Patents by Inventor Nobuyuki Ohtaka

Nobuyuki Ohtaka 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: 8305006
    Abstract: A light emitting element control circuit comprising: a variable current generation circuit configured to generate a variable current varying in a direction of increase or in a direction of decrease; a fixed current generation circuit configured to generate a fixed current smaller than a predetermined current of a light emitting element; and a mode setting circuit configured to selectively set a first mode of prohibiting supply of the variable current and the fixed current to the light emitting element, a second mode of supplying the variable current to the light emitting element, and a third mode of supplying the fixed current to the light emitting element, for the variable current generation circuit and the fixed current generation circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignees: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC, Sanyo Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaaki Ishii, Nobuyuki Ohtaka
  • Patent number: 8228005
    Abstract: A light-emitting-element driving circuit is provided which comprises a voltage boosting circuit unit which supplies a boosted voltage to a light-emitting element, a current circuit unit which drives the light-emitting element with a current, a normal feedback loop path through which a voltage of the light-emitting element is input as a feedback voltage to the voltage boosting circuit unit, a backup feedback loop path through which a voltage of the light-emitting element is input as the feedback voltage to the voltage boosting circuit unit, an abnormality detection circuit unit which compares the feedback voltage which is input through the normal feedback loop path to the voltage boosting circuit unit and a predetermined determination voltage, to detect abnormality, and a switching circuit which switches from the normal feedback loop path to the backup feedback loop path when the abnormality detection circuit unit has detected the abnormality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Ohtaka, Tomoshi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8203524
    Abstract: A light-emitting element driving circuit (10) comprises a luminosity determining unit (70) which determines luminosity, outputs a luminosity determination result, and outputs brightness change information, a brightness setting unit (60) which outputs brightness setting information and outputs brightness change information, a light-emitting element driving unit (40) which drives a light-emitting element with a current of a current value corresponding to the brightness setting information, a detecting and comparing unit (50) which compares a terminal voltage of the light-emitting element and a predetermined voltage, a voltage boost determining unit (30) which determines whether or not a terminal voltage of the light-emitting element is to be boosted based on at least one of the luminosity change information and the brightness change information, and a voltage boosting circuit section (20) which boosts the terminal voltage of the light-emitting element when it is determined that the voltage is to be boosted and
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignees: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Sanyo Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoshi Yoshida, Nobuyuki Ohtaka
  • Patent number: 8093879
    Abstract: A semiconductor circuit (10a) comprises a first terminal section (17) to be connected to a connection point of two external resistors; a second terminal section (18) to be connected to an external circuit; a voltage circuit section having a first terminal connected to the second terminal section (18); a reference voltage circuit section (102) which outputs a predetermined voltage; an operational amplifier (104) having a first input terminal connected to the reference voltage circuit section (102), a second input terminal connected to the first terminal section (17), and an output terminal connected to a second terminal of the voltage circuit section; an abnormality detecting circuit which detects an abnormal voltage of the first terminal section (17); a normal signal generating unit (130) which generates a normal signal; and a switching circuit which, when the abnormality detecting circuit detects the abnormal voltage, does not output a voltage based on the first terminal section (17) to the second terminal s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignees: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Sanyo Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuji Yamamoto, Nobuyuki Ohtaka
  • Publication number: 20110025234
    Abstract: A light-emitting-element driving circuit is provided which comprises a voltage boosting circuit unit which supplies a boosted voltage to a light-emitting element, a current circuit unit which drives the light-emitting element with a current, a normal feedback loop path through which a voltage of the light-emitting element is input as a feedback voltage to the voltage boosting circuit unit, a backup feedback loop path through which a voltage of the light-emitting element is input as the feedback voltage to the voltage boosting circuit unit, an abnormality detection circuit unit which compares the feedback voltage which is input through the normal feedback loop path to the voltage boosting circuit unit and a predetermined determination voltage, to detect abnormality, and a switching circuit which switches from the normal feedback loop path to the backup feedback loop path when the abnormality detection circuit unit has detected the abnormality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicants: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD., SANYO SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki OHTAKA, Tomoshi YOSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20100066330
    Abstract: A semiconductor circuit (10a) comprises a first terminal section (17) to be connected to a connection point of two external resistors; a second terminal section (18) to be connected to an external circuit; a voltage circuit section having a first terminal connected to the second terminal section (18); a reference voltage circuit section (102) which outputs a predetermined voltage; an operational amplifier (104) having a first input terminal connected to the reference voltage circuit section (102), a second input terminal connected to the first terminal section (17), and an output terminal connected to a second terminal of the voltage circuit section; an abnormality detecting circuit which detects an abnormal voltage of the first terminal section (17); a normal signal generating unit (130) which generates a normal signal; and a switching circuit which, when the abnormality detecting circuit detects the abnormal voltage, does not output a voltage based on the first terminal section (17) to the second terminal s
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicants: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD., SANYO SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryuji Yamamoto, Nobuyuki Ohtaka
  • Publication number: 20100060674
    Abstract: A light-emitting element driving circuit (10) comprises a luminosity determining unit (70) which determines luminosity, outputs a luminosity determination result, and outputs brightness change information, a brightness setting unit (60) which outputs brightness setting information and outputs brightness change information, a light-emitting element driving unit (40) which drives a light-emitting element with a current of a current value corresponding to the brightness setting information, a detecting and comparing unit (50) which compares a terminal voltage of the light-emitting element and a predetermined voltage, a voltage boost determining unit (30) which determines whether or not a terminal voltage of the light-emitting element is to be boosted based on at least one of the luminosity change information and the brightness change information, and a voltage boosting circuit section (20) which boosts the terminal voltage of the light-emitting element when it is determined that the voltage is to be boosted and
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Applicants: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD., SANYO SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoshi Yoshida, Nobuyuki Ohtaka
  • Patent number: 7573248
    Abstract: A power voltage of a battery (including a secondary battery) mounted on a portable device drops with use or the like of the portable device. Therefore, a step-up switching voltage regulator circuit is mounted on the portable device. On the other hand, the power voltage of the battery exceeds a voltage necessary for driving the portable device sometimes when the battery is fully charged. In this case, when the step-up switching voltage regulator circuit is driven, the power is consumed in vain, and a burden is imposed on the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Ohtaka
  • Publication number: 20090066263
    Abstract: A light emitting element control circuit comprising: a variable current generation circuit configured to generate a variable current varying in a direction of increase or in a direction of decrease; a fixed current generation circuit configured to generate a fixed current smaller than a predetermined current of a light emitting element; and a mode setting circuit configured to selectively set a first mode of prohibiting supply of the variable current and the fixed current to the light emitting element, a second mode of supplying the variable current to the light emitting element, and a third mode of supplying the fixed current to the light emitting element, for the variable current generation circuit and the fixed current generation circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicants: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Sanyo Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaaki Ishii, Nobuyuki Ohtaka
  • Patent number: 7256552
    Abstract: An LED control circuit for controlling a plurality of LEDs with different emission colors comprises a counter which increments or decrements a count value at a predetermined clock in response to a count start signal externally supplied, a signal conversion circuit which converts the count value into an analog signal displaying intensity corresponding to the count value and outputs the analog signal as an output signal, a signal generation circuit which generates, based on the output signal from the signal conversion circuit and brightness data externally specified to its corresponding LED, an analog signal displaying intensity corresponding to a product of the output signal and the brightness data, and a driving circuit which drives its corresponding LED according to the analog signal output from the signal generation circuit, to gradually and simultaneously change the brightness of the LEDs in accordance with the count value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2007
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaaki Ishii, Nobuyuki Ohtaka
  • Publication number: 20060043931
    Abstract: A power voltage of a battery (including a secondary battery) mounted on a portable device drops with use or the like of the portable device. Therefore, a step-up switching voltage regulator circuit is mounted on the portable device. On the other hand, the power voltage of the battery exceeds a voltage necessary for driving the portable device sometimes when the battery is fully charged. In this case, when the step-up switching voltage regulator circuit is driven, the power is consumed in vain, and a burden is imposed on the battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2005
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Applicant: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Ohtaka
  • Publication number: 20060033443
    Abstract: An LED control circuit for controlling a plurality of LEDs with different emission colors comprises a counter which increments or decrements a count value at a predetermined clock in response to a count start signal externally supplied, a signal conversion circuit which converts the count value into an analog signal displaying intensity corresponding to the count value and outputs the analog signal as an output signal, a signal generation circuit which generates, based on the output signal from the signal conversion circuit and brightness data externally specified to its corresponding LED, an analog signal displaying intensity corresponding to a product of the output signal and the brightness data, and a driving circuit which drives its corresponding LED according to the analog signal output from the signal generation circuit, to gradually and simultaneously change the brightness of the LEDs in accordance with the count value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2005
    Publication date: February 16, 2006
    Applicant: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaaki Ishii, Nobuyuki Ohtaka
  • Publication number: 20050127984
    Abstract: The output voltage of a charge pump 10 is monitored by a voltage monitoring circuit. The operating current of a series regulator is restricted when the output voltage of the charge pump falls below a predetermined value. A power supply circuit is provided that is capable of effectively eliminating the decline in the output voltage of the charge pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Publication date: June 16, 2005
    Applicant: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Ohtaka