Patents by Inventor Kenichiro Sugio

Kenichiro Sugio 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: 7196937
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit has a flash interface for receiving command codes and controlling a flash memory to perform corresponding read, write, and erase operations. The flash interface generates a status signal indicating whether the flash memory is currently being controlled or not. The flash interface includes an address circuit for input and output of flash memory addresses, a status circuit that generates the status signal, and a resetting circuit that resets the status signal to the non-control state according to an address output from the address circuit. This hardware feature is used to halt write operations at the maximum address without the need for a halting command, and to prevent consecutive erasing of the same part of the flash memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichiro Sugio
  • Patent number: 7072206
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated device includes a memory cell holding bit information; a pair of bit lines connected to the memory cell via which the bit information is input and output in predetermined cycles; and an output section that latches an output from the memory cell via one bit line of the pair and the other bit line and outputs the bit information acquired from the one bit line as a result of reading from the memory cell, and which pre-charges the pair of bit lines before access to the memory cell. The memory cell has a cutoff circuit that cuts off the other bit line to hold voltage thereof produced by pre-charging when the bit information held in the memory cell is read out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichiro Sugio
  • Publication number: 20060077721
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit has a flash interface for receiving command codes and controlling a flash memory to perform corresponding read, write, and erase operations. The flash interface generates a status signal indicating whether the flash memory is currently being controlled or not. The flash interface includes an address circuit for input and output of flash memory addresses, a status circuit that generates the status signal, and a resetting circuit that resets the status signal to the non-control state according to an address output from the address circuit. This hardware feature is used to halt write operations at the maximum address without the need for a halting command, and to prevent consecutive erasing of the same part of the flash memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Applicant: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichiro Sugio
  • Publication number: 20050162968
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated device which comprises a memory cell 20 holding bit information; a pair of bit lines connected to the memory cell via which the bit information is input and output in predetermined cycles; and an output section 100 that latches an output from the memory cell via one bit line of the pair and the other bit line and outputs the bit information acquired from the one bit line as a result of reading from the memory cell, and which pre-charges the pair of bit lines before access to the memory cell. The memory cell 20 has a cutoff circuit (N24) that cuts off the other bit line to hold voltage thereof produced by pre-charging when the bit information held in the memory cell is read out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Publication date: July 28, 2005
    Inventor: Kenichiro Sugio
  • Patent number: 6888768
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated device which comprises a memory cell 20 holding bit information; a pair of bit lines connected to the memory cell via which the bit information is input and output in predetermined cycles; and an output section 100 that latches an output from the memory cell via one bit line of the pair and the other bit line and outputs the bit information acquired from the one bit line as a result of reading from the memory cell, and which pre-charges the pair of bit lines before access to the memory cell. The memory cell 20 has a cutoff circuit (N24) that cuts off the other bit line to hold voltage thereof produced by pre-charging when the bit information held in the memory cell is read out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichiro Sugio
  • Publication number: 20040240289
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated device which comprises a memory cell 20 holding bit information; a pair of bit lines connected to the memory cell via which the bit information is input and output in predetermined cycles; and an output section 100 that latches an output from the memory cell via one bit line of the pair and the other bit line and outputs the bit information acquired from the one bit line as a result of reading from the memory cell, and which pre-charges the pair of bit lines before access to the memory cell. The memory cell 20 has a cutoff circuit (N24) that cuts off the other bit line to hold voltage thereof produced by pre-charging when the bit information held in the memory cell is read out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2004
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Inventor: Kenichiro Sugio
  • Patent number: 6643196
    Abstract: A redundant memory circuit for use in an analog semiconductor memory has a cell array divided into sectors. To replace bad sectors, the cell array may include a pair of redundant sectors disposed at opposite ends of the cell array, or may have a centrally located redundant sector. Alternatively, the redundant memory circuit may have a sector selection circuit that selects the sectors and redundant sector in sequence from one end of the cell array to the other, or may have a word line selector located in the center of the cell array, or may have two cell arrays and a redundant sector selection circuit that enables a bad sector in one cell array to be replaced by a redundant sector in either of the two cell arrays. These arrangements improve the capability for redundancy replacement and the quality of the reproduced analog signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichiro Sugio
  • Publication number: 20020126550
    Abstract: A redundant memory circuit for use in an analog semiconductor memory has a cell array divided into sectors. To replace bad sectors, the cell array may include a pair of redundant sectors disposed at opposite ends of the cell array, or may have a centrally located redundant sector. Alternatively, the redundant memory circuit may have a sector selection circuit that selects the sectors and redundant sector in sequence from one end of the cell array to the other, or may have a word line selector located in the center of the cell array, or may have two cell arrays and a redundant sector selection circuit that enables a bad sector in one cell array to be replaced by a redundant sector in either of the two cell arrays. These arrangements improve the capability for redundancy replacement and the quality of the reproduced analog signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2002
    Publication date: September 12, 2002
    Inventor: Kenichiro Sugio
  • Publication number: 20020017927
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device is comprised of: an internal voltage step-down power supply circuit having a first area generating a predetermined internal power supply voltage and a second area wherein an internal power supply voltage is increased at a predetermined rate in accordance with a rise in an external power supply voltage; an internal circuit operated from an internal power supply generated in the first area of the power supply circuit; a first amplifier which is operated from the internal power supply and receives and amplifies data read from a memory cell; a second amplifier which is operated from an external power supply, and receives and amplifies data of an internal power supply voltage level output from the first amplifier, then converts it to data of an external power supply voltage level; and an output driver which is operated from the external power supply and outputs the data of the external power supply voltage level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 1999
    Publication date: February 14, 2002
    Inventor: KENICHIRO SUGIO
  • Patent number: 5825215
    Abstract: An output buffer circuit of the present invention comprises a first input terminal receiving a first input signal, a second input terminal receiving a second input signal, a control input terminal receiving a control signal, an output terminal outputting an output signal, a first transistor coupled between the output node and a first potential source and a second transistor coupled between the output node and a second potential source. The output buffer of the present invention further includes a first gate circuit and a second gate circuit. The first gate circuit has a first input node coupled to receive the first input signal, a second input node coupled to receive the control signal, an enable input node coupled to receive the second input signal and an output node coupled to the control terminal of the first transistor. The first gate circuit outputs the signal received by the enable input node when the signals received by the first and second input nodes have predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichiro Sugio, Tetsuya Mitoma
  • Patent number: 5602796
    Abstract: A word line driver has a decoder for outputting decode signals having first and second logic levels, level shifters for receiving the respective decode signals, each level shifter outputting drive signal having first and third logic levels in response to the received decode signal, the third logic level being higher than the second logic level; a pumping circuit for outputting word line activation signals, at least one of the word line activation signals having the third logic level; and groups of output circuits, each group having the output circuits connected to one of the level shifters and a word line, respectively, each of the output circuits outputting the word line activation signal to the respective word line in response to the decode signal and the drive signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1997
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichiro Sugio