Patents by Inventor Yoshiharu Kato

Yoshiharu Kato 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: 7440038
    Abstract: There is disclosed a liquid crystal display apparatus including a main body and a swivel mechanism, where the main body is capable of smoothly swiveling. A countersunk hole is formed in a bottom plate member as follows: When a through-hole for inserting a screw is formed in a metal sheet to be a bottom plate member, there is also concurrently formed an accommodating hole for accommodating flow of the material forming the metal sheet upon plastic forming or pressing which is performed subsequently for forming a countersink, and then the countersink is formed at an open end of the through-hole by pressing. It is preferable that a plurality of the accommodating holes are formed around the through-hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiharu Kato
  • Patent number: 7388791
    Abstract: Plural transmitter units generate plural currents corresponding to plural logical values, respectively, and propagate the currents to a common signal line. The common signal line synthesizes the currents generated by the transmitter units, and propagates them to a receiver unit as a synthetic current. The receiver unit restores the logical values the transmitter units generated, in accordance with the synthetic current. The values of the currents the transmitter units generate in correspondence with the logical values each differ, so that the value of the synthetic current can be changed for every combination of logical values. Accordingly, the receiver unit can restore the logical values outputted from the respective transmitter units, based on the synthetic current. That is, employing the common signal line enables signals transmitted from the transmitter units to be simultaneously received. Consequently, the number of signal lines laid between the transmitter units and the receiver unit is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Kato, Yoshihiro Takemae, Toshio Ogawa, Tetsuhiko Endoh, Yoshinori Okajima
  • Patent number: 7382419
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus including a tilt mechanism, which is capable of preventing an inadvertent insertion of a finger of a user in a groove of a bracket of the tilt mechanism even while a cover for concealing the bracket is removed, wherein provided is a washer-like member or inadvertent-insertion preventer which has a through-hole or perforated portion through which a pawl formed in a mainbody bracket or one of two brackets is inserted, and is attached to the pawl at a position to contact a stand bracket or the other of the two brackets, by inserting the pawl through the through-hole. The washer-like member is preferably made of a plastic and sandwiched between the two brackets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiharu Kato
  • Patent number: 7362649
    Abstract: There is provided memory control device and memory control method, which can prevent wiring complication by many crossing wirings, and reduction of yield and quality. When a memory control device CC1 selects a memory chip CC2, an internal circuit of a select circuit 27 is changed by a switch signal SWS2. In this case, the changeover is made so that a select signal S2 outputted from an internal circuit 40 is inputted to a predetermined memory terminal of the memory chip CC2. The select signal S2 is inputted to the corresponding predetermined memory terminal of the memory chip CC2, and thereby, the memory chip CC2 is activated, and set to a state capable of inputting and outputting control signals 21 to 25. The control signals 21 to 25 are assigned to control terminals P21 to P27 after being hanged by the select circuit 27 in signal sequence corresponding to terminal array sequence of memory terminals 21a to 27a of the memory chip CC2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Yoshiharu Kato
  • Publication number: 20070237014
    Abstract: It is an object to provide a semiconductor memory device that can conduct the equalizing operation of bit lines with a low current consumption while maintaining a normal accessing speed and the chip area, and a control method thereof. In a semiconductor memory device of the shared sense amplification system, in a predetermined number of times which is (k?1) times or less among k-times of continuous word line selections of a selected memory block, the bit line separation gate of the unselected memory block is rendered conductive in the active period of the equalizing unit after the word line selection. Also, a circuit that equalizes a wiring higher in the capacity component is driven by a higher voltage level according to the wiring capacity component of the sense amplification power supply line and the bit lines, to thereby equalize the power supply line and the bit line in the equal time, thereby being capable of preventing the short-circuiting within the sense amplifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Publication date: October 11, 2007
    Inventors: Kazufumi Komura, Yoshiharu Kato, Satoru Kawamoto
  • Publication number: 20070216444
    Abstract: This invention provides an interface circuit for detecting that a DQS signal from a DDR SDRAM is at an intermediate potential. An interface circuit is connected to at least a signal line which transmits the DQS signal from the DDR SDRAM and reaches an intermediate potential VM when the signal attains an inactive state. The interface circuit has a comparing portion for comparing the potential of the DQS with a threshold potential VREFH which is a potential that is different from the intermediate potential VM.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2006
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Inventor: Yoshiharu Kato
  • Patent number: 7251766
    Abstract: A method of testing an electronic device including first and second semiconductor devices connected to each other with a plurality of bus lines. First, the first semiconductor device supplies a selected one of the bus lines with a first logical output signal. Then, the second semiconductor device acquires a first bus line signal from the selected bus line. The second semiconductor device inverts the first bus line signal to generate a second logical output signal. The second semiconductor device transmits the second logical output signal to the first semiconductor device. The first semiconductor device receives a second bus line signal from the selected bus line. The first semiconductor device compares the first logical output signal and the second bus line signal to detect a connection between the first semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Yoshiharu Kato
  • Patent number: 7245549
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device is provided that can conduct the equalizing operation of bit lines with a low current consumption while maintaining a normal accessing speed and the chip area, and a control method thereof. In a semiconductor memory device of the shared sense amplification system, in a predetermined number of times which is (k?1) times or less among k-times of continuous word line selections of a selected memory block, the bit line separation gate of the unselected memory block is rendered conductive in the active period of the equalizing unit after the word line selection. Also, a circuit that equalizes a wiring higher in the capacity component is driven by a higher voltage level according to the wiring capacity component of the sense amplification power supply line and the bit lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Kazufumi Komura, Yoshiharu Kato, Satoru Kawamoto
  • Publication number: 20070159906
    Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor memory device which reduces current consumption in a standby state owing to a suitable refresh-thinning-out function, and a refresh control method thereof. When the refresh-thinning-out function is added while a refresh operation and an external access operation are being executed independently of each other, a refresh address counter outputs a refresh address Add(C) and inputs predetermined high-order bits thereof to a refresh-thinning-out control as a high-order refresh address Add(C) (m), where judgment as to whether the refresh operation is performed, is made. A refresh permission signal RFEN corresponding to the result of judgment is inputted to a word driver to activate and control the word driver. The process of judgment by the refresh-thinning-out control circuit can be embedded in an access time of a row system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2007
    Publication date: July 12, 2007
    Inventors: Masami Nakashima, Yoshiharu Kato, Kazufumi Komura
  • Publication number: 20070097776
    Abstract: There is provided memory control device and memory control method, which can prevent wiring complication by many crossing wirings, and reduction of yield and quality. When a memory control device CC1 selects a memory chip CC2, an internal circuit of a select circuit 27 is changed by a switch signal SWS2. In this case, the changeover is made so that a select signal S2 outputted from an internal circuit 40 is inputted to a predetermined memory terminal of the memory chip CC2. The select signal S2 is inputted to the corresponding predetermined memory terminal of the memory chip CC2, and thereby, the memory chip CC2 is activated, and set to a state capable of inputting and outputting control signals 21 to 25. The control signals 21 to 25 are assigned to control terminals P21 to P27 after being hanged by the select circuit 27 in signal sequence corresponding to terminal array sequence of memory terminals 21a to 27a of the memory chip CC2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Publication date: May 3, 2007
    Inventor: Yoshiharu Kato
  • Publication number: 20070091989
    Abstract: Plural transmitter units generate plural currents corresponding to plural logical values, respectively, and propagate the currents to a common signal line. The common signal line synthesizes the currents generated by the transmitter units, and propagates them to a receiver unit as a synthetic current. The receiver unit restores the logical values the transmitter units generated, in accordance with the synthetic current. The values of the currents the transmitter units generate in correspondence with the logical values each differ, so that the value of the synthetic current can be changed for every combination of logical values. Accordingly, the receiver unit can restore the logical values outputted from the respective transmitter units, based on the synthetic current. That is, employing the common signal line enables signals transmitted from the transmitter units to be simultaneously received. Consequently, the number of signal lines laid between the transmitter units and the receiver unit is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Kato, Yoshihiro Takemae, Toshio Ogawa, Tetsuhiko Endoh, Yoshinori Okajima
  • Publication number: 20070091678
    Abstract: A volatile memory has a volatile additional area for storing an error correction code for a nonvolatile memory. Data stored in the nonvolatile memory are transferred to the volatile memory together with the error correction code without making an error correction. Thus, data transfer time from the nonvolatile memory to the volatile memory can be shortened. As a result, it is possible to shorten the time from beginning of the data transfer from the nonvolatile memory to the volatile memory to a point at which data becomes accessible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Kato, Yoshihiro Takemae, Toshio Ogawa, Tetsuhiko Endoh, Yoshinori Okajima
  • Publication number: 20070090695
    Abstract: An object is to provide a semiconductor device in which it is possible to determine whether or not a minute delay time given by a delay circuit is within a specified value or not, and a method of testing the semiconductor device. In response to a data strobe signal TDQS for testing, the delay circuits DC0 and DC1 produce delay data strobe signals IDQS0 and IDQS1 delayed by delay times DT0 and DT1. Outputted as a reverse signal from the inverter INV0, is a reverse data strobe signal RIDQS0 in response to the delay data strobe signal IDQS0, and delayed by an allowable delay time IT. Inputted into the NAND gate ND0, are the reverse data strobe signal RIDQS0 and the delay data strobe signal IDQS1. When, in comparison with the phase of the delay data strobe signal IDQS0, the phase of the delay data strobe signal IDQS1 is delayed by the allowable delay time IT or more, a pulse signal PL0 is not outputted from the NAND gate ND0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Inventor: Yoshiharu Kato
  • Patent number: 7206246
    Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor memory device which reduces current consumption in a standby state owing to a suitable refresh-thinning-out function, and a refresh control method thereof. When the refresh-thinning-out function is added while a refresh operation and an external access operation are being executed independently of each other, a refresh address counter outputs a refresh address Add(C) and inputs predetermined high-order bits thereof to a refresh-thinning-out control as a high-order refresh address Add(C) (m), where judgment as to whether the refresh operation is performed, is made. A refresh permission signal RFEN corresponding to the result of judgment is inputted to a word driver to activate and control the word driver. The process of judgment by the refresh-thinning-out control circuit can be embedded in an access time of a row system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Masami Nakashima, Yoshiharu Kato, Kazufumi Komura
  • Patent number: 7158437
    Abstract: There is provided memory control device and memory control method, which can prevent wiring complication by many crossing wirings, and reduction of yield and quality. When a memory control device CC1 selects a memory chip CC2, an internal circuit of a select circuit 27 is changed by a switch signal SWS2. In this case, the changeover is made so that a select signal S2 outputted from an internal circuit 40 is inputted to a predetermined memory terminal of the memory chip CC2. The select signal S2 is inputted to the corresponding predetermined memory terminal of the memory chip CC2, and thereby, the memory chip CC2 is activated, and set to a state capable of inputting and outputting control signals 21 to 25. The control signals 21 to 25 are assigned to control terminals P21 to P27 after being hanged by the select circuit 27 in signal sequence corresponding to terminal array sequence of memory terminals 21a to 27a of the memory chip CC2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Yoshiharu Kato
  • Patent number: 7142468
    Abstract: It is intended to provide a control method of a semiconductor memory device and a semiconductor memory device capable of shortening pre-charge operation time that comes after termination of successive data access operation, namely, successive data read/write operation, without causing deterioration of restore voltage to memory cells and delay of initial data access time. An activated word line WL0 is deactivated with appropriate timing that is between time after bit line pairs (BL0 and /BL0, . . . BLN and /BLN) are differentially amplified up to full amplitude voltage level and time where column selecting lines CL0, . . . CLN are selected. That is, deactivation time ?A for the word line can be embedded in a period of successive data access operation. Pre-charge operation can be terminated within time that is a sum of deactivation time ?B of a sense amplifier and equalizing time ?C of the bit line pairs. Thereby, pre-charge period can be shortened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Kato, Satoru Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 7135882
    Abstract: It is intended to provide a semiconductor integrated circuit device permitting reading of information specific to chips within the mounted chips while restraining the increase in the total number of terminals of the package and enabling the area of circuits required for reading information specific to chips to be made smaller than that according to the prior art, and a control method therefor. The same terminal is used as the external terminal to which the pulse signals are inputted and the external terminal from which the chip-specific information is outputted. Also, the external terminal for inputting/outputting required power supply in the normal operation mode and the external terminal for reading chip-specific information in the information reading mode are used in common. The increase in the number of external terminals can be thereby restrained. Moreover, the counter unit is shared between functional circuits and the comparative decision unit. This can serve to restrain the increase in chip area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Yoshiharu Kato
  • Patent number: 7133996
    Abstract: A memory device for ensuring efficient access and reduction in current consumption. The memory device includes a plurality of memory cells arranged in accordance with a first address and a second address which define a logical address map indicating a logical shape of the memory array. An address map changing unit is operatively coupled to the memory array, for receiving a first address signal for generating the first address and a second address signal for generating the second address. The address map changing unit is capable of changing the logical address map by altering a part of one of the first address signal and the second address signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Shinichiro Ikeda, Yoshiharu Kato
  • Publication number: 20060226529
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a semiconductor device having an MCP (Multi Chip Package) structure in which a plurality of semiconductor chips are mounted in the same package, a manufacturing method therefor and a semiconductor substrate used therein. Atop a first semiconductor chip that is a memory chip is mounted a second semiconductor chip that is a logic chip, with a first functional chip and a second functional chip that together form the first semiconductor chip being joined together via an unsliced scribe line. Additionally, a first functional chip and a second functional chip are given the same chip composition (32-bit memory) and respectively rotated 180 degrees relative to each other. These configurations are intended to improve performance, reduce costs and improve yield.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2006
    Publication date: October 12, 2006
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Kato, Satoru Kawamoto, Fumihiko Taniguchi, Tetsuya Hiraoka, Akira Takashima
  • Patent number: 7042798
    Abstract: It is intended to provide a memory control device and memory control method capable of reducing charge/discharge current consumed while various commands are inputted to a semiconductor memory device and reducing occurrence of power noises. During periods TT1, TT2, and TT3 which are parts of a period tCKE in which a clock enable signal CKE is in active state, supply of a control clock SD_CLK from a memory control device 1 to a synchronous-type semiconductor memory device 12 can be stopped. Furthermore, in case an input of a data input/output period of an external command and that of refresh operation period of a refresh command RCMD overlap and an access region of the external command and that of the refresh command RCMD do not coincide, those commands are converted to control command signal SD_CMD in parallel, whereby parallel conversion processing operation can be conducted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Kato, Gen Tsukishiro, Yoshihiro Takemae