Patents by Inventor Kazuhiro Matsunami

Kazuhiro Matsunami 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: 20240136988
    Abstract: Provided is a physical quantity outputting circuit including a first output terminal, a power supply terminal to which an external power supply voltage is input, a reference terminal to which a reference voltage is input, a power supply voltage circuit which generates an internal power supply voltage from the external power supply voltage, a first output amplifier to which a first input signal corresponding to the physical quantity sensing result is input and which outputs the first output voltage corresponding to the first input signal to the first output terminal, a first resistor connected between the power supply terminal and the first output terminal, and a second resistor connected between the first output terminal and the reference terminal. In the physical quantity outputting circuit, current that flows from the power supply voltage circuit to the first output amplifier has a constant value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventor: Kazuhiro MATSUNAMI
  • Publication number: 20240077366
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an integrated circuit having a first resistor configuring a voltage divider circuit, a sensing resistor configured to measure a sheet resistance having a same attribute as that of the first resistor, a temperature detection circuit configured to detect a value of a first temperature, a storage circuit configured to store a table including first information for each of a plurality of values of the first temperatures, the first information corresponding to a sheet resistance of the first resistor obtained based on a result of measurement of the sensing resistor, and indicating a relationship between a second temperature and a divided voltage of the voltage divider circuit at the second temperature, and an arithmetic circuit configured to obtain the second temperature, based on the first information at the value of the first temperature detected by the temperature detection circuit and the divided voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Applicant: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuichi ITO, Kazuhiro MATSUNAMI
  • Publication number: 20230259417
    Abstract: Provided is a processing circuit for data of multiple bits including a first bit, a second bit, and a third bit, the processing circuit including a memory unit for storing a bit value of each bit, a first memory code, and a second memory code, a code generation unit for generating a first generation code indicating whether bit values of the first bit and the second bit stored by the memory unit are identical, and a second generation code indicating whether bit values of the second bit stored and the third bit stored by the memory unit are identical, and a determination unit for determining whether, based on a comparison result of between the first memory code and the first generation code and a comparison result between the second memory code and the second generation code, an error has occurred in the bit value of the second bit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2022
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventor: Kazuhiro MATSUNAMI
  • Publication number: 20220364945
    Abstract: Provided is a pressure sensor apparatus, including: a pressure sensor unit; a case configured to house the pressure sensor unit; and a plurality of lead terminals configured to be exposed toward outside of of the case, wherein the plurality of lead terminals include a first terminal, a second terminal, and a ground terminal; and the ground terminal, the first terminal and the second terminal are arranged in an order of the ground terminal, the first terminal, and the second terminal outside the case. The pressure sensor apparatus includes a capacitor for a second terminal arranged across the ground terminal and the second terminal in between in interior of the case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Hiroto KIKUCHI, Kazuhiro MATSUNAMI, Kimihiro ASHINO
  • Patent number: 11422049
    Abstract: It is desired to further reduce output errors which are caused by temperature characteristics. A sensor device is provided which includes a sense circuit which outputs a sense signal according to a magnitude of a detected physical quantity, an amplifier circuit which amplifies the sense signal, and a switching unit which switches at least one of a sensitivity of the sense circuit and an offset of the amplifier circuit discontinuously according to whether a temperature measurement value exceeds a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Matsunami, Mutsuo Nishikawa, Ryohei Uzawa
  • Patent number: 11415473
    Abstract: If the bridge circuit fails due to damage of the diaphragm, the damage is detected at an early stage. A pressure sensor comprises: a substrate provided with a diaphragm; a bridge circuit having four resistor devices provided at the diaphragm, the bridge circuit being applied with high-voltage-side voltage and low-voltage-side voltage, and having two output terminals; a detecting unit for detecting a first output at a first output terminal and a second output at a second output terminal, each output terminal being of the bridge circuit; and a failure detecting unit for detecting failure of the bridge circuit based on a detection result at the detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Matsunami
  • Patent number: 11211133
    Abstract: To detect deterioration of a correction memory, provided is a semiconductor device including the correction memory that stores therein correction data for correcting a correction target; a correcting section that corrects a detection value of a sensor element, using correction data read from the correction memory; a diagnosing section that diagnoses the correction memory, using the correction data read from the correction memory; and a control section that controls reading conditions used when reading the correction data from the correction memory, wherein the control section causes a first reading condition, used when reading the correction data for correcting a correction target, to differ from a second reading condition, which is used when reading the correction data for the diagnosis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Matsunami, Katsuhiro Shimazu
  • Publication number: 20210306422
    Abstract: A sensor device is provided, including: a physical quantity sensor for detecting a physical quantity; and a processing circuit for generating and outputting a second signal including first data that are included in a first signal input from outside and second data that indicate a detection result of the physical quantity sensor. The first signal and the second signal have a plurality of messages, respectively; each message has two or more fast data slots and slow data slots; the first signal and the second signal are signals with predetermined data divided and stored in the slow data slots of two or more of the messages; and the processing circuit stores the first data and the second data in two of the fast data slots of the second signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Katsuya KARASAWA, Kazuhiro MATSUNAMI
  • Patent number: 10962430
    Abstract: A pressure sensor for detecting pressure is provided. A pressure sensor including: a sensor portion that is provided in a diaphragm in a substrate; a circuit portion that is provided on the substrate and electrically connected to the sensor portion; a pad of conductivity that is provided above the substrate; and a first protective film that is provided on the pad, wherein the first protective film is also provided above the circuit portion, is provided. The first protective film may cover the circuit portion entirely. The first protective film may not cover at least part of the sensor portion. The first protective film may cover part of the sensor portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Matsunami, Mutsuo Nishikawa, Yuko Fujimoto
  • Publication number: 20210020257
    Abstract: To detect deterioration of a correction memory, provided is a semiconductor device including the correction memory that stores therein correction data for correcting a correction target; a correcting section that corrects a detection value of a sensor element, using correction data read from the correction memory; a diagnosing section that diagnoses the correction memory, using the correction data read from the correction memory; and a control section that controls reading conditions used when reading the correction data from the correction memory, wherein the control section causes a first reading condition, used when reading the correction data for correcting a correction target, to differ from a second reading condition, which is used when reading the correction data for the diagnosis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Matsunami, Katsuhiro Shimazu
  • Publication number: 20210010885
    Abstract: If the bridge circuit fails due to damage of the diaphragm, the damage is detected at an early stage. A pressure sensor comprises: a substrate provided with a diaphragm; a bridge circuit having four resistor devices provided at the diaphragm, the bridge circuit being applied with high-voltage-side voltage and low-voltage-side voltage, and having two output terminals; a detecting unit for detecting a first output at a first output terminal and a second output at a second output terminal, each output terminal being of the bridge circuit; and a failure detecting unit for detecting failure of the bridge circuit based on a detection result at the detecting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2020
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Inventor: Kazuhiro MATSUNAMI
  • Publication number: 20200182725
    Abstract: It is desired to further reduce output errors which are caused by temperature characteristics. A sensor device is provided which includes a sense circuit which outputs a sense signal according to a magnitude of a detected physical quantity, an amplifier circuit which amplifies the sense signal, and a switching unit which switches at least one of a sensitivity of the sense circuit and an offset of the amplifier circuit discontinuously according to whether a temperature measurement value exceeds a threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: Kazuhiro MATSUNAMI, Mutsuo NISHIKAWA, Ryohei UZAWA
  • Patent number: 10393607
    Abstract: A semiconductor sensing device generates an output based on a sensor. A connection point of an output circuit constituted by first and second switching output elements connected so as to be complementary is connected to an output terminal. Between the first switching output element and the connection point of the output circuit, a first switching element is connected. Between the second switching output element and the connection point of the output circuit, a second switching element is connected. When voltage of the output terminal is a voltage lower than a lower limit clamp voltage, the first switching element turns OFF. When the voltage of the output terminal is a voltage higher than an upper limit clamp voltage, the second switching element turns OFF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Matsunami, Mutsuo Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 10381827
    Abstract: A protection circuit includes a first PMOS and a first PDMOS receiving input of voltage of a voltage dividing point of voltage input from an external power supply terminal, and a second PMOS and a second PDMOS receiving input of drain output voltage of the first PDMOS. The first PMOS is connected on the external power supply terminal side of the first PDMOS, and the second PMOS is connected on the external power supply terminal side of the second PDMOS. During overvoltage application, the voltage of the voltage dividing point is clamped to the breakdown voltage of a Zener diode, the second PDMOS turns OFF, and supply to an integrated circuit protected from overvoltage is cut off. When the voltage source is connected in reverse, parasitic diodes of the first and second PMOSs are reverse-biased and the flow of current in a path through the parasitic diodes is inhibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mutsuo Nishikawa, Kazuhiro Matsunami, Katsuhiro Shimazu
  • Publication number: 20190187016
    Abstract: A pressure sensor for detecting pressure is provided. A pressure sensor including: a sensor portion that is provided in a diaphragm in a substrate; a circuit portion that is provided on the substrate and electrically connected to the sensor portion; a pad of conductivity that is provided above the substrate; and a first protective film that is provided on the pad, wherein the first protective film is also provided above the circuit portion, is provided. The first protective film may cover the circuit portion entirely. The first protective film may not cover at least part of the sensor portion. The first protective film may cover part of the sensor portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Kazuhiro MATSUNAMI, Mutsuo NISHIKAWA, Yuko FUJIMOTO
  • Patent number: 10197464
    Abstract: A semiconductor physical quantity sensor device having a power source terminal for receiving a power source potential, a ground terminal for receiving a ground potential, and an output terminal. The semiconductor physical quantity sensor includes a sensor configured to generate a signal, an amplifier configured to amplify the signal, and to output the amplified signal through the output terminal, a first resistor electrically connected between the power source terminal and the amplifier, a second resistor electrically connected between the output terminal and the ground terminal, and a filter electrically connected between the power source terminal and the sensor, and including a third resistor and a capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mutsuo Nishikawa, Katsuya Karasawa, Kazuhiro Matsunami
  • Patent number: 10126145
    Abstract: An analog signal is supplied to a first conversion section of a physical quantity sensor device, converted to digital, and set to be an initial output value of the first conversion section. Adjustment information for the first conversion section is calculated based on the error between the initial output value and a target output value of the first conversion section. Before an initial output value of a physical quantity sensor is measured for calculating initial setting information of a physical quantity sensor device, the first conversion section is adjusted based on the adjustment information. Also, a digital signal is supplied to a second conversion section of the physical quantity sensor device, converted to analog, and set to be an initial output value of the second conversion section. The second conversion section is adjusted based on adjustment information for the second conversion section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mutsuo Nishikawa, Katsuyuki Uematsu, Kazuhiro Matsunami
  • Patent number: 9857782
    Abstract: A first acquiring unit acquires initial output values of a physical quantity sensor. A second acquiring unit acquires target output values for the physical quantity sensor. A first calculating unit extracts first characteristic values by calculating a second-order first characteristics formula which indicates corrected output characteristics of the physical quantity sensor, based on the initial output values and target output values of the physical quantity sensor. The second calculating unit extracts second characteristic values by calculating a second-order second characteristics formula for correcting the first characteristic values, based on a predetermined temperature and the first characteristic values. A computing unit computes a corrected output value for the physical quantity sensor based on the first characteristics formula which is corrected by inputting the second characteristic values to the second characteristics formula.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mutsuo Nishikawa, Kazunori Saito, Katsuyuki Uematsu, Kazuhiro Matsunami, Keiichi Ito
  • Publication number: 20170363494
    Abstract: A semiconductor sensing device generates an output based on a sensor. A connection point of an output circuit constituted by first and second switching output elements connected so as to be complementary is connected to an output terminal. Between the first switching output element and the connection point of the output circuit, a first switching element is connected. Between the second switching output element and the connection point of the output circuit, a second switching element is connected. When voltage of the output terminal is a voltage lower than a lower limit clamp voltage, the first switching element turns OFF. When the voltage of the output terminal is a voltage higher than an upper limit clamp voltage, the second switching element turns OFF.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Applicant: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro MATSUNAMI, Mutsuo NISHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20170366004
    Abstract: A protection circuit includes a first PMOS and a first PDMOS receiving input of voltage of a voltage dividing point of voltage input from an external power supply terminal, and a second PMOS and a second PDMOS receiving input of drain output voltage of the first PDMOS. The first PMOS is connected on the external power supply terminal side of the first PDMOS, and the second PMOS is connected on the external power supply terminal side of the second PDMOS. During overvoltage application, the voltage of the voltage dividing point is clamped to the breakdown voltage of a Zener diode, the second PDMOS turns OFF, and supply to an integrated circuit protected from overvoltage is cut off. When the voltage source is connected in reverse, parasitic diodes of the first and second PMOSs are reverse-biased and the flow of current in a path through the parasitic diodes is inhibited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Applicant: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mutsuo NISHIKAWA, Kazuhiro MATSUNAMI, Katsuhiro SHIMAZU