Patents by Inventor Atsushi Toda

Atsushi Toda 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: 10700132
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device that can achieve a high S/N ratio at a high sensitivity level without any decrease in resolution, and to an electronic apparatus. In the upper layer, the respective pixels of a photoelectric conversion unit that absorbs light of a first wavelength are tilted at approximately 45 degrees with respect to a square pixel array, and are two-dimensionally arranged in horizontal directions and vertical directions in an oblique array. The respective pixels of a photoelectric conversion unit that is sensitive to light of a second or third wavelength are arranged under the first photoelectric conversion unit. That is, pixels that are ?2 times as large in size (twice as large in area) and are rotated 45 degrees are arranged in an oblique array. The present disclosure can be applied to solid-state imaging devices that are used in imaging apparatuses, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi Toda
  • Patent number: 10676016
    Abstract: A vehicle-lamp control device includes a control unit that adjusts an optical axis with respect to a change in a total angle that includes a road surface angle and a vehicle attitude angle while the vehicle is at rest, and maintains the optical axis with respect to a change in the total angle while the vehicle is traveling. The control unit fixes the optical axis angle when a fault state of the control device is detected. Upon the control device having recovered from a fault state, the control unit generates an adjustment signal either upon estimating a current vehicle attitude angle on the basis of an output value from the tilt sensor obtained while the vehicle is traveling, or upon receiving a signal indicating a current vehicle attitude angle from an external device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masashi Yamazaki, Atsushi Toda
  • Patent number: 10681292
    Abstract: There is provided an imaging device, an electronic apparatus including an imaging device, and an automotive vehicle including an electronic apparatus including an imaging device, including: a first substrate including a first set of photoelectric conversion units; a second substrate including a second set of photoelectric conversion units; and an insulating layer between the first substrate and the second substrate; where the insulating layer has a capability to reflect a first wavelength range of light and transmit a second wavelength range of light that is longer than the first wavelength range of light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi Toda
  • Patent number: 10656315
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device, a method of manufacturing the same, and an electronic device capable of improving sensitivity in a certain wavelength band and at the same time reducing color mixture of light of other wavelength bands in a photoelectric conversion unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi Toda
  • Publication number: 20200144317
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a substrate and a photoelectric conversion region. The substrate has a charge accumulation region. The photoelectric conversion region is provided on the substrate. The photoelectric conversion region is configured to generate signal charges to be accumulated in the charge accumulation region. The photoelectric conversion region comprises a material that is not transparent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Toda, Teruo Hirayama
  • Publication number: 20200033519
    Abstract: To provide a sensor capable of enhancing reliability and image quality. There is provided a solid-state imaging device including a functional element, a spectroscopic element, a semiconductor substrate, and a photoelectric conversion element formed in the semiconductor substrate, in which the spectroscopic element is disposed between the functional element and the photoelectric conversion element, and the functional element corrects incident light to light in a direction substantially perpendicular to the photoelectric conversion element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventor: ATSUSHI TODA
  • Publication number: 20200013819
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device and an electronic apparatus that make it possible to estimate a normal vector to one direction with high accuracy with a simple configuration. A polarization image sensor includes a plurality of polarizers disposed on a chip and having different polarization directions, and a plurality of photoelectric conversion sections having light reception regions for receiving light transmitted through the polarizers, the light reception regions being symmetrical. The present disclosure can be applied, for example, to a polarization image sensor or the like that estimates a surface and a shape of an imaging object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Inventor: ATSUSHI TODA
  • Publication number: 20190384206
    Abstract: A developing apparatus, includes: a developer bearing member that is rotatable; an moving member configured to move the magnetic developer carried on the developer bearing member before the magnetic developer is restricted by a restricting member, the moving member being rotatable and brought into contact with a surface of the developer bearing member; and a control portion, wherein, at a contact position between the developer bearing member and the moving member, assuming that a moving speed vector of a surface of the developer bearing member is taken as R and a moving speed vector of a surface of the moving member is taken as r, the control portion controls rotational operation of the developer bearing member and the moving member such that a direction of a vector R?r during image formation and a direction of a vector R?r during non-image formation be opposite to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: Masahito Kato, Hirokazu Fujino, Naoki Fukushima, Atsushi Toda, Daisuke Baba, Yosuke Kishi, Masaki Hirose
  • Patent number: 10497727
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a substrate and a photoelectric conversion region. The substrate has a charge accumulation region. The photoelectric conversion region is provided on the substrate. The photoelectric conversion region is configured to generate signal charges to be accumulated in the charge accumulation region. The photoelectric conversion region comprises a material that is not transparent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Toda, Teruo Hirayama
  • Publication number: 20190361370
    Abstract: A developing apparatus, includes: a developer bearing member that encloses a magnet roller having a plurality of magnetic poles and is rotatable; a wall that forms a developer storing chamber for storing a magnetic developer therein; a restricting member configured to restrict a layer thickness of the magnetic developer carried by the developer bearing member; and a moving member configured to move the magnetic developer carried by the developer bearing member before the magnetic developer is restricted by the restricting member, the moving member being brought into contact with a surface of the developer bearing member, the moved developer being on the developer veering member after the moving member moved the developer on the developer bearing member, wherein the moving member is disposed at a position opposed to any of the magnetic pole positions of the plurality of magnetic poles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Inventors: Hirokazu Fujino, Naoki Fukushima, Atsushi Toda, Daisuke Baba, Yosuke Kishi, Masahito Kato, Masaki Hirose
  • Patent number: 10475831
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state image sensing device for preventing a reduction in light receiving sensitivity of an avalanche photodiode, an electronic device, and a method for manufacturing the solid-state image sensing device. A solid-state image sensing device includes an avalanche photodiode having a first region of a first conductive type, a second region of a second conductive type different from the first conductive type, and an avalanche region sandwiched between the first region and the second region, which extend in a thickness direction of a semiconductor substrate, and a film formed on at least one side of the semiconductor substrate and including a metal oxide film, a metal nitride film, or a mix crystal-based film of metal oxide film and metal nitride film. The present technology can be applied to CMOS image sensors, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Susumu Inoue, Yuhi Yorikado, Atsushi Toda
  • Patent number: 10444671
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an agitating member, a first electrode, a second electrode disposed with a gap from the first electrode such that the gap has a smallest portion located below a rotation center of the agitating member and a remote portion wider than the smallest portion and located above the smallest portion, and a frame body having a first wall surface having the first electrode disposed thereon and a second wall surface having the second electrode disposed thereon, and a developer detecting unit configured to detect an amount of developer from an output value output in accordance with a capacitance formed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The image forming apparatus performs correction and detects the amount of developer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenta Shibukawa, Masahito Kato, Atsushi Toda, Taku Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10403662
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging element and an electronic apparatus capable of suppressing color mixing and sensitivity reduction in each of pixels of a solid-state imaging element having a vertical spectral structure. A solid-state imaging element according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a solid-state imaging element including a vertical spectral structure pixel containing a plurality of photoelectric conversion units stacked in layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi Toda
  • Patent number: 10401619
    Abstract: An imaging device includes: a photoelectric conversion unit; and a correction unit that corrects the angle of light incident on the photoelectric conversion unit, the correction unit being located on the side of the light incident on the photoelectric conversion unit. The correction unit has a curved surface, and the surface shape of the curved surface is a spherical surface. The surface shape is a shape according to a predetermined equation involving the radius of the spherical surface, the distance from the center of the optical axis of the imaging plane to the edge of the imaging plane, and the refractive index of the material forming the correction unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi Toda
  • Publication number: 20190252447
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device, a driving method for the same, and an electronic appliance, and an object is to provide a solid-state imaging device that can achieve the pixel miniaturization and the global shutter function with higher sensitivity and saturated charge amount. Another object is to provide an electronic appliance including the solid-state imaging device. In a solid-state imaging device 1 having the global shutter function, a first charge accumulation unit 18 and a second charge accumulation unit 25 are stacked in the depth direction of a substrate 12, and the transfer of the signal charges from the first charge accumulation unit 12 to the second charge accumulation unit 25 is conducted by a vertical first transfer transistor Tr1. Thus, the pixel miniaturization can be achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Inventor: ATSUSHI TODA
  • Publication number: 20190244993
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state image pickup device and a method of manufacture, and an electronic device capable of suppressing occurrence of a transmission wavelength shift with a simpler design. The solid-state image pickup device includes a multilayer film filter having a laminated structure in which a transmission wavelength adjustment layer is sandwiched between a first multilayer film layer and a second multilayer film layer. Furthermore, the transmission wavelength adjustment layer is formed such that at least two types of dielectrics having different refractive indexes mixedly exist, and an effective refractive index is determined according to a ratio of the mixture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Inventors: TETSUJI YAMAGUCHI, ATSUSHI TODA
  • Publication number: 20190198548
    Abstract: To improve detection efficiency in a solid-state imaging element including a SPAD in which an electrode and wiring are placed in a central portion. A solid-state imaging element includes a photodiode and a light collecting section. The photodiode includes a light receiving surface and an electrode placed on the light receiving surface, and that outputs an electrical signal in accordance with light incident on the light receiving surface in a state where a voltage exceeding a breakdown voltage is applied to the electrode. The light collecting section causes light from a subject to be collected in the light receiving surface other than a region where the electrode is placed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Applicant: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuhi YORIKADO, Atsushi TODA, Susumu INOUE
  • Publication number: 20190189696
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a pixel array part having a plurality of pixels are two-dimensionally arranged, in which each pixel has a first photoelectric conversion region formed above a semiconductor layer, a second photoelectric conversion region formed in the semiconductor layer, a first filter configured to transmit a light in a predetermined wavelength region corresponding to a color component, and a second filter having different transmission characteristics from the first filter, one photoelectric conversion region out of the first photoelectric conversion region and the second photoelectric conversion region photoelectrically converts a light in a visible light region, the other photoelectric conversion region photoelectrically converts a light in an infrared region, the first filter is formed above the first photoelectric conversion region, and the second filter has transmission characteristics of making wavelengths of light in an infrared region absorbed in the other photoelectric conve
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuji YAMAGUCHI, Atsushi TODA, Itaru OSHIYAMA
  • Patent number: 10283544
    Abstract: To improve detection efficiency in a solid-state imaging element including a SPAD in which an electrode and wiring are placed in a central portion. A solid-state imaging element includes a photodiode and a light collecting section. The photodiode includes a light receiving surface and an electrode placed on the light receiving surface, and that outputs an electrical signal in accordance with light incident on the light receiving surface in a state where a voltage exceeding a breakdown voltage is applied to the electrode. The light collecting section causes light from a subject to be collected in the light receiving surface other than a region where the electrode is placed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Yuhi Yorikado, Atsushi Toda, Susumu Inoue
  • Patent number: 10284758
    Abstract: There is provided a light receiving and emitting device including: a light receiving and emitting unit configured to have a plurality of pixels that receive light and perform photoelectric conversion through which an electric signal corresponding to an amount of the light is output and a plurality of light emitting units that emit light, the two or more light emitting units being disposed for every two or more pixels; an imaging optical system configured to form an image on the pixels of the light receiving and emitting unit; and a control unit configured to independently control light emission of the plurality of respective light emitting units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi Toda