Patents by Inventor Tomohiko Kamatani

Tomohiko Kamatani 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).

  • Publication number: 20110057703
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an internal circuit to perform a predetermined function at a plurality of different supply power voltages, a power supply voltage region detector to detect a supply power voltage to output a detection signal, a latch to store the signal output from the power supply voltage region detector and output the stored signal as a power supply voltage region signal, and a reset circuit to generate a reset signal to perform a predetermined reset operation on the internal circuit. The latch stores the output signal from the power supply voltage region detector just after the reset operation for the internal circuit is released, and the internal circuit changes an internal setting according to the power supply voltage region signal output from the latch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Tomohiko Kamatani
  • Publication number: 20110051764
    Abstract: A laser diode drive circuit includes a power supply circuit connected to an anode of a laser diode to supply a variable voltage to the laser diode, and a drive current control circuit connected to a cathode of the laser diode to control a current of the laser diode. The power supply circuit generates a start-up voltage which is equal to the sum of the maximum drive voltage that is larger than the drive voltage and a predetermined first reference voltage, acquires a cathode voltage of the laser diode while the start-up voltage is generated, generates a voltage by lowering from the start-up voltage so as to diminish the difference between the acquired cathode voltage and the first reference voltage, and the first reference voltage is the minimum cathode voltage necessary to supply a predetermined current to the laser diode by the drive current control circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Tomohiko Kamatani
  • Patent number: 7856039
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device, a switching current generator circuit generates and outputs a switching current such that a voltage input to a switching current setting terminal is equal to a voltage input to a switching current control terminal, and a bias current generator circuit generates and outputs a bias current such that a voltage input to a bias current setting terminal equals a voltage input to a bias current control terminal. A memory circuit inputs a voltage according to an amount of light emitted by a semiconductor laser, and generates a voltage to make the input voltage equal to a predetermined first reference voltage corresponding to a predetermined amount of light. An APC output terminal outputs the voltage output by the memory circuit to an external device. A current adding circuit combines the switching current and the bias current to generate a drive current to drive the semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomohiko Kamatani
  • Publication number: 20100278202
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser driving device and an image forming apparatus are disclosed that are capable of accurately detecting the deterioration of the semiconductor laser with a smaller circuit size and regardless of the variation of the characteristics of the semiconductor laser and the use conditions of the semiconductor laser by adding a minimum circuit are disclosed. In the semiconductor laser driving device, the output voltage generated by an operational amplifier circuit by amplifying a voltage difference between a monitoring voltage (Vm) and a predetermined reference voltage (Vref) is transmitted to a bias current generating circuit unit as a bias current setting voltage (Vbi) through a sample/hold circuit having a switch (SW1) and a sample/hold capacitor (Csh). When the bias current setting voltage (Vbi) is greater than a predetermined voltage, a deterioration detecting circuit transmits a deterioration detecting signal indicating that the deterioration of the semiconductor laser is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2008
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Inventor: Tomohiko Kamatani
  • Publication number: 20100231988
    Abstract: Disclosed is a receiving device that includes a differential input circuit having an inverting input terminal and a non-inverting input terminal to which the differential signal is input; an abnormality detection circuit that detects an abnormality in a wiring connected to the inverting input terminal and the non-inverting input terminal; and a control circuit that sets an output signal of the receiving device in a predetermined status when the abnormality is detected. The abnormality detection circuit detects the abnormality if a status, in which a potential difference between a voltage of the inverting input terminal and a voltage of the non-inverting input terminal is less than a minimum potential difference in a predetermined range of the potential difference between the voltage of the inverting input terminal and the voltage of the non-inverting input terminal, continues for a predetermined time or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2010
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD
    Inventor: Tomohiko KAMATANI
  • Patent number: 7693196
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser driving unit is disclosed that includes a first part generating a bias current; a second part generating a first current for causing the semiconductor laser to emit light, and outputting the first current to the semiconductor laser in accordance with an input control signal; a third part performing initialization to detect a light emission characteristic of the semiconductor laser, and causing the second part to generate a second current of a value obtained from the detected light emission characteristic; and a fourth part causing the second part to generate the first current in which a set offset current is added to the second current. The first part detects the amount of light emission of the semiconductor laser, and generates and outputs the bias current so that the amount of light emission produced by the sum of the bias current and the first current is a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiko Kamatani, Hiroaki Kyogoku
  • Patent number: 7679296
    Abstract: A drive circuit includes a constant voltage circuit to supply a constant voltage to one terminal of a load, a constant current circuit to supply a predetermined constant current to another terminal of the load in accordance with a pulse signal input externally, and a first reference voltage generator to generate and output a first reference voltage in accordance with an output voltage at an output terminal of the constant current circuit. The constant voltage circuit controls so that the first reference voltage is proportional to the output voltage output to the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomohiko Kamatani
  • Patent number: 7671564
    Abstract: An integrated circuit for charging a secondary battery including a charge current detection circuit detecting a charge current output from a charging transistor, and generating a signal including the charge current information; a voltage comparison circuit comparing a voltage of the battery with one or more predetermined voltages, and generating a signal including the voltage comparison information; and a charge controlling circuit controlling the charging transistor according to information on the voltage of the battery and the signals output from the charge current detection circuit and the voltage comparison circuit such that the charging transistor performs constant current charging or constant voltage charging, wherein the charge controlling circuit stops applying a charge current for a predetermined time in the beginning of charging, and judges that the battery is abnormally connected when the voltage of the battery becomes less than a predetermined voltage within the predetermined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomohiko Kamatani
  • Patent number: 7649343
    Abstract: Electrical connection between a charging device and a secondary battery is checked during a wait time in which a charge mode of the charging device is selected. When the electrical connection is not successfully established, a charge current is not supplied from the charging device to the secondary battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomohiko Kamatani
  • Patent number: 7592855
    Abstract: A trimming circuit is disclosed. The trimming circuit includes a first trimming circuit having resistors and fuses, and a second trimming circuit having a resistor, an NMOS transistor, and a control circuit. The control circuit includes an inverter circuit and a series circuit in which a resistor and fuses are connected in series. The first trimming circuit is connected with a reference resistor in series and the second trimming circuit is connected with the reference resistor in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomohiko Kamatani
  • Publication number: 20090206806
    Abstract: A disclosed voltage comparison circuit for detecting a voltage difference of two input signals includes one or more differential amplifier circuits, each of which has a differential pair of first and second input transistors each having an electrode to which a corresponding one of the input signals is input, a constant current circuit configured to generate constant current according to a control signal and supply the constant current to the first and second input transistors, and a first resistor connected between the constant current circuit and the first input transistor; and a current control circuit configured to control a value of the first constant current. The current control circuit controls the value so that a voltage difference between both ends of the first resistor becomes equal to a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Tomohiko KAMATANI
  • Patent number: 7573922
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser driving unit is disclosed that includes a first part generating a bias current; a second part generating a first current for causing the semiconductor laser to emit light, and outputting the first current to the semiconductor laser in accordance with an input control signal; a third part performing initialization to detect a light emission characteristic of the semiconductor laser, and causing the second part to generate a second current of a value obtained from the detected light emission characteristic; and a fourth part causing the second part to generate the first current in which a set offset current is added to the second current. The first part detects the amount of light emission of the semiconductor laser, and generates and outputs the bias current so that the amount of light emission produced by the sum of the bias current and the first current is a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiko Kamatani, Hiroaki Kyogoku
  • Publication number: 20090189572
    Abstract: Electrical connection between a charging device and a secondary battery is checked during a wait time in which a charge mode of the charging device is selected. When the electrical connection is not successfully established, a charge current is not supplied from the charging device to the secondary battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Inventor: Tomohiko Kamatani
  • Publication number: 20090141762
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device, a switching current generator circuit generates and outputs a switching current such that a voltage input to a switching current setting terminal is equal to a voltage input to a switching current control terminal, and a bias current generator circuit generates and outputs a bias current such that a voltage input to a bias current setting terminal equals a voltage input to a bias current control terminal. A memory circuit inputs a voltage according to an amount of light emitted by a semiconductor laser, and generates a voltage to make the input voltage equal to a predetermined first reference voltage corresponding to a predetermined amount of light. An APC output terminal outputs the voltage output by the memory circuit to an external device. A current adding circuit combines the switching current and the bias current to generate a drive current to drive the semiconductor device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Inventor: Tomohiko Kamatani
  • Patent number: 7479765
    Abstract: An integrated circuit for charging a secondary battery including a charge current detection circuit detecting a charge current output from a charging transistor, and generating a signal including the charge current information; a voltage comparison circuit comparing a voltage of the battery with one or more predetermined voltages, and generating a signal including the voltage comparison information; and a charge controlling circuit controlling the charging transistor according to information on the voltage of the battery and the signals output from the charge current detection circuit and the voltage comparison circuit such that the charging transistor performs constant current charging or constant voltage charging, wherein the charge controlling circuit stops applying a charge current for a predetermined time in the beginning of charging, and judges that the battery is abnormally connected when the voltage of the battery becomes less than a predetermined voltage within the predetermined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomohiko Kamatani
  • Publication number: 20080278098
    Abstract: A drive circuit includes a constant voltage circuit to supply a constant voltage to one terminal of a load, a constant current circuit to supply a predetermined constant current to another terminal of the load in accordance with a pulse signal input externally, and a first reference voltage generator to generate and output a first reference voltage in accordance with an output voltage at an output terminal of the constant current circuit. The constant voltage circuit controls so that the first reference voltage is proportional to the output voltage output to the load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventor: TOMOHIKO KAMATANI
  • Publication number: 20080279240
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser driving unit is disclosed that includes a first part generating a bias current; a second part generating a first current for causing the semiconductor laser to emit light, and outputting the first current to the semiconductor laser in accordance with an input control signal; a third part performing initialization to detect a light emission characteristic of the semiconductor laser, and causing the second part to generate a second current of a value obtained from the detected light emission characteristic; and a fourth part causing the second part to generate the first current in which a set offset current is added to the second current. The first part detects the amount of light emission of the semiconductor laser, and generates and outputs the bias current so that the amount of light emission produced by the sum of the bias current and the first current is a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD
    Inventors: Tomohiko KAMATANI, Hiroaki Kyogoku
  • Publication number: 20080272738
    Abstract: An integrated circuit for charging a secondary battery including a charge current detection circuit detecting a charge current output from a charging transistor, and generating a signal including the charge current information; a voltage comparison circuit comparing a voltage of the battery with one or more predetermined voltages, and generating a signal including the voltage comparison information; and a charge controlling circuit controlling the charging transistor according to information on the voltage of the battery and the signals output from the charge current detection circuit and the voltage comparison circuit such that the charging transistor performs constant current charging or constant voltage charging, wherein the charge controlling circuit stops applying a charge current for a predetermined time in the beginning of charging, and judges that the battery is abnormally connected when the voltage of the battery becomes less than a predetermined voltage within the predetermined time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Inventor: Tomohiko Kamatani
  • Publication number: 20080012624
    Abstract: A trimming circuit is disclosed. The trimming circuit includes a first trimming circuit having resistors and fuses, and a second trimming circuit having a resistor, an NMOS transistor, and a control circuit. The control circuit includes an inverter circuit and a series circuit in which a resistor and fuses are connected in series. The first trimming circuit is connected with a reference resistor in series and the second trimming circuit is connected with the reference resistor in parallel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Publication date: January 17, 2008
    Inventor: Tomohiko Kamatani
  • Publication number: 20070216356
    Abstract: An integrated circuit for charging a secondary battery including a charge current detection circuit detecting a charge current output from a charging transistor, and generating a signal including the charge current information; a voltage comparison circuit comparing a voltage of the battery with one or more predetermined voltages, and generating a signal including the voltage comparison information; and a charge controlling circuit controlling the charging transistor according to information on the voltage of the battery and the signals output from the charge current detection circuit and the voltage comparison circuit such that the charging transistor performs constant current charging or constant voltage charging, wherein the charge controlling circuit stops applying a charge current for a predetermined time in the beginning of charging, and judges that the battery is abnormally connected when the voltage of the battery becomes less than a predetermined voltage within the predetermined time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2007
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Inventor: Tomohiko Kamatani