the comparator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Applicant: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Isao Niwa
  • Publication number: 20180069169
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit constituting a part of a sensor signal processing apparatus for processing sensor signal output from a sensor includes: a first terminal where one end of a vibrator externally attached to the semiconductor integrated circuit is connected and a second terminal where the other end of the vibrator is connected; and an oscillation circuit oscillating the vibrator connected via the first and second terminals, wherein the oscillator circuit intermittently oscillating the vibrator based on control signal, wherein a first period where the oscillation circuit oscillates the vibrator and a second period where the oscillation circuit does not oscillate the vibrator are alternately switched, wherein, during the first period, potentials of the first and second terminals are alternately switched complementarily to high level and low level, and wherein, during the second period, the potentials of the first terminal and the second terminal are fixed to the low level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Inventors: Akihiro Ota, Yuzo Mizushima, Yuji Kaneda, Isao Niwa
  • Publication number: 20180024195
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit for monitoring a switch, including: a first detection part that detects a state of a first switch; a second detection part that detects a state of a second switch; a sub-voltage monitoring part that monitors whether the sub-voltage is within a predetermined range; a switch monitoring part that monitors a change in a state of the first switch and a change in a state of the second switch; a setting part that determines an invalid period, during which the monitoring result of the switch monitoring part regarding the change in the state of the second switch is invalidated; and a transmission part that transmits the monitoring result of the switch monitoring part and information on the invalid period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Inventors: Shogo Takamura, Isao Niwa, Yuji Kaneda, Yuzo Mizushima
  • Publication number: 20180003808
    Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor 1000 has a transmission/reception processing circuit 100, and the transmission/reception processing circuit 100 has a burst signal transmission circuit 1 that generates and transmits burst signals S0, and a signal processing circuit 7 that processes reception signals received by a piezoelectric element 4. The signal processing circuit 7 verifies the reverberation frequency of the reverberation signals of ultrasonic signals (reception signals) reflected to the piezoelectric element 4 from a subject, and on the basis of the verified reverberation frequency and reverberation time of the reception signals, adjusts the frequency of the burst signals S0 to be substantially equal to the reverberation frequency, said burst signals being to be generated by the burst signal transmission circuit 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Inventor: Isao Niwa
  • Publication number: 20170302285
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a clock generating device for generating an internal clock signal having a frequency correlated with a clock frequency of an external oscillator when the clock frequency of the external oscillator is not specified in advance. A clock generating device 105 comprises a memory 134 and a PLL circuit 120. The memory 134 is configured to store information about a frequency of an external clock signal generated by an external oscillator 200 at a predetermined timing. The PLL circuit 120 generates a second clock signal correlated with a first clock signal based on the information stored in the memory 134.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventor: Isao Niwa
  • Patent number: 9429646
    Abstract: A receiving circuit (10) includes an amplifier (15) which amplifies receiving signals (SP, SN) of a piezoelectric sensor (2), and a plurality of transistors (11a, 11b) or (12a, 12b), which are connected in parallel to between one end of the piezoelectric sensor (2) and one end of the amplifier (15), and are turned on with phase shift when switching is performed to receiving operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Isao Niwa, Youichiro Noguchi
  • Patent number: 9406291
    Abstract: A transmission circuit transmits an ultrasonic signal from an ultrasonic vibrator by driving a terminal voltage of the ultrasonic vibrator using a first pulse signal and then further driving the terminal voltage using a second pulse signal having an opposite phase to the first pulse signal. At least one of a pulse number of the second pulse signal and a pulse level of the terminal voltage is arbitrarily set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Isao Niwa
  • Publication number: 20140225477
    Abstract: A receiving circuit (10) includes an amplifier (15) which amplifies receiving signals (SP, SN) of a piezoelectric sensor (2), and a plurality of transistors (11a, 11b) or (12a, 12b), which are connected in parallel to between one end of the piezoelectric sensor (2) and one end of the amplifier (15), and are turned on with phase shift when switching is performed to receiving operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Isao Niwa, Youichiro Noguchi
  • Publication number: 20140043940
    Abstract: A transmission circuit transmits an ultrasonic signal from an ultrasonic vibrator by driving a terminal voltage of the ultrasonic vibrator using a first pulse signal and then further driving the terminal voltage using a second pulse signal having an opposite phase to the first pulse signal. At least one of a pulse number of the second pulse signal and a pulse level of the terminal voltage is arbitrarily set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Isao Niwa