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).

  • Publication number: 20140306182
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a first electrode, a second electrode disposed opposing to the first electrode, and a photoelectric conversion layer, which is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode and in which narrow gap semiconductor quantum dots are dispersed in a conductive layer, wherein one electrode of the first electrode and the second electrode is formed from a transparent electrode and the other electrode is formed from a metal electrode or a transparent electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Inventor: Atsushi Toda
  • Publication number: 20140291791
    Abstract: Provided is a solid state imaging apparatus including a transparent substrate formed of a birefringent material having a high refractive index in a direction vertical to a light receiving surface and a low refractive index in a direction parallel to the light receiving surface, the transparent substrate being disposed on the light receiving surface, and an electronic device including the solid state imaging apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi Toda
  • Patent number: 8838343
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp controller, a vehicle lamp system, and a vehicle lamp control method are provided. The vehicle lamp system includes an acceleration sensor, a vehicle lamp, and the vehicle controller. The controller includes a receiver configured to receive an acceleration information detected by the acceleration sensor, a control unit configured to derive a vehicle longitudinal direction acceleration and a vehicle vertical direction acceleration from the acceleration information, and to generate a control signal for instructing an adjustment of an optical axis of the vehicle lamp, based on a variation in a ratio between a temporal change amount of the vehicle longitudinal direction acceleration and a temporal change amount of the vehicle vertical direction acceleration during at least one of an acceleration and a deceleration of a vehicle, and a transmitter configured to transmit the control signal to an optical axis adjusting portion of the vehicle lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masashi Yamazaki, Atsushi Toda
  • Patent number: 8814402
    Abstract: A control device (100) for controlling a vehicle lamp (210) provided in a vehicle is provided. The device includes: a receiver (102) configured to receive an acceleration signal representing an acceleration of the vehicle, from an acceleration sensor configured to detect the acceleration of the vehicle, wherein an inclination angle (?) of the vehicle with respect to a horizontal plane is calculated based on the acceleration signal; a controller (104) configured to: i) generate a first control signal instructing the vehicle lamp to adjust an optical axis of the vehicle lamp in response to a change of the acceleration signal, when the vehicle has already stopped; and ii) generate a second signal instructing the vehicle lamp to maintain the optical axis of the vehicle lamp, when the vehicle is traveling on a road surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masashi Yamazaki, Atsushi Toda
  • Patent number: 8803126
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a first electrode, a second electrode disposed opposing to the first electrode, and a photoelectric conversion layer, which is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode and in which narrow gap semiconductor quantum dots are dispersed in a conductive layer, wherein one electrode of the first electrode and the second electrode is formed from a transparent electrode and the other electrode is formed from a metal electrode or a transparent electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi Toda
  • Publication number: 20140156150
    Abstract: A control apparatus of a vehicular lamp includes: a reference information retaining portion configured to retain reference information indicative of a positional relationship of an acceleration sensor axis, a vehicle axis, and a road surface, wherein the reference information is obtained in a predetermined initialization process; a correction ratio generating portion configured to, after the initialization process, calculate an acceleration ratio of an amount of change in a longitudinal acceleration to an amount of change in vertical acceleration of the vehicle while traveling, and derive a correction ratio for correcting a positional relationship of the road surface and at least one of the acceleration sensor axis and the vehicle axis in the reference information, using the obtained acceleration ratio; and a control portion configured to output a signal for adjusting an optical axis position of the vehicular lamp, using the acceleration ratio, the reference information, and the correction ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke KASABA, Masashi YAMAZAKI, Kazuo GOTO, Atsushi TODA
  • Patent number: 8729803
    Abstract: A vehicle head lamp light distribution controller includes an ADB controller configured to: detect a position of a vehicle present ahead of a subject vehicle; determine whether the vehicle ahead of the subject vehicle is a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle; set a threshold vehicle position based on whether the vehicle ahead of the subject vehicle is a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle; compare the threshold vehicle position and the detected vehicle position; and switch light distribution of head lamps of the subject vehicle based on the comparison between the threshold vehicle position and the detected vehicle position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Yamazaki, Yutaka Nakanishi, Atsushi Toda
  • Patent number: 8728771
    Abstract: The present invention provides a L-succinylacylase consisting of: (a) a protein coded by a gene consisting of a nucleic acid sequence shown in SEQ ID No: 1; (b) a protein consisting of an amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID No: 2; (c) a protein coded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes under a stringent condition with a nucleic acid sequence which is complementary to the nucleic acid sequence shown in SEQ ID No: 1 and having an L-succinylaminoacylase activity; or (d) a protein which consists of an amino acid sequence where one or several amino acid(s) is/are substituted, deleted, inserted and/or added in the protein consisting of the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID No: 2 and has an L-succinylaminoacylase activity. This enzyme is able to produce a sterically bulky unnatural amino acid such as L-tert-leucine etc. which is useful as an intermediate for pharmaceuticals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignees: Toyo Boseki Kabushiki Kaisha, Sekisui Medical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Toda, Sachio Iwai, Yoshiaki Nishiya, Shinya Kumagai
  • Publication number: 20140103477
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device with a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels with photoelectric conversion films are arrayed and pixel isolation portions are interposed between the plurality of pixels. The photoelectric conversion film is a chalcopyrite-structure compound semiconductor composed of a copper-aluminum-gallium-indium-sulfur-selenium based mixed crystal or a copper-aluminum-gallium-indium-zinc-sulfur-selenium based mixed crystal, and is disposed on a silicon substrate in such a way as to lattice-match the silicon substrate concerned. The pixel isolation portion is a compound semiconductor subjected to doping concentration control or composition control so as to become a potential barrier between the photoelectric conversion films.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi Toda
  • Publication number: 20140098280
    Abstract: A solid-state image-taking apparatus which have a solid-state image-taking device includes a chip of the solid-state image-taking device, an imaging lens configured to focus incoming light into an image on the solid-state image-taking device, and a material of a refraction index larger than 1, which is arranged between the chip and the imaging lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi TODA
  • Publication number: 20140077326
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a photoelectric transformation portion and a micro lens, the micro lens has a first refractive index layer which is a first refractive index and a second refractive index layer which is a second refractive index different from the first refractive index, wherein the micro lens is configured so that a vertical cross section, which is a surface perpendicular to the capturing surface, has a rectangular shape, wherein each of the first refractive index layer and the second refractive index layer are arranged adjacent to each other in a direction along the capturing surface, and an interface between the first refractive index layer and the second refractive index layer in the vertical cross section is formed so as to follow a direction perpendicular to the capturing surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasunori Koshino, Atsushi Toda, Yoichi Otsuka
  • Publication number: 20140061439
    Abstract: There is provided a solid-state imaging device including a photoelectric conversion unit, and a reflecting plate that includes a first portion that is provided on a side opposing a light incidence side with respect to the photoelectric conversion unit and formed at a center of a region in which light beams are collected, and a second portion that is formed on a boundary of adjacent regions to be convex on the incidence side with respect to the first portion, and collects reflected light beams within the regions by generating a phase difference between reflected light beams on the first portion and reflected light beams on the second portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi Toda
  • Patent number: 8665363
    Abstract: A solid-state image device includes a silicon substrate, and a photoelectric conversion layer arranged on the silicon substrate and lattice-matched to the silicon substrate, the photoelectric conversion layer being composed of a chalcopyrite-based compound semiconductor of a copper-aluminum-gallium-indium-sulfur-selenium-based mixed crystal or a copper-aluminum-gallium-indium-zinc-sulfur-selenium-based mixed crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi Toda
  • Patent number: 8648436
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device is provided with a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels including photoelectric conversion films are arrayed and pixel isolation portions are interposed between the plurality of pixels, wherein the photoelectric conversion film is a chalcopyrite-structure compound semiconductor composed of a copper-aluminum-gallium-indium-sulfur-selenium based mixed crystal or a copper-aluminum-gallium-indium-zinc-sulfur-selenium based mixed crystal and is disposed on a silicon substrate in such a way as to lattice-match the silicon substrate concerned, and the pixel isolation portion is formed from a compound semiconductor subjected to doping concentration control or composition control in such a way as to become a potential barrier between the photoelectric conversion films disposed in accordance with the plurality of pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi Toda
  • Publication number: 20140009662
    Abstract: A physical information acquisition method in which a corresponding wavelength region of visible light with at least one visible light detection unit coupled to an image signal processing unit is detected, each said visible light detection unit comprising a color filter adapted to transmit the corresponding wavelength region of visible light; a wavelength region of infrared light with at least one infrared light detection unit coupled to the image signal processing unit is detected; and, with the signal processing unit, a first signal received from the at least one visible light detection unit by subtracting a product from said first signal is corrected, said product resulting from multiplication of a second signal received from the at least one infrared light detection unit and a predetermined coefficient factor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: Atsushi Toda, Genta Sato
  • Patent number: 8619176
    Abstract: A solid-state image-taking apparatus which have a solid-state image-taking device includes a chip of the solid-state image-taking device, an imaging lens configured to focus incoming light into an image on the solid-state image-taking device, and a material of a refraction index larger than 1, which is arranged between the chip and the imaging lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi Toda
  • Publication number: 20130334494
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a first electrode, a second electrode disposed opposing to the first electrode, and a photoelectric conversion layer, which is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode and in which narrow gap semiconductor quantum dots are dispersed in a conductive layer, wherein one electrode of the first electrode and the second electrode is formed from a transparent electrode and the other electrode is formed from a metal electrode or a transparent electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi Toda
  • Patent number: 8610807
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a photoelectric transformation portion and a micro lens, the micro lens has a first refractive index layer which is a first refractive index and a second refractive index layer which is a second refractive index different from the first refractive index, wherein the micro lens is configured so that a vertical cross section, which is a surface perpendicular to the capturing surface, has a rectangular shape, wherein each of the first refractive index layer and the second refractive index layer are arranged adjacent to each other in a direction along the capturing surface, and an interface between the first refractive index layer and the second refractive index layer in the vertical cross section is formed so as to follow a direction perpendicular to the capturing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasunori Koshino, Atsushi Toda, Yoichi Otsuka
  • Publication number: 20130327927
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a light sensing portion which is formed on a substrate and generates a signal electric charge according to incident light; a rectangular or gradient-index on-chip micro lens formed on a light incident side above the light sensing portion; and a planarized lens layer which covers the on-chip micro lens and is formed in such a manner that a light incident surface is planarized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiromi Wano, Atsushi Toda, Yoichi Otsuka, Atsushi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20130308326
    Abstract: There is provided a control device for controlling a vehicle lamp. The device includes: a receiver configured to receive an output value from an inclination sensor; and a controller configured to control an optical axis of the vehicle lamp based on a vehicle attitude angle that is an inclination angle of the vehicle with respect to a road surface. The controller is configured to control the optical axis in a first optical axis control mode or a second optical axis mode, wherein an optical axis angle of the optical axis is adjusted in accordance with the vehicle attitude angle in the first optical axis mode, and the second optical axis control mode is different from the first optical axis control mode. The controller controls the optical axis in the second optical axis control mode, when the vehicle attitude angle is not included in a predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke KASABA, Masashi YAMAZAKI, Kazuo GOTO, Atsushi TODA