Patents by Inventor Masahito Sonehara
Masahito Sonehara 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).
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Patent number: 11569809Abstract: A predriver circuit that controls driver elements includes a slope control circuit that separately controls inclination of slope of current from the driver elements, and inclination of slope of voltage from a driver circuit. A controller outputs, to the predriver circuit, a current control signal selected from a plurality of current control signals and a voltage control signal selected from a plurality of voltage control signals, to control the slope of current from the driver elements and the slope of voltage from the driver circuit.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2022Date of Patent: January 31, 2023Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Norihisa Fujii, Masahito Sonehara
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Publication number: 20220263400Abstract: A current detection circuit includes: a detection resistor provided between an output of a driver circuit and a load; a power supply circuit configured to operate between a first power supply and a virtual ground potential, and generate a second power supply having a predetermined voltage difference from the virtual ground potential; and a signal processing circuit configured to operate between the second power supply and the virtual ground potential, and generate a detection signal corresponding to a voltage generated at the detection resistor. A virtual ground line for supplying the virtual ground potential is connected between the output of the driver circuit and the detection resistor.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 2, 2022Publication date: August 18, 2022Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Tadao YAMAGUCHI, Masahito SONEHARA
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Publication number: 20220247400Abstract: A predriver circuit that controls driver elements includes a slope control circuit that separately controls inclination of slope of current from the driver elements, and inclination of slope of voltage from a driver circuit. A controller outputs, to the predriver circuit, a current control signal selected from a plurality of current control signals and a voltage control signal selected from a plurality of voltage control signals, to control the slope of current from the driver elements and the slope of voltage from the driver circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 26, 2022Publication date: August 4, 2022Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Norihisa FUJII, Masahito SONEHARA
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Patent number: 10992127Abstract: There is provided an electronic control unit capable of detecting an abnormality of a dark current while suppressing increase in the size of a circuit. The electronic control unit includes a control unit that operates with a current supplied via a power-supply input terminal from a battery, and a diode arranged on a power supply path connecting the power-supply input terminal with the control unit and serving as a reverse connection protection element that prevents a reverse current when the battery is reversely connected to the power-supply input terminal, and detects an abnormality of a dark current flowing through the diode based on a voltage difference between a voltage on the power-supply input terminal side of the diode and a voltage on the control unit side.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2017Date of Patent: April 27, 2021Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Masahito Sonehara, Yoichiro Kobayashi
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Patent number: 10821994Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor integrated circuit which can continuously and stably generate an output value even after shipment and a vehicle-mounted control device using the semiconductor integrated circuit. The present invention includes a reference signal generation unit for outputting a reference signal, and detects the operation state of a semiconductor circuit on the basis of a difference between output values from the semiconductor circuit corresponding to the reference signals output at two different time points by the reference signal generation unit.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2016Date of Patent: November 3, 2020Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Youichirou Kobayashi, Masahito Sonehara
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Patent number: 10763845Abstract: A semiconductor device capable of enhancing uniformity of temperatures of transistors in an active clamp state while maintaining current performance is provided. A power transistor is connected to a power transistor in parallel. An active clamp circuit is provided in a path from a connection point between the power transistors to a gate of the power transistor and is conducted in a case where a voltage of the connection point exceeds a first threshold. An active clamp cutoff circuit is provided in a path from the active clamp circuit to a gate of the power transistor and cuts off or suppresses a current flowing into the path.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2017Date of Patent: September 1, 2020Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Shinichirou Wada, Masahito Sonehara
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Publication number: 20190260198Abstract: There is provided an electronic control unit capable of detecting an abnormality of a dark current while suppressing increase in the size of a circuit. The electronic control unit includes a control unit that operates with a current supplied via a power-supply input terminal from a battery, and a diode arranged on a power supply path connecting the power-supply input terminal with the control unit and serving as a reverse connection protection element that prevents a reverse current when the battery is reversely connected to the power-supply input terminal, and detects an abnormality of a dark current flowing through the diode based on a voltage difference between a voltage on the power-supply input terminal side of the diode and a voltage on the control unit side.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2017Publication date: August 22, 2019Inventors: Masahito SONEHARA, Yoichiro KOBAYASHI
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Publication number: 20190260371Abstract: A semiconductor device capable of enhancing uniformity of temperatures of transistors in an active clamp state while maintaining current performance is provided. A power transistor is connected to a power transistor in parallel. An active clamp circuit is provided in a path from a connection point between the power transistors to a gate of the power transistor and is conducted in a case where a voltage of the connection point exceeds a first threshold. An active clamp cutoff circuit is provided in a path from the active clamp circuit to a gate of the power transistor and cuts off or suppresses a current flowing into the path.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2017Publication date: August 22, 2019Inventors: Shinichirou WADA, Masahito SONEHARA
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Patent number: 10202041Abstract: A battery monitoring system, comprises a battery state detection circuit that detects battery states of a plurality of battery cells that are connected in series, based on respective cell voltages of the plurality of battery cells, and a control circuit that monitors state of a battery cell, based on each cell voltage of the plurality of battery cells. The control circuit inputs pseudo voltage information to the battery state detection circuit, and thereby diagnoses whether or not the battery state detection circuit is operating normally.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2016Date of Patent: February 12, 2019Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Akihiko Kudo, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Gosuke Shibahara, Akihiko Emori, Yasuo Uemura, Tatsumi Yamauchi, Kenji Kubo, Masahito Sonehara, Masahiko Amano, Yoshinori Aoshima
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Publication number: 20180141566Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor integrated circuit which can continuously and stably generate an output value even after shipment and a vehicle-mounted control device using the semiconductor integrated circuit. The present invention includes a reference signal generation unit for outputting a reference signal, and detects the operation state of a semiconductor circuit on the basis of a difference between output values from the semiconductor circuit corresponding to the reference signals output at two different time points by the reference signal generation unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 6, 2016Publication date: May 24, 2018Inventors: Youichirou KOBAYASHI, Masahito SONEHARA
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Patent number: 9906215Abstract: A load-driving circuit for receiving a supply of power from a power source and driving a load, wherein the load-driving circuit is provided with: a high-side switching element; a low-side switching element; a high-side current detection circuit connected in parallel to the high-side switching element, the high-side current detection circuit detecting a high-side driving current; and a fault detection circuit for detecting the fault state of the load-driving circuit from the output result of the high-side current detection circuit. The high-side current detection circuit is provided with a high-side sense switching circuit operating in response to a gate signal that is different from the high-side switching element, the high-side sense switching circuit comprising a device of the same type as the high-side switching element.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2014Date of Patent: February 27, 2018Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Masahito Sonehara, Youichirou Kobayashi
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Patent number: 9780773Abstract: Provided is a load drive slope control device that can reduce EMI noise, and power loss and heat generation when a drive transistor is turned on and off, and can prevent excessive high temperature-induced damage to the drive transistor at an excessive high temperature.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2013Date of Patent: October 3, 2017Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Takahiro Kawata, Ryoichi Oura, Masahito Sonehara, Yoshitaka Abe, Takeo Yamashita
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Publication number: 20170179939Abstract: A load-driving circuit for receiving a supply of power from a power source and driving a load, wherein the load-driving circuit is provided with: a high-side switching element; a low-side switching element; a high-side current detection circuit connected in parallel to the high-side switching element, the high-side current detection circuit detecting a high-side driving current; and a fault detection circuit for detecting the fault state of the load-driving circuit from the output result of the high-side current detection circuit. The high-side current detection circuit is provided with a high-side sense switching circuit operating in response to a gate signal that is different from the high-side switching element, the high-side sense switching circuit comprising a device of the same type as the high-side switching element.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2014Publication date: June 22, 2017Inventors: Masahito SONEHARA, Youichirou KOBAYASHI
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Publication number: 20160303977Abstract: A battery monitoring system, comprises a battery state detection circuit that detects battery states of a plurality of battery cells that are connected in series, based on respective cell voltages of the plurality of battery cells, and a control circuit that monitors state of a battery cell, based on each cell voltage of the plurality of battery cells. The control circuit inputs pseudo voltage information to the battery state detection circuit, and thereby diagnoses whether or not the battery state detection circuit is operating normally.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2016Publication date: October 20, 2016Inventors: Akihiko KUDO, Mutsumi KIKUCHI, Gosuke SHIBAHARA, Akihiko EMORI, Yasuo UEMURA, Tatsumi YAMAUCHI, Kenji KUBO, Masahito SONEHARA, Masahiko AMANO, Yoshinori AOSHIMA
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Patent number: 9404975Abstract: A battery monitoring system, comprises a battery state detection circuit that detects battery states of a plurality of battery cells that are connected in series, based on respective cell voltages of the plurality of battery cells, and a control circuit that monitors state of a battery cell, based on each cell voltage of the plurality of battery cells. The control circuit inputs pseudo voltage information to the battery state detection circuit, and thereby diagnoses whether or not the battery state detection circuit is operating normally.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2014Date of Patent: August 2, 2016Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Akihiko Kudo, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Gosuke Shibahara, Akihiko Emori, Yasuo Uemura, Tatsumi Yamauchi, Kenji Kubo, Masahito Sonehara, Masahiko Amano, Yoshinori Aoshima
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Publication number: 20150381159Abstract: Provided is a load drive slope control device that can reduce EMI noise, and power loss and heat generation when a drive transistor is turned on and off, and can prevent excessive high temperature-induced damage to the drive transistor at an excessive high temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2013Publication date: December 31, 2015Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.Inventors: Takahiro KAWATA, Ryoichi OURA, Masahito SONEHARA, Yoshitaka ABE, Takeo YAMASHITA
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Publication number: 20140159739Abstract: A battery monitoring system, comprises a battery state detection circuit that detects battery states of a plurality of battery cells that are connected in series, based on respective cell voltages of the plurality of battery cells, and a control circuit that monitors state of a battery cell, based on each cell voltage of the plurality of battery cells. The control circuit inputs pseudo voltage information to the battery state detection circuit, and thereby diagnoses whether or not the battery state detection circuit is operating normally.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2014Publication date: June 12, 2014Applicants: Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd., Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Akihiko KUDO, Mutsumi KIKUCHI, Gosuke SHIBAHARA, Akihiko EMORI, Yasuo UEMURA, Tatsumi YAMAUCHI, Kenji KUBO, Masahito SONEHARA, Masahiko AMANO, Yoshinori AOSHIMA
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Patent number: 8723527Abstract: A battery monitoring system, comprises a battery state detection circuit that detects battery states of a plurality of battery cells that are connected in series, based on respective cell voltages of the plurality of battery cells, and a control circuit that monitors state of a battery cell, based on each cell voltage of the plurality of battery cells. The control circuit inputs pseudo voltage information to the battery state detection circuit, and thereby diagnoses whether or not the battery state detection circuit is operating normally.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2010Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd.Inventors: Akihiko Kudo, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Gosuke Shibahara, Akihiko Emori, Yasuo Uemura, Tatsumi Yamauchi, Kenji Kubo, Masahito Sonehara, Masahiko Amano, Yoshinori Aoshima
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Patent number: 8008963Abstract: An analog switch having a low capacitance is achieved. Potentials of input/output terminals of the analog switch and a well potential and a gate potential of an NMOS switching device are operated in synchronization via level shift buffers, thereby cancelling parasitic capacitances present between these elements.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2008Date of Patent: August 30, 2011Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Masahito Sonehara, Yoichiro Kobayashi
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Publication number: 20100244847Abstract: A battery monitoring system, comprises a battery state detection circuit that detects battery states of a plurality of battery cells that are connected in series, based on respective cell voltages of the plurality of battery cells, and a control circuit that monitors state of a battery cell, based on each cell voltage of the plurality of battery cells. The control circuit inputs pseudo voltage information to the battery state detection circuit, and thereby diagnoses whether or not the battery state detection circuit is operating normally.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2010Publication date: September 30, 2010Applicants: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd.Inventors: Akihiko Kudo, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Gosuke Shibahara, Akihiko Emori, Yasuo Uemura, Tatsumi Yamauchi, Kenji Kubo, Masahito Sonehara, Masahiko Amano, Yoshinori Aoshima