Patents by Inventor Norihiro Urakawa

Norihiro Urakawa 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: 8675891
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a power supply unit capable of achieving noise reduction while maintaining efficiency under the light load state. A FET driver controls switching elements in either one of a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) mode, an intermittent mode having a lower operating frequency than that in the PWM mode, and a noise-free mode having a higher operating frequency than an audible frequency range. The FET driver operates first in the intermittent mode under the light load state. A microphone collects noise generated from the surroundings of a power supply unit. When the level of an audio signal collected by the microphone exceeds a predetermined level, the FET driver transitions from the intermittent mode to the noise-free mode. In accordance with such an embodiment, the FET driver operates in the noise-free mode only when noise is actually generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigefumi Odaohhara, Norihiro Urakawa
  • Publication number: 20100102642
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a power supply unit capable of achieving noise reduction while maintaining efficiency under the light load state. A FET driver controls switching elements in either one of a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) mode, an intermittent mode having a lower operating frequency than that in the PWM mode, and a noise-free mode having a higher operating frequency than an audible frequency range. The FET driver operates first in the intermittent mode under the light load state. A microphone collects noise generated from the surroundings of a power supply unit. When the level of an audio signal collected by the microphone exceeds a predetermined level, the FET driver transitions from the intermittent mode to the noise-free mode. In accordance with such an embodiment, the FET driver operates in the noise-free mode only when noise is actually generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Applicant: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.,
    Inventors: Shigefumi Odaohhara, Norihiro Urakawa