Patents by Inventor MASAHIRO TOCHIGI

MASAHIRO TOCHIGI 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: 9484818
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes first and second switching devices electrically connected in series between an input terminal and a ground terminal, third and fourth switching devices electrically connected in series between an output terminal and the ground terminal, an inductor, a drive circuit that drives the first switching device to turn on and off, a bootstrap capacitor circuit connected electrically to the drive circuit, and a control circuit. The control circuit is operable to turn on and off the switching devices serially connected with each other after a simultaneous-off duration for which both of the switching devices are continuously turned off. The control circuit is operable to charge the bootstrap capacitor by continuously turning on keeping the second switching device for a charging duration while continuously turning off the first switching device for a sustaining duration determined by the simultaneous-off duration and the charging duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Okamatsu, Hideki Tanaka, Katsuya Hagiwara, Masahiro Tochigi, Takashi Ueda
  • Patent number: 9479055
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes a switching device, a drive circuit for turning on and off the switching device, a bootstrap capacitor electrically connected to the drive circuit, and a control circuit electrically connected to the drive circuit. The control circuit is operable to charge the bootstrap capacitor for a charging duration periodically at a charging period longer than an on-off period at which the switching device is turned on and off periodically. This DC-DC converter performs efficient boost and step-down operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Okamatsu, Hideki Tanaka, Katsuya Hagiwara, Masahiro Tochigi, Takashi Ueda
  • Publication number: 20150357917
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes first and second switching devices electrically connected in series between an input terminal and a ground terminal, third and fourth switching devices electrically connected in series between an output terminal and the ground terminal, an inductor, a drive circuit that drives the first switching device to turn on and off, a bootstrap capacitor circuit connected electrically to the drive circuit, and a control circuit. The control circuit is operable to turn on and off the switching devices serially connected with each other after a simultaneous-off duration for which both of the switching devices are continuously turned off. The control circuit is operable to charge the bootstrap capacitor by continuously turning on keeping the second switching device for a charging duration while continuously turning off the first switching device for a sustaining duration determined by the simultaneous-off duration and the charging duration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: MASASHI OKAMATSU, HIDEKI TANAKA, KATSUYA HAGIWARA, MASAHIRO TOCHIGI, TAKASHI UEDA
  • Publication number: 20150311797
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes a switching device, a drive circuit for turning on and off the switching device, a bootstrap capacitor electrically connected to the drive circuit, and a control circuit electrically connected to the drive circuit. The control circuit is operable to charge the bootstrap capacitor for a charging duration periodically at a charging period longer than an on-off period at which the switching device is turned on and off periodically. This DC-DC converter performs efficient boost and step-down operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: MASASHI OKAMATSU, HIDEKI TANAKA, KATSUYA HAGIWARA, MASAHIRO TOCHIGI, TAKASHI UEDA