Patents by Inventor Koichi Kawai

Koichi Kawai 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: 20090080264
    Abstract: In a semiconductor integrated circuit, an internal circuit is capable of executing a first operation and a second operation concurrently, and an output circuit outputs to the outside of the semiconductor integrated circuit information indicating whether or not the first operation is being executed and information indicating whether or not the second operation is executable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakamura, Kenichi Imamiya, Toshio Yamamura, Koji Hosono, Koichi Kawai
  • Patent number: 7502258
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device including: a memory cell array with electrically rewritable and non-volatile memory cells arranged therein; a sense amplifier circuit configured to read data of the memory cell array; first data hold circuits configured to hold data for designating whether each column of the memory cell array is defective or not; and a second data hold circuit configured to hold data read out of the first data hold circuits, and to control skipping a defective column address of the memory cell array in accordance with the data read out of the first data hold circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Koichi Kawai
  • Patent number: 7453739
    Abstract: In a semiconductor integrated circuit, an internal circuit is capable of executing a first operation and a second operation concurrently, and an output circuit outputs to the outside of the semiconductor integrated circuit information indicating whether or not the first operation is being executed and information indicating whether or not the second operation is executable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakamura, Kenichi Imamiya, Toshio Yamamura, Koji Hosono, Koichi Kawai
  • Publication number: 20080205143
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array constituted by a plurality of memory blocks, an interface, a write circuit, and a read circuit. A protect flag is written in the memory block. The readout protect flag can be output to an external device through the interface. When a write command is input from the interface, the write circuit executes the write command when the protect flag in the selected memory block has a first value and does not execute the write command when the protect flag has a second value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Inventors: Tomoharu TANAKA, Koichi Kawai, Khandker N. Quader
  • Patent number: 7411830
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array, read circuit, program circuit, read voltage generating circuit, memory circuit and switching circuit. The read voltage generating circuit generates and supplies a read voltage to the read circuit. The memory circuit stores information which changes the temperature characteristic of a memory cell in the memory cell array. The switching circuit changes the temperature dependency of read voltage generated from the read voltage generating circuit based on information stored in the memory circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Ken Takeuchi, Takuya Futatsuyama, Koichi Kawai
  • Publication number: 20080181005
    Abstract: Data read from memory cells of one page in a memory cell array that corresponds to a page address of a copy source is sensed and latched by a sense/latch circuit. The sense/latch circuit has a plurality of latch circuits, and the plurality of latch circuits is specified according to the column address. The latch circuit specified in accordance with the column address is supplied with the data to be rewritten. The latch circuit specified in accordance with its address latches the data to be rewritten, whereby rewriting of the data is performed. The data of one page after rewritten is written into the page in the memory cell array that corresponds to the page address of a copy destination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Inventors: Koichi Kawai, Kenichi Imamiya, Hiroshi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7376010
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array constituted by a plurality of memory blocks, an interface, a write circuit, and a read circuit. A protect flag is written in the memory block. The readout protect flag can be output to an external device through the interface. When a write command is input from the interface, the write circuit executes the write command when the protect flag in the selected memory block has a first value and does not execute the write command when the protect flag has a second value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, SanDisk Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoharu Tanaka, Koichi Kawai, Khandker N. Quader
  • Patent number: 7372761
    Abstract: The object is to avoid an erroneous operation during a term in which an initialization is performed when a command is input. After a power source is turned on, a low level of a power-on-reset signal PWONRSTn is output until it reaches a power-on detect level. It is inverted by an inverter IN11, and input to a NOR circuit NR 11 likewise commands 1 and 2, so that a status is set to a busy status. The busy status is kept during a term in which a initialization operation is performed until the power supply voltage reaches the power-on detect level. Further, the status is read out to the exterior by a status read out mode signal to notify a user. As a result, it prevents from being input a command by an erroneous operation of a user during the initialization operation term.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazushige Kanda, Koichi Kawai, Hiroshi Nakamura, Kenichi Imamiya
  • Publication number: 20080043531
    Abstract: The non-volatile semiconductor memory device has a circuit which maintains and holds the potentials of bit lines, and either ones of even-bit lines or odd-bit lines are connected to the circuit. When the bit line potential holding circuit is connected to even-bit lines and a block copy is performed, data is first outputted to the even-bit lines, and after the potential of the even-bit line is determined, the bit line potential holding circuit operates. Then, biasing of the potential of the even-bit lines is carried out by the bit line potential holding circuit, the potentials of the bit lines are maintained and held. At the same time, data is outputted to the odd-bit lines and the potentials of the odd-bit lines are determined. Then, a program voltage is supplied to a selected word line, and data is simultaneously written (programmed) in the memory cells connected to the even-bit lines, and the memory cells connected to the odd-bit lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yasushi KAMEDA, Ken Takeuchi, Hitoshi Shiga, Takuya Futatsuyama, Koichi Kawai
  • Publication number: 20080043550
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device including: a memory cell array with electrically rewritable and non-volatile memory cells arranged therein; a sense amplifier circuit configured to read data of the memory cell array; first data hold circuits configured to hold data for designating whether each column of the memory cell array is defective or not; and a second data hold circuit configured to hold data read out of the first data hold circuits, and to control skipping a defective column address of the memory cell array in accordance with the data read out of the first data hold circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2007
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Koichi KAWAI
  • Patent number: 7327616
    Abstract: The non-volatile semiconductor memory device has a circuit which maintains and holds the potentials of bit lines, and either ones of even-bit lines or odd-bit lines are connected to the circuit. When the bit line potential holding circuit is connected to even-bit lines and a block copy is performed, data is first outputted to the even-bit lines, and after the potential of the even-bit line is determined, the bit line potential holding circuit operates. Then, biasing of the potential of the even-bit lines is carried out by the bit line potential holding circuit, the potentials of the bit lines are maintained and held. At the same time, data is outputted to the odd-bit lines and the potentials of the odd-bit lines are determined. Then, a program voltage is supplied to a selected word line, and data is simultaneously written (programmed) in the memory cells connected to the even-bit lines, and the memory cells connected to the odd-bit lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yasushi Kameda, Ken Takeuchi, Hitoshi Shiga, Takuya Futatsuyama, Koichi Kawai
  • Patent number: 7315473
    Abstract: Data read from memory cells of one page in a memory cell array that corresponds to a page address of a copy source is sensed and latched by a sense/latch circuit. The sense/latch circuit has a plurality of latch circuits, and the plurality of latch circuits is specified according to the column address. The latch circuit specified in accordance with the column address is supplied with the data to be rewritten. The latch circuit specified in accordance with its address latches the data to be rewritten, whereby rewriting of the data is performed. The data of one page after rewritten is written into the page in the memory cell array that corresponds to the page address of a copy destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Koichi Kawai, Kenichi Imamiya, Hiroshi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7303633
    Abstract: A method for producing an optical information recording medium includes the steps of: coating a solution for forming a dye recording layer onto a surface of a rotating disc-shaped resin substrate; and discharging a cleaning solution from a nozzle onto a peripheral edge to remove the dye recording layer from the peripheral edge, wherein discharge of the cleaning solution is initiated 1.0 to 300 seconds after completion of the coating, and the nozzle is disposed on a plane that extends in a normal line direction of the substrate and includes a straight line representing a discharge direction of the cleaning solution, so that an angle defined by the discharge direction and the normal line is 0 to 60°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Usami, Koichi Kawai
  • Patent number: 7286400
    Abstract: A non-volatile semiconductor memory device includes: a memory cell array, in which electrically rewritable and non-volatile memory cells are arranged; a sense amplifier circuit configured to read data of the memory cell array; and a pass/fail detection circuit configured to detect write or erase completion based on verify-read data stored in the sense amplifier circuit in data write or erase mode, wherein the pass/fail detection circuit comprises a data latch, into which a defective column isolation data is writable in accordance with a command input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masatsugu Kojima, Koji Hosono, Koichi Kawai
  • Patent number: 7286420
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device including: a memory cell array with electrically rewritable and non-volatile memory cells arranged therein; a sense amplifier circuit configured to read data of the memory cell array; first data hold circuits configured to hold data for designating whether each column of the memory cell array is defective or not; and a second data hold circuit configured to hold data read out of the first data hold circuits, and to control skipping a defective column address of the memory cell array in accordance with the data read out of the first data hold circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Koichi Kawai
  • Publication number: 20070201279
    Abstract: In a semiconductor integrated circuit, an internal circuit is capable of executing a first operation and a second operation concurrently, and an output circuit outputs to the outside of the semiconductor integrated circuit information indicating whether or not the first operation is being executed and information indicating whether or not the second operation is executable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2007
    Publication date: August 30, 2007
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakamura, Kenichi Imamiya, Toshio Yamamura, Koji Hosono, Koichi Kawai
  • Patent number: 7260670
    Abstract: A non-volatile semiconductor memory device including: a plurality of cell arrays each having electrically rewritable and non-volatile memory cells arranged therein; a plurality of page buffers disposed in correspondence with the cell arrays respectively for reading and writing data by a page of the respective cell arrays; and a data bus shared by the cell arrays for data transferring between the page buffers and external terminals, wherein the non-volatile semiconductor memory device has a page copy mode defined as follows: read out data of a copy source page within a first cell array to a first page buffer; transfer the read out data to a second page buffer via the data bus; and then write the read out data into a copy destination page of a second cell array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Koichi Kawai
  • Patent number: 7254060
    Abstract: The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array containing a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells and an initial setup data region in which initial setup data specified to determine operation conditions of the device is to be written. The device further includes a detection circuit which detects turn-on of power. The device further includes a readout circuit which reads out the initial setup data from the initial setup data region of the memory cell array upon detecting power-on by the detection circuit. The device further includes a determination circuit which determines whether the initial setup data read out by the readout circuit is effective or ineffective. The device further includes a setup circuit which sets up the device in an operative-prohibiting status when the initial setup data is determined as ineffective by the determination circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Koichi Kawai, Kenichi Imamiya, Koji Hosono
  • Patent number: 7251190
    Abstract: A non-volatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array having electrically erasable and programmable non-volatile memory cells, a part of the memory cell array being defined as a initial set-up data region for storing a plurality of initial set-up data that define memory operation conditions, data latch circuits for holding the initial set-up data read out from the initial set-up data region, a controller for controlling data program and erase operations for the memory cell array, and a clock generator for generating a clock, signal that is used to define an operation timing of the controller, wherein the controller is configured to perform such an initial set-up operation that sequentially reads out the plurality of initial set-up data stored in the initial set-up data region and transfers them to the respective data latch circuits on receipt of power-on or a command input, the initial set-up operation being so performed as to read out a clock cycle adjustment data within the plurality of in
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kenichi Imamiya, Koichi Kawai
  • Patent number: 7224621
    Abstract: In a semiconductor integrated circuit, an internal circuit is capable of executing a first operation and a second operation concurrently, and an output circuit outputs to the outside of the semiconductor integrated circuit information indicating whether or not the first operation is being executed and information indicating whether or not the second operation is executable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakamura, Kenichi Imamiya, Toshio Yamamura, Koji Hosono, Koichi Kawai