Patents Represented by Attorney Rockey, Depke & Lyons
  • Patent number: 8211740
    Abstract: To arrange diffusion-inhibitory films 5a, 5b, and 5c for inhibiting the diffusion of a wiring material absent in a region on or above a light receiving unit 2, the diffusion-inhibitory films 5a, 5b, and 5c formed on a region above the light receiving unit 2 are selectively removed. Alternatively, the diffusion-inhibitory films are arranged only on top surfaces of wirings 4a, 4b, and 4c, and only a passivation film 12 and interlayer insulating films 3a, 3b, and 3c are arranged in the region on or above the light receiving unit 2. Thus, with less interface between different insulation films and less reflection of incident light in an incident region, the incident light 13 highly efficiently passes through these insulating films and comes into the light receiving unit 2. The light receiving unit 2 can thereby receive a sufficient quantity of the incident light 13.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Ikuhiro Yamamura
  • Patent number: 8210641
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes an energy-generating element arranged on a semiconductor substrate, a barrier layer deposited on the semiconductor substrate for forming a liquid chamber in the periphery of the energy-generating element, and a nozzle sheet bonded on the barrier layer and having a nozzle formed at a position opposing the energy-generating element, in which the liquid ejection head ejects liquid contained in the liquid chamber from the nozzle as liquid droplets by the energy-generating element, and the barrier layer is provided with a plurality of depressions, each having an independent contour, arranged within a range, which is separated from the border of the barrier layer, on an adhesive region adhering to the nozzle sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Eguchi, Shogo Ono, Kazuyasu Takenaka, Atsushi Nakamura, Yuichiro Ikemoto, Shigeyoshi Hirashima, Atsushi Nakayama, Shota Nishi, Yuji Yakura, Shigeyoshi Fujiki, Manabu Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8212971
    Abstract: A polarizer capable of being manufactured in simple steps, and a method of manufacturing the polarizer, as well as a liquid crystal projector are provided. The polarizer includes a substrate having light permeability, and a plurality of linear projections being arranged on the substrate and extending along one direction within a plane thereof. Each of the linear projections having a base layer and a plating layer in the named order from the substrate, the base layer containing a catalyst material for electroless plating process, and the plating layer being deposited by using the base layer as a catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotsugu Ishihara, Masanobu Tanaka, Toshiki Shimamura, Takahiro Kamei
  • Patent number: 8212312
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a semiconductor device including: a first conductivity type semiconductor base body; a first conductivity type pillar region; second conductivity type pillar regions; element and termination regions provided in the first and second conductivity type pillar regions, transistors being formed in the element region, and no transistors being formed in the termination region; body regions; a gate insulating film; gate electrodes; source regions; and body potential extraction regions, wherein voids are formed in the second conductivity type pillar regions of the termination region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yuji Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8194094
    Abstract: An image display apparatus includes: an image display panel having a two-dimensional matrix with (P×Q) pixels each including first, second and third sub-pixels for displaying respective first, second and third elementary colors, and fourth sub-pixel for displaying a fourth color; and a signal processing section configured to receive first, second and third sub-pixel input signals respectively provided with signal values of x1-(p, q), x2-(p, q) and x3-(p, q), and to output first, second, third and fourth sub-pixel output signals respectively provided with signal values of X1-(p, q), X2-(p, q), X3-(p, q) and X4-(p, q), which used for determining the display gradations of the first, second, third, and fourth sub-pixels, respectively, with regard to a (p, q)th pixel where notations p and q are integers satisfying equations 1?p?P and 1?q?Q.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Sakaigawa, Yukiko Iijima, Amane Higashi, Koji Noguchi
  • Patent number: 8194163
    Abstract: There is used an XY address type solid-state image pickup element (for example, a MOS type image sensor) in which two rows and two columns are made a unit, and color filters having a color coding of repetition of the unit (repetition of two verticals (two horizontals) are arranged, and when a thinning-out read mode is specified, a clock frequency of a system is changed to 1/9, and on the basis of the changed clock frequency, a pixel is selected every three pixels in both a row direction and a column direction to successively read out a pixel signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Mabuchi, Koichi Shiono
  • Patent number: 8194517
    Abstract: A hologram recording and reproducing device controls an optical beam output from an external cavity semiconductor laser to improve a diffraction efficiency. The hologram recording and reproducing device includes an external cavity laser, a photodiode, a laser drive circuit and a laser diode controller. The external cavity laser has a laser diode adapted to emit an optical beam that is used to generate data light and reference light with which a hologram recording medium is irradiated. The photodiode detects the amount of the optical beam output from the external cavity laser. The laser drive circuit supplies a current to the external cavity laser. The laser diode controller controls the laser drive circuit to ensure that a value obtained by integrating the detected intensity of the optical beam with respect to time over a predetermined period is equal to predetermined recording energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Okada, Tomiji Tanaka, Takahiro Takeda
  • Patent number: 8189250
    Abstract: A recording/playback apparatus includes a light-generating and intensity-modulating section for generating signal light and reference light to be shined on a hologram recording medium and a phase modulating section for performing phase modulation on the signal light and the reference light on the basis of a pixel unit by using the first to nth phase modulation levels. For the phase modulation on the reference light, all pixels corresponding to the reference light are divided and set using random phase units, each having a predetermined pixel array pattern having at least two pixels, the number of pixels corresponding to each of the first to nth phase modulation levels in each random phase unit is common to the random phase units, and the array pattern of the pixels corresponding to the first to nth phase modulation levels is random for each random phase unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8188519
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device that includes: a pixel array section configured by an array of a unit pixel, including an optoelectronic conversion section that subjects an incoming light to optoelectronic conversion and stores therein a signal charge, a transfer transistor that transfers the signal charge stored in the optoelectronic conversion section, a charge-voltage conversion section that converts the signal charge provided by the transfer transistor into a signal voltage, and a reset transistor that resets a potential of the charge-voltage conversion section; and voltage setting means for setting a voltage of a well of the charge-voltage conversion section to be negative.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Fumihiko Koga
  • Patent number: 8179465
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device and a camera system are provided. The solid-state imaging device capable of performing an intermittent operation includes a pixel unit and a pixel signal readout unit for reading out a pixel signal from the pixel unit in units of a plurality of pixels for each column. The pixel signal readout circuit includes a plurality of comparators and a plurality of counters whose operations are controlled by outputs of the comparators. Each of the comparators includes an initializing switch for determining an operating point for each column at a start of row operation, and is configured so that an initialization signal to be applied to the initializing switch is controlled independently in parallel only a basic unit of the initialization signal used for a horizontal intermittent operation, and the initializing switch is held in an off-state at a start of non-operating row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Kenichi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8174271
    Abstract: Scanning rate in a capacitance change measuring circuit for a capacitive sensor device is enhanced. The circuit includes: an electrode drive section line-sequentially applying an input pulse signal to a plurality of columns of first electrode patterns in the capacitive sensor device; a peak hold circuit storing a peak level of a detection signal extracted from each column of second electrode patterns into a capacitive element as a corresponding potential; a current source initializing the potential in the capacitive element within one period of the input pulse signal; a comparator comparing the potential in the capacitive element with a reference value; and determination sections each determining whether or not an input operation using a human body or the like is executed, based on a timing information and a reference timing information, the timing information representing a timing when the potential held in the capacitive element crosses the reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hisato Hirasaka, Osamu Nakamura, Toshiyuki Hirose, Toshihiko Hirose, Hitoshi Ozawa, Akira Itou
  • Patent number: 8169527
    Abstract: Relative to an image processing apparatus that processes image data containing a distortion of an image pickup optical section, which is obtained by picking up an optical image from a subject through the image pickup optical section giving the distortion, an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, a program therefor, a recording medium in which the program is recorded, an image pickup apparatus, which are easily used by the user conveniently, are provided. A data output section (13d) outputs the image data of a display image that corresponds to a display mode by using a subject image whose selected region which indicates a part of a field of view represented by the image data is made identifiable and a distortion-corrected image of the selected region. A display mode setting section (13c) performs setting of the display mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shigemitsu Yamaoka, Ryo Kamiya
  • Patent number: 8164131
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes: a first semiconductor region having first conductivity; a channel formation region in which a channel inversion layer having second conductivity is formed; a second semiconductor region having the second conductivity; a third semiconductor region having the second conductivity; a laminated insulating film formed on the channel formation region; and a control electrode formed on the laminated insulating film. The laminated insulating film includes a first insulating film, a charge storage film, and a second insulating film in order from the channel formation region side. The control electrode extends to above one of the second semiconductor region and the third semiconductor region. The charge storage film present between an extended portion of the control electrode and the second semiconductor region or the third semiconductor region is removed and a portion where the charge storage film is removed is filled with a third insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toshio Kobayashi, Saori Hara
  • Patent number: 8159438
    Abstract: Liquid crystal display devices to suffer from low contrast at low temperatures because the frequency characteristics of the liquid crystal dielectric constant are degraded. An active matrix liquid crystal display device performs pre-charging in which a pre-charge signal Psig is written with a pre-charge switch before display signals are written to data lines of a display area with a dated driver. The pre-charge signal Psig is the gray-scale level as obtained when no voltage is applied to liquid crystal, such as a common voltage VCOM, thus increasing the contrast at low temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Nakajima, Masaki Murase
  • Patent number: 8157125
    Abstract: Improved solid pharmaceutical dispensing systems and methods provide direct transfer of doses from bulk blister packaging material. In a preferred embodiment, the invention comprises a positioning mechanism that alters the spacing between portions of a de-blister apparatus. The de-blister apparatus comprises a de-blister roller, cylinder or elongated cylindrical toothed gear which pushes against a first side of packaging material to remove individual doses from a conventional blister package. The apparatus may operate under manual or automatic control and preferably includes adjustable or movable package holding rollers which are preferably aligned with portions of packaging material between the rows of blister cavities at a side of the packaging material opposite the side at which the roller or cylinder is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: MTS Medication Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: David Schiff
  • Patent number: 8154535
    Abstract: An image generating unit of a display apparatus generates a determination image based on first and second light reception images obtained from light reception cells in a light-emission period and in a non-light-emission period, respectively. An image determining unit determines whether or not an image of an object to be detected is included in the determination image, stores data corresponding to the determination image as initial data into a storage when the object image is not included in the determination image, and stores the data corresponding to the determination image as detection data into the storage when the object image is included in the determination image. A position determining unit determines at least an object position based on an image represented by the detection data in the storage and an image represented by the initial data in the storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuru Tateuchi, Tsutomu Harada, Kazunori Yamaguchi, Ryoichi Tsuzaki
  • Patent number: 8152353
    Abstract: A surface emission apparatus includes a first light source for emitting invisible light rays; a second light source for emitting visible light rays; a light guide having a light entrance surface for entering therethrough into the light guide the invisible light rays emitted from the first light source and the visible light rays emitted from the second light source, and a light exit surface for emitting the invisible light rays and the visible light rays therethrough out of the light guide; and a plurality of optical devices disposed on a surface of the light guide which confronts the light exit surface, for scattering more of the invisible light rays than the visible light rays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Ying Bao Yang, Masaru Higuchi, Tsutomu Tanaka, Kazunori Yamaguchi, Masumitsu Ino
  • Patent number: 8146243
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a device-incorporated substrate as well as a printed circuit board. A transfer sheet is formed having a structure that includes two layers, a metal base material and a dissolvee metal layer and a conductor pattern is formed on the dissolvee metal layer by electroplating. After the transfer sheet on which the conductor pattern is formed is adhered onto an insulating base material, the transfer sheet is removed by separating the metal base material from the dissolvee metal layer and thereafter selectively dissolving and removing the dissolvee metal layer with respect to the conductor pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Asami, Ken Orui, Hidetoshi Kusano, Fumito Hiwatashi
  • Patent number: 8151015
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus that transfers information, using direct memory access (DMA), between a first storage section in an information processing system and a second storage section in an information transfer system. The information processing system includes the first storage section for storing the information, and a control section. The information transfer system includes: the second storage section for storing descriptor information indicating the location at which the information is stored in the first storage section and the size of the information; and a DMA transfer section for DMA transferring the information between the first storage section and the second storage section based on the descriptor information. The DMA transfer section DMA transfers the descriptor information concerning the DMA transferred information from the second storage section to the first storage section. The control section loads the descriptor information from the first storage section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Kano, Mitsuki Hinosugi, Masato Kajimoto, Yoichi Mizutani
  • Patent number: 8149302
    Abstract: A method of processing noise in image data by an image processor having a signal-processing portion converting an image signal from an image sensor into a digital signal and outputting the converted signal as image data for each frame, the image data indicating sets of pixel values each having a brightness at a corresponding one of coordinate points arranged in directions of rows and columns is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: extracting pixel values; deciding pixel value; finding autocorrelation coefficients of pixel values which are less than a first threshold value; and deciding random noise in the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Hoshino, Hirofumi Sumi