Abstract: When the level at an input terminal goes low upon the reception of a signal to dim an LED, a PNP transistor is rendered on and a voltage at the positive input terminal of an operational amplifier is raised, in accordance with a time constant that is defined by a resistor and a capacitor. In accordance with the increase in this voltage, a source current is supplied from the operational amplifier to a current detection terminal, and as the value of the source current is gradually increased, a current flowing across the shunt resistor of the switching regulator is gradually reduced. Further, the light emission level of the LED is gradually lowered from the fully lighted state to the 70% lighted state, and there is, for the LED, a light quantity change of about 30% in ten seconds.

Abstract: A discharge lamp lighting circuit facilitates carrying out re-ignition and addresses a problem than can arise due to an influence of a capacitor in an auxiliary lighting circuit. A driving voltage generating portion supplies an AC driving voltage to a discharge lamp to be a driving target. An auxiliary lighting circuit is provided on a terminal side of the discharge lamp. An auxiliary lighting capacitor, an auxiliary lighting resistor and a switch are provided in series between the terminal of the discharge lamp and a fixed voltage terminal. A control circuit controls a conducting state of the switch. The switch is brought into an ON state before the discharge lamp is turned ON, and is brought into an OFF state after the discharge lamp is turned ON.

Abstract: A dimming control system 1 includes: light source units each having a respective LED; and a control unit connected to the light source units via power supply lines. The control unit is connected to each of the light source units in series. The control unit includes: switch portions that control dimming of the LEDs by repeating an ON/OFF operation in a predetermined cycle; current detection circuits and voltage detection circuits that detect a current or a voltage supplied via the power supply lines; and a CPU that determines there is an abnormality in the power supply lines or the light source units when a value of the detected current or voltage exceeds a predetermined range while the switch portions are ON.

Abstract: An automotive lamp is provided with: a lamp chamber formed so as to include a lamp body having a front end opening portion and a translucent cover provided on the lamp body so as to cover the front end opening portion; a lamp unit that is housed inside the lamp chamber and includes a semiconductor light emitting device as a light source; a bracket that includes a light source mounting portion having a mounting surface for the semiconductor light emitting device and a plurality of radiating fins, thermally in contact with the light source mounting portion and arranged such that ventilation passages extend from the lamp body side toward the translucent cover, are formed, and that supports the lamp unit; and a fan that blows air such that air flows through the ventilation passages from the lamp body side toward the translucent cover.

Abstract: Relative comparison is made between a voltage applied to the whole of the first through eighth LEDs and a voltage applied to the first LED by a comparator. When the voltage applied to the whole of the LEDs has relatively dropped with respect to the voltage applied to part of the LEDs, the comparator outputs a Low Level signal, assumes an abnormality that accompanies a short-circuit fault in any one of the LEDs and causes a ninth LED to illuminate. Meanwhile, relative comparison is made between a voltage applied to the whole of the first through eighth LEDs and a voltage applied to the first LED by another comparator. When the voltage applied to the whole of the LEDs has relatively dropped with respect to the voltage applied to part of the LEDs, the comparator outputs a Low Level signal, assumes an abnormality that accompanies a short-circuit fault in the first LED and causes a ninth LED to illuminate.

Abstract: In a process in which a current is supplied from a switching regulator to multi-chip LEDs, the forward voltages of the LEDs are respectively detected in forward detecting circuits. The detected values are sent to a microcomputer. In the microcomputer, detected values when the multi-chip LEDs are initially turned on are stored as initial values. A first abnormality deciding value is set from the initial value. The detected values are sequentially stored as updated values. Second abnormality deciding values having conditions stricter than those of the first abnormality deciding value are sequentially set in accordance with the stored updated value. A read value is compared with the first abnormality deciding value or the read value is compared with the second abnormality deciding value to decide whether or not the abnormality of the LEDs is present. When it is decided that the LEDs are abnormal, an LED is turned on to inform a driver of the presence of the abnormality.

Abstract: A vehicle lighting apparatus includes a plurality of semiconductor light sources that are connected with each other in series, a switching regulator for supplying an electric power from a power source to each of said plurality of semiconductor light sources, forward voltage detection circuitry for detecting a forward voltage of each group by dividing said plurality of semiconductor light sources into groups; and failure detection circuitry for detecting the failure of the semiconductor light sources belonging to said each group based on the detected output of said each forward voltage detection circuitry.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a first metal film on a back surface of the semiconductor substrate, a second metal film on the first metal film, and a third metal film on the second metal film. The first metal film forms an alloy with a solder. The second metal film causes isothermal solidification of the solder. The third metal film improves solder wetting properties or inhibits oxidation. Further, in a method for die-bonding a semiconductor device, a specific metal is diffused into a solder, when the solder melts, to transform the solder into a high melting point alloy, thereby causing isothermal solidification of the solder. The specific metal is different from the metal of the solder.

Abstract: An apparatus for melting metals comprises a hearth for melting a metal raw material, a mold for forming an ingot by cooling the molten metal therein, the mold having a bottom, and a base unit for pulling down the ingot and provided at the bottom of the mold. The base unit has a surface provided with a concave portion at an optional location, and the surface of the base unit surrounding the concave portion is inclined toward the concave portion.

Abstract: A lighting controller has current driving means which include a shunt resistor connected in series to each of multiple LEDs to detect an LED driving current, a PMOS transistor connected to the positive electrode side of each of the LEDs, and an amplifier for sending an output according to the result of comparison between the respectively detected driving current values and a reference value, and which subject each of the PMOS transistors to ON/OFF operation. Control means includes a Zener diode ZD1 and a Zener diode ZD2 for detecting an abnormality occurring in the current driving means and for sending the abnormality detection result. The control means controls the PMOS transistor to be turned OFF after elapse of a predetermined time upon receipt of the abnormality detection result.

Abstract: A lighting controller of a lighting device for a vehicle includes M (M is an integer of one or more) switching regulators for supplying driving currents to first to Nth (N is an integer of one or more) semiconductor light sources; first to Nth current driving portions; a temperature detector; and a control circuit. The first to Nth current driving portions include first to Nth current detecting portions connected to the semiconductor light sources and serving to detect the driving currents respectively; and first to Nth switching portions connected to the semiconductor light sources respectively. The first to Nth current driving portions operates the switching portions corresponding to magnitudes of the driving currents detected by the current detecting portions respectively. The temperature detector detects a temperature and sends a temperature detecting signal when the detected temperature is equal to or higher than a pre-specified temperature.

Abstract: A vehicle lamp includes: N semiconductor light sources, wherein N is an integer of 1 or more; M fans configured to cool the N semiconductor light sources, wherein M is an integer of 1 or more; N current supply units configured to supply first current to the N semiconductor light sources, respectively; and a control unit configured to receive electric power supplied from an electric power source and supply second current to the N current supply units. The control unit includes: N switch elements that correspond to the N semiconductor light sources; M switch elements that correspond to the M fans; and a control circuit configured to control fan drive current supplied to the fans through the switch elements and the second current. The fans are coupled to the control unit.

Abstract: A lighting controller of a lighting device for a vehicle includes a switching regulator for supplying a driving current to first to Nth (N is an integer of one or more) semiconductor light sources; first to Nth current driving portions; and a control portion. The first to Nth current driving portions include first to Nth current detecting portions connected in series to the semiconductor light sources and serving to detect the driving current respectively, first to Nth switching portions connected to positive electrode sides of the semiconductor light sources respectively, and first to Nth comparing portions for transmitting a comparing output corresponding to a result of a comparison, which is obtained by comparing values of the driving currents detected by the current detecting portions with a predetermined threshold respectively. The first to Nth current driving portions serve to carry out operations of the switching portions corresponding to the comparing output respectively.

Abstract: A vehicular lamp is arranged to save power by not driving a cooling fan when an LED is unlit. The vehicular lamp is capable of reducing cost and stopping a supply of current to the LED even in the case of open wiring in a supply of current to the cooling fan. The vehicular lamp includes LEDs connected in series, a cooling fan connected in series with the LEDs and arranged to cool the LEDs. A current supply circuit receives power supplied from a power source and supplies current to the LEDs and the cooling fan.

Abstract: A lighting control apparatus and a method of lighting control for a vehicle lighting device includes a semiconductor light source including a semiconductor light emitting element; and a current supply controller coupled between a power supply and the semiconductor light source. Supply of a current from the power supply to the semiconductor light source is restricted by the current supply controller during a current restriction period to a value smaller than a prescribed current. A microcomputer compares a forward voltage generated from the semiconductor light source during the current restriction period with an abnormality determination value to determine whether or not an abnormality occurs due to a change of the forward voltage of the semiconductor light source.

Abstract: A lighting controlling device of vehicle lighting equipment includes switching regulators for supplying a current to a plurality of semiconductor light sources respectively; a plurality of current driving portions, having switching elements connected to the semiconductor light sources for controlling ON/OFF of the semiconductor light sources, for current-driving the semiconductor light sources at a maximum current value or a current value smaller than the maximum current value in response to respective operating states of the switching elements; current setting portion for setting a maximum current value applied in current-driving the current driving portion or a maximum current value of currents fed from the switching regulators to the semiconductor light sources separately in plural stages in response to respective assignments; and a controlling portion for controlling the current driving portion and the current setting portion in response to a plurality of lighting modes based on communication information

Abstract: A thermoplastic resin sheet which has both a high reflectance ratio and excellent shape-holding property suitable for backlights and illumination boxes for use in illumination signboards, illumination fixtures and displays and illumination boxes. The thermoplastic resin foam is manufactured by a manufacturing method including a process for containing inert gas by holding thermoplastic resin sheet containing metallic oxide in a pressurized inert gas atmosphere and a process for heating the thermoplastic resin sheet in which the inert gas is contained at a temperature higher than the softening temperature of the thermoplastic resin, under normal pressure, and foaming the resin.

Abstract: There is provided a disk drive including a base chassis, a first optical pickup mechanism including a disk rotation drive disposed on the base chassis, first optical pickup unit to write and/or read data to and/or from a first optical disk and a first pickup moving mechanism to move the first optical pickup unit radially of the first optical disk, a second optical pickup mechanism disposed opposite to the first optical pickup mechanism and including a second optical pickup unit to write and/or read data to and/or from a second optical disk and a second pickup moving mechanism to move the second optical pickup unit radially of the second optical disk, and a controlling means for detecting the movement of one of the optical pickup units and moving the other optical pickup unit to make weight balancing of the base chassis. Thus, the base chassis weight is balanced while one of the two optical pickup units is being moved.

Abstract: When a forward direction voltage of any of several LEDs 14 to 20 is lowered, a drain voltage of an NMOS transistor 70 employed in any of series regulators 24 to 30 becomes higher than a defined voltage. A zener diode ZD1, which is connected to the LED where the abnormal condition occurs, becomes conductive. A voltage, which is increased from the defined voltage, is applied to a negative input terminal of a comparing amplifier 72, and an output voltage of the comparing amplifier 72 is lowered by this increased voltage portion so that a gate voltage of the NMOS transistor 70 is lowered. A current flowing through the NMOS transistor 70 is decreased. Even if an abnormal condition caused by a voltage drop occurs in any of the LEDs 14 to 20, then the LEDs 14 to 20 can be protected.

Abstract: A vehicle lighting apparatus includes a plurality of semiconductor light sources that are connected with each other in series, a switching regulator for supplying an electric power from a power source to each of said plurality of semiconductor light sources, forward voltage detection circuitry for detecting a forward voltage of each of said plurality of semiconductor light sources, and failure detection circuitry for detecting the failure of each of said semiconductor light sources based on the detected value of said forward voltage detection means. A semiconductor light source having a lower forward voltage is connected closer to a reference potential side of said power source among said plurality of semiconductor light sources.