Patents by Inventor Shoichi Asano

Shoichi Asano 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: 7400197
    Abstract: A gain control circuit capable of keeping a constant gain without being affected by ambient temperature includes a variable resistor element connected to a power supply terminal, a control unit for controlling the resistance value of the variable resistor element on the basis of a gain control voltage, an amplifying transistor that is supplied with a power supply voltage through the variable resistor element, a current detecting resistor that is interposed between the variable resistor element and a collector of the amplifying transistor, and a voltage detecting unit that detects a drop dropped by the current detecting resistor. The dropped voltage detected by the voltage detecting unit is fed back to the control unit to control the resistance value of the variable resistor element such that a current flowing through the current detecting resistor does not vary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoichi Asano, Kazuharu Aoki
  • Publication number: 20060255858
    Abstract: A gain control circuit capable of keeping a constant gain without being affected by ambient temperature includes a variable resistor element connected to a power supply terminal, a control unit for controlling the resistance value of the variable resistor element on the basis of a gain control voltage, an amplifying transistor that is supplied with a power supply voltage through the variable resistor element, a current detecting resistor that is interposed between the variable resistor element and a collector of the amplifying transistor, and a voltage detecting unit that detects a drop dropped by the current detecting resistor. The dropped voltage detected by the voltage detecting unit is fed back to the control unit to control the resistance value of the variable resistor element such that a current flowing through the current detecting resistor does not vary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2006
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Inventors: Shoichi Asano, Kazuharu Aoki
  • Patent number: 6987957
    Abstract: A dual-band frequency converter unit, for selectively performing frequency conversion between a 2.4-GHz high-frequency-band signal or a 5-GHz high-frequency-band signal and a baseband signal by frequency mixing, includes a local oscillator for generating a local oscillation signal; a first frequency divider for generating a half-frequency signal of the local oscillation signal; and a second frequency divider for generating a quarter-frequency signal of the local oscillation signal. Frequency conversion between the 2.4-GHz high-frequency-band signal and the baseband signal is performed by frequency mixing using the half-frequency signal of the local oscillation signal. Frequency conversion between the 5-GHz high-frequency-band signal and the baseband signal is performed by frequency mixing using the local oscillation signal and the quarter-frequency signal of the local oscillation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeo Suzuki, Shoichi Asano
  • Publication number: 20030171101
    Abstract: A dual-band frequency converter unit, for selectively performing frequency conversion between a 2.4-GHz high-frequency-band signal or a 5-GHz high-frequency-band signal and a baseband signal by frequency mixing, includes a local oscillator for generating a local oscillation signal; a first frequency divider for generating a half-frequency signal of the local oscillation signal; and a second frequency divider for generating a quarter-frequency signal of the local oscillation signal. Frequency conversion between the 2.4-GHz high-frequency-band signal and the baseband signal is performed by frequency mixing using the half-frequency signal of the local oscillation signal. Frequency conversion between the 5-GHz high-frequency-band signal and the baseband signal is performed by frequency mixing using the local oscillation signal and the quarter-frequency signal of the local oscillation signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Publication date: September 11, 2003
    Applicant: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeo Suzuki, Shoichi Asano
  • Publication number: 20030050031
    Abstract: A frequency conversion circuit includes a first mixer for performing frequency conversion of a received signal having components disposed at first frequency intervals into a first intermediate frequency signal which has a frequency lower than that of the received signal and which has components disposed at predetermined frequency intervals, two second mixers for performing frequency conversion of the first intermediate frequency signal into a second intermediate frequency signal having a frequency lower than that of the first intermediate frequency signal. A first local oscillation signal changing at second frequency intervals different from the first frequency intervals is supplied to the firs mixer, and a second local oscillation signal having a frequency which is the reciprocal of an integer of the frequency of the first local oscillation signal is supplied to the second mixers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Publication date: March 13, 2003
    Applicant: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeo Suzuki, Shoichi Asano, Toru Izumiyama
  • Publication number: 20020024364
    Abstract: In order to shorten the lock-up time, a frequency synthesizer includes a first voltage-controlled oscillator which is controlled by a first PLL circuit and which outputs a first oscillation signal; a second voltage-controlled oscillator which is controlled by a second PLL circuit and which outputs a second oscillation signal; and a mixer which outputs a signal of addition or subtraction between the first oscillation signal and the second oscillation signal, wherein the first voltage-controlled oscillator is made to oscillate at a spacing of a first step frequency, the second voltage-controlled oscillator is made to oscillate at a spacing of a second step frequency which is lower than the first step frequency, and a reference frequency of the first PLL circuit is higher than a reference frequency of the second PLL circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2001
    Publication date: February 28, 2002
    Applicant: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuharu Aoki, Shoichi Asano
  • Patent number: 6177837
    Abstract: A feedback circuit is connected between the input electrode of amplifying element of an amplifying circuit of the initial stage and the output electrode of amplifying element of an amplifying circuit of the final stage. The feedback circuit is structured by a serial circuit of a voltage dropping means resulting in almost constant voltage drop regardless of an increase or decrease of current and a feedback resistor, and a bias voltage is supplied, via the feedback circuit, to an input electrode of the amplifying element in the amplifying circuit of the initial stage from an output electrode of the amplifying element in the amplifying circuit of the final stage. Thereby, current dissipation is reduced and signal loss is lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuharu Aoki, Shoichi Asano