Patents by Inventor Yoshihiro Niwa

Yoshihiro Niwa 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: 9356545
    Abstract: An amount of a motor drive current is controlled to an appropriate value. Two coils are provided, and a rotor is rotated by the coils by setting different phases for the supplied currents to the two coils. During a phase where one of the coils is in a high-impedance state, an induced voltage generated in the coil is detected. According to the state of the induced voltage, an output control circuit controls the amounts of the motor drive currents supplied to the two coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Kosaku Hioki, Kazumasa Takai, Takeshi Naganuma, Yoshihiro Niwa
  • Patent number: 8604744
    Abstract: When a driver unit is in a high impedance state as viewed from a first coil or a second coil, an induced voltage detector detects the voltage across the first coil or that across the second coil so as to detect an induced voltage occurring in the first coil or the second coil. The induced voltage detector includes a differential amplifier circuit for differentially amplifying an electric potential across the first coil or that across the second coil, and an analog-to-digital converter circuit for converting an analog value outputted from the differential amplifier circuit into a digital value and outputting the converted digital value to a control unit. The control unit generates a drive signal based on an input signal set externally and adjusts the drive signal in accordance with the induced voltage detected by the induced voltage detector so as to set the adjusted drive signal in the driver unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignees: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC, Sanyo Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumasa Takai, Takeshi Naganuma, Kosaku Hioki, Yoshihiro Niwa
  • Publication number: 20130307454
    Abstract: An amount of a motor drive current is controlled to an appropriate value. Two coils are provided, and a rotor is rotated by the coils by setting different phases for the supplied currents to the two coils. During a phase where one of the coils is in a high-impedance state, an induced voltage generated in the coil is detected. According to the state of the induced voltage, an output control circuit controls the amounts of the motor drive currents supplied to the two coils.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Kosaku Hioki, Kazumasa Takai, Takeshi Naganuma, Yoshihiro Niwa
  • Patent number: 8497653
    Abstract: An amount of a motor drive current is controlled to an appropriate value. Two coils are provided, and a rotor is rotated by the coils by setting different phases for the supplied currents to the two coils. During a phase where one of the coils is in a high-impedance state, an induced voltage generated in the coil is detected. According to the state of the induced voltage, an output control circuit controls the amounts of the motor drive currents supplied to the two coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Kosaku Hioki, Kazumasa Takai, Takeshi Naganuma, Yoshihiro Niwa
  • Patent number: 8179081
    Abstract: A stepping motor includes two coils and has supply currents to the two coils with different phases so that a rotor is rotated by the two coils. During a period where one coil is in a high impedance state, an induced voltage generated at that coil is detected. An output control circuit controls the magnitude of motor drive current supplied to the two coils in accordance with the detected induced voltage state. Then, prior to entering the high impedance state from the drive state, a short-circuit period is provided for short circuiting both terminals of the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignees: Sanyo Semiconductror Co., Ltd., Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Niwa, Kazumasa Takai, Toshiyuki Shutoku, Takeshi Naganuma, Tomofumi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20110156631
    Abstract: When a driver unit is in a high impedance state as viewed from a first coil or a second coil, an induced voltage detector detects the voltage across the first coil or that across the second coil so as to detect an induced voltage occurring in the first coil or the second coil. The induced voltage detector includes a differential amplifier circuit for differentially amplifying an electric potential across the first coil or that across the second coil, and an analog-to-digital converter circuit for converting an analog value outputted from the differential amplifier circuit into a digital value and outputting the converted digital value to a control unit. The control unit generates a drive signal based on an input signal set externally and adjusts the drive signal in accordance with the induced voltage detected by the induced voltage detector so as to set the adjusted drive signal in the driver unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Inventors: Kazumasa TAKAI, Takeshi Naganuma, Kosaku Hioki, Yoshihiro Niwa
  • Publication number: 20100289444
    Abstract: A stepping motor includes two coils and has supply currents to the two coils with different phases so that a rotor is rotated by the two coils. During a period where one coil is in a high impedance state, an induced voltage generated at that coil is detected. An output control circuit controls the magnitude of motor drive current supplied to the two coils in accordance with the detected induced voltage state. Then, prior to entering the high impedance state from the drive state, a short-circuit period is provided for short circuiting both terminals of the coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Niwa, Kazumasa Takai, Toshiyuki Shutoku, Takeshi Naganuma, Tomofumi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20100188036
    Abstract: An amount of a motor drive current is controlled to an appropriate value. Two coils are provided, and a rotor is rotated by the coils by setting different phases for the supplied currents to the two coils. During a phase where one of the coils is in a high-impedance state, an induced voltage generated in the coil is detected. According to the state of the induced voltage, an output control circuit controls the amounts of the motor drive currents supplied to the two coils.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Inventors: Kosaku Hioki, Kazumasa Takai, Takeshi Naganuma, Yoshihiro Niwa