Patents by Inventor Masatoshi Kokubun

Masatoshi Kokubun 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: 8575898
    Abstract: A charging circuit includes a monitoring part configured to monitor a battery voltage applied to a battery and configured to output an overvoltage signal when the battery is in an overvoltage condition a protection part configured to electrically disconnect the battery from an adaptor when receiving the overvoltage signal, and a switch which, when the battery is electrically disconnected from the adaptor, switches a monitoring node for an adaptor voltage outputted from the adaptor, from a supply node of the battery voltage to a supply node of a system voltage, which is applied to a system electrically connected with the battery and the adaptor, based on the overvoltage signal to cause a control command for controlling the adaptor voltage based on the system voltage to be outputted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Mayo Kitano, Masatoshi Kokubun
  • Patent number: 8035367
    Abstract: A voltage control method includes producing an error signal based on a difference between a reference signal and an adaptor voltage and an adaptor current corresponding to the adaptor voltage, regulating, based on the error signal, the adaptor voltage, comparing a reference voltage to a voltage proportional to a potential corresponding to an identifying voltage corresponding to the adaptor voltage, detecting, based on the comparison result, whether or not a couplable external power source is suitable, and setting based, on the detection result, a potential corresponding to the identifying voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Mayo Kitano, Masatoshi Kokubun, Takashi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7982431
    Abstract: A detection circuit that reduces circuit scale. A plurality of current amplifiers respectively generate a plurality of detection signals corresponding to current flowing to a plurality of resistors. An error amplifier coupled to the plurality of current amplifiers compares the plurality of detection signals with a plurality of reference signals, respectively, to generate an error signal based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Masatoshi Kokubun, Takashi Matsumoto, Hidenobu Ito
  • Patent number: 7894221
    Abstract: A detection circuit for generating a control signal for controlling output voltage of an AC adapter. The detection circuit for an electronic device receives power information from an external power supply via a cable to generate the control signal that controls DC input voltage output from the external power supply. In the detection circuit, a correction voltage generation circuit generates a correction voltage in correspondence with the parasitic resistance of the cable. A power information correction circuit corrects the power information provided from the external power supply via the cable with the correction voltage to generate corrected power information. A detection signal generation circuit calculates the total power amount of the electronic device and generates a power detection signal corresponding to the total power amount. The control signal generation circuit generates the control signal based on the corrected power information and the power detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Masatoshi Kokubun, Takashi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7880537
    Abstract: An operational amplifier capable of offset cancel in a shorter period, as well as a line driver capable of shortening one horizontal period and a liquid crystal display device are provided. In the operational amplifier of the invention, a time necessary for feed back control can be shortened than usual by a constitution that an output voltage VO in one horizontal period H1 which is one horizontal period before is defined as a reference voltage in an offset cancel preparatory period HC2, thereby changing the output voltage VO(2) only by the offset voltage VO(2) by the feed back control. In the line driver of the invention, the operational amplifier not used for the output of display data D1 to D6 conducts offset cancel operation and it is successively shifted on every one horizontal period. Since it is no more necessary to incorporate the offset cancel preparatory period in the output period, one horizontal period can be shortened further.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Toshihiko Kasai, Shinya Udo, Masatoshi Kokubun, Yoshihiro Kizaki
  • Publication number: 20100194352
    Abstract: A charging circuit includes a monitoring part configured to monitor a battery voltage applied to a battery and configured to output an overvoltage signal when the battery is in an overvoltage condition a protection part configured to electrically disconnect the battery from an adaptor when receiving the overvoltage signal, and a switch which, when the battery is electrically disconnected from the adaptor, switches a monitoring node for an adaptor voltage outputted from the adaptor, from a supply node of the battery voltage to a supply node of a system voltage, which is applied to a system electrically connected with the battery and the adaptor, based on the overvoltage signal to cause a control command for controlling the adaptor voltage based on the system voltage to be outputted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: FUJITSU MICROELECTRONICS LIMITED
    Inventors: Mayo KITANO, Masatoshi KOKUBUN
  • Patent number: 7696738
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter reducing reversed current in a low load state and increasing output voltage response speed. An error amplification circuit generates an error signal from the output voltage. A pulse signal generation circuit generates a first pulse signal in accordance with the error signal. A comparison circuit generates a comparison result signal from the error signal. A drive signal generation circuit generates a constant level signal and a second pulse signal. An output circuit receives the first pulse signal and either the constant level signal or the second pulse signal to generate first and second drive signals for driving first and second transistors. The output circuit generates the second drive signal in accordance with the first pulse signal when receiving the constant level signal and generates the second drive signal with the first and second pulse signals when receiving the second pulse signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Fujitsu Microelectronics Limited
    Inventors: Toshihiko Kasai, Masatoshi Kokubun, Kenji Kato
  • Patent number: 7679343
    Abstract: A power supply system including an external power supply unit generating direct-current output voltage and an electronic device connected to the external power supply unit and operable on the output voltage of the external power supply unit. The external power supply unit includes a voltage control circuit receiving control current and controlling the output voltage of the external power supply unit in accordance with the control current. The voltage control circuit controls the output voltage of the external power supply unit to be equal to the minimum voltage possible for the external power supply unit to generate when the control current is minimum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Fujitsu Microelectronics Limited
    Inventors: Masatoshi Kokubun, Takashi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7609042
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter that suppresses increase in area and obtains high conversion efficiency irrespective of the output current. A controller controls a first output transistor and a second output transistor in a PWM operation mode or a linear operation mode based on output voltage of the DC-DC converter. The controller operates the DC-DC converter as a switching regulator that activates and inactivates the first output transistor and the second output transistor in a complementary manner during the PWM operation mode. The controller operates the DC-DC converter as a linear regulator that inactivates the second output transistor and controls the ON-resistance value of the first output transistor to perform linear operation with the first output transistor during the linear operation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Fujitsu Microelectronics Limited
    Inventors: Masatoshi Kokubun, Katsuyuki Yasukouti, Takashi Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20090243576
    Abstract: A voltage control method includes producing an error signal based on a difference between a reference signal and an adaptor voltage and an adaptor current corresponding to the adaptor voltage, regulating, based on the error signal, the adaptor voltage, comparing a reference voltage to a voltage proportional to a potential corresponding to an identifying voltage corresponding to the adaptor voltage, detecting, based on the comparison result, whether or not a couplable external power source is suitable, and setting based, on the detection result, a potential corresponding to the identifying voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: FUJITSU MICROELECTRONICS LIMITED
    Inventors: Mayo Kitano, Masatoshi Kokubun, Takashi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7580020
    Abstract: A semiconductor device carries out a test utilizing contact with a probe needle without being affected by narrowing of the pitch at which output pads are arranged. The device is equipped with test circuits provided between a plurality of output buffers via which signals are output and output pads corresponding thereto. The test circuit includes output switches caused to sequentially make connections by a controller in test and interpad switches involved in making connections of the output pads with a test pad by the controller in test. In test, probe needles are brought into contact with the test pad. The output pads are not used in test, and can be arranged at a narrowed pitch. Thus, the chip area can be reduced and are therefore so that the pitch for the output pads can be narrowed and the chip area can be decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Fujitsu Microelectronics Limited
    Inventors: Shinya Udo, Masao Kumagai, Masatoshi Kokubun, Hidekazu Nishizawa, Takeo Shigihara
  • Patent number: 7460097
    Abstract: Lower level of data latch holding a digital image data and a positive selector arranged immediately above positive gradation voltage line, for selecting positive analog gradation voltage of positive gradation levels are take as a set, and upper level of data latch holding a digital image data and a negative selector arranged immediately above negative gradation voltage line, for selecting negative analog gradation voltage of negative gradation levels are take as a set. Two sets are arranged in alignment in vertical direction. A plurality of sets of vertically aligned sets are arranged horizontally to shorten a length in horizontal direction with respect to gradation voltage lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Seiji Yamagata, Masatoshi Kokubun, Shinya Udo
  • Patent number: 7456876
    Abstract: An image processing circuit for a color image sensor, comprising a color sensitivity correction circuit which adds/subtracts a predetermined offset to/from pixel signals being output by amplifying photoelectric conversion signals of pixels, which have photoelectric conversion element and are arranged in column and row directions, for each column, and multiplies the result by a predetermined gain, wherein the predetermined offset includes a first offset, which is set according to each color, and a second offset, which is set according to a plurality of columns. According to the present invention, the offset of the color sensitivity correction circuit includes a first offset, which is set according to each color, and a second offset, which is set according to a plurality of columns, therefore, periodic moiré in the vertical direction, which is caused by the column output circuit and the output signal supply circuit for each column, can be suppressed, and image quality can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Jun Funakoshi, Shigeru Nishio, Asao Kokubo, Masatoshi Kokubun
  • Publication number: 20080252265
    Abstract: A detection circuit that reduces circuit scale. A plurality of current amplifiers respectively generate a plurality of detection signals corresponding to current flowing to a plurality of resistors. An error amplifier coupled to the plurality of current amplifiers compares the plurality of detection signals with a plurality of reference signals, respectively, to generate an error signal based on the comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Applicant: Fujitsu Limted
    Inventors: Masatoshi Kokubun, Takashi Matsumoto, Hidenobu Ito
  • Publication number: 20080252369
    Abstract: An operational amplifier capable of offset cancel in a shorter period, as well as a line driver capable of shortening one horizontal period and a liquid crystal display device are provided. In the operational amplifier of the invention, a time necessary for feed back control can be shortened than usual by a constitution that an output voltage VO in one horizontal period H1 which is one horizontal period before is defined as a reference voltage in an offset cancel preparatory period HC2, thereby changing the output voltage VO(2) only by the offset voltage VO(2) by the feed back control. In the line driver of the invention, the operational amplifier not used for the output of display data D1 to D6 conducts offset cancel operation and it is successively shifted on every one horizontal period. Since it is no more necessary to incorporate the offset cancel preparatory period in the output period, one horizontal period can be shortened further.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Inventors: Toshihiko Kasai, Shinya Udo, Masatoshi Kokubun, Yoshihiro Kizaki
  • Publication number: 20080197831
    Abstract: A detection circuit for generating a control signal for controlling output voltage of an AC adapter. The detection circuit for an electronic device receives power information from an external power supply via a cable to generate the control signal that controls DC input voltage output from the external power supply. In the detection circuit, a correction voltage generation circuit generates a correction voltage in correspondence with the parasitic resistance of the cable. A power information correction circuit corrects the power information provided from the external power supply via the cable with the correction voltage to generate corrected power information. A detection signal generation circuit calculates the total power amount of the electronic device and generates a power detection signal corresponding to the total power amount. The control signal generation circuit generates the control signal based on the corrected power information and the power detection signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Masatoshi KOKUBUN, Takashi MATSUMOTO
  • Patent number: 7358946
    Abstract: A differential amplifying circuit 11 includes a current mirror circuit having first and second current ends to which drains of MOS transistors M8 and M9 are respectively connected, and a pair of differential MOS transistors M1 and M2 having gates between which a switch SW1 is connected. A reference potential Vref is applied to the gate of the MOS transistors M9. A switch SW2 is connected between the output VO of an output buffer circuit 12 and the gate of a MOS transistor M1, and a switch SW3 is connected between the output VO and the gate of the MOS transistor M8. During the offset-cancel preparation period, the switches SW1 and SW3 are on and the switch SW2 is off. Next, the switches SW1 to SW3 are turned over, consequently outputting offset-canceled potential VO.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Masatoshi Kokubun, Shinya Udo, Chikara Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20080067989
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter reducing reversed current in a low load state and increasing output voltage response speed. An error amplification circuit generates an error signal from the output voltage. A pulse signal generation circuit generates a first pulse signal in accordance with the error signal. A comparison circuit generates a comparison result signal from the error signal. A drive signal generation circuit generates a constant level signal and a second pulse signal. An output circuit receives the first pulse signal and either the constant level signal or the second pulse signal to generate first and second drive signals for driving first and second transistors. The output circuit generates the second drive signal in accordance with the first pulse signal when receiving the constant level signal and generates the second drive signal with the first and second pulse signals when receiving the second pulse signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Publication date: March 20, 2008
    Inventors: Toshihiko Kasai, Masatoshi Kokubun, Kenji Kato
  • Publication number: 20080068871
    Abstract: A power supply system including an external power supply unit generating direct-current output voltage and an electronic device connected to the external power supply unit and operable on the output voltage of the external power supply unit. The external power supply unit includes a voltage control circuit receiving control current and controlling the output voltage of the external power supply unit in accordance with the control current. The voltage control circuit controls the output voltage of the external power supply unit to be equal to the minimum voltage possible for the external power supply unit to generate when the control current is minimum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2007
    Publication date: March 20, 2008
    Inventors: Masatoshi Kokubun, Takashi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7336124
    Abstract: An operational amplifier capable of offset cancel in a shorter period, as well as a line driver capable of shortening one horizontal period and a liquid crystal display device are provided. In the operational amplifier of the invention, a time necessary for feed back control can be shortened than usual by a constitution that an output voltage VO in one horizontal period H1 which is one horizontal period before is defined as a reference voltage in an offset cancel preparatory period HC2, thereby changing the output voltage VO(2) only by the offset voltage VO(2) by the feed back control. In the line driver of the invention, the operational amplifier not used for the output of display data D1 to D6 conducts offset cancel operation and it is successively shifted on every one horizontal period. Since it is no more necessary to incorporate the offset cancel preparatory period in the output period, one horizontal period can be shortened further.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Toshihiko Kasai, Shinya Udo, Masatoshi Kokubun, Yoshihiro Kizaki