Patents by Inventor Isao Hirota

Isao Hirota 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: 11252360
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state image pickup device and an electronic apparatus by which a phase-difference detection pixel that avoids defects such as lowering of sensitivity to incident light and lowering of phase-difference detection accuracy can be realized. A solid-state image pickup device as a first aspect of the present disclosure is a solid-state image pickup device in which a normal pixel that generates a pixel signal of an image and a phase-difference detection pixel that generates a pixel signal used in calculation of a phase-difference signal for controlling an image-surface phase difference AF function are arranged in a mixed manner, in which, in the phase-difference detection pixel, a shared on-chip lens for condensing incident light to a photoelectric converter that generates a pixel signal used in calculation of the phase-difference signal is formed for every plurality of adjacent phase-difference detection pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Sozo Yokogawa, Isao Hirota
  • Publication number: 20220034391
    Abstract: A gear device drivingly coupling a drive shaft with first and second axles is provided with a case coupled via gearing with the drive shaft, and rotatable about an axis; a hub that is couplable with the first axle; a clutch member retained by the case and disengageably engaged with the hub; a biasing element retaining the clutch member at a position where the clutch member engages with the hub; and a differential gear set coupling the case via gearing with the first and second axles and locked by the clutch member to prevent differential motion between the first axle and the second axle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Isao Hirota, Noboru Higano, Manabu Endou, Kazuhiro Ohashi, Shungo Numabe
  • Patent number: 11140342
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state image pickup device and an electronic apparatus by which a phase-difference detection pixel that avoids defects such as lowering of sensitivity to incident light and lowering of phase-difference detection accuracy can be realized. A solid-state image pickup device as a first aspect of the present disclosure is a solid-state image pickup device in which a normal pixel that generates a pixel signal of an image and a phase-difference detection pixel that generates a pixel signal used in calculation of a phase-difference signal for controlling an image-surface phase difference AF function are arranged in a mixed manner, in which, in the phase-difference detection pixel, a shared on-chip lens for condensing incident light to a photoelectric converter that generates a pixel signal used in calculation of the phase-difference signal is formed for every plurality of adjacent phase-difference detection pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Sozo Yokogawa, Isao Hirota
  • Publication number: 20210293316
    Abstract: A differential device is provided with a casing rotatable about an axis, a differential gear set coupled therewith including a pinion gear with a pressure angle (a4) and side gears in mesh therewith, output members respectively mediating torque transmission from the side gears to axles, each of which includes a friction face as a friction clutch for limiting the differential motion, dog teeth, and an oblique face forming an angle (a1) and constituting a cam for operating the friction clutch, a clutch member axially movable for functioning as a clutch to lock the differential motion and including a leg having a side face forming an angle (a2) to function as a cam and movable dog teeth each forming an angle (a3) satisfying an inequality a2?a3; and an actuator capable of driving the clutch member toward a position where the movable dog teeth mesh with the dog teeth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Isao Hirota, Manabu Endou, Masato Horiguchi
  • Patent number: 11050955
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device, a method for driving the solid-state imaging device, and an electronic apparatus, the solid-state imaging device being capable of expanding the dynamic range without deteriorating the image quality. The solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array section having a plurality of unit pixels and a drive section. Each of the unit pixels includes a first photoelectric conversion section, a second photoelectric conversion section which is less sensitive than the first photoelectric conversion section, a charge storage section configured to store charges generated by the second photoelectric conversion section, a charge-voltage conversion section, a first transfer gate section configured to transfer charges from the first photoelectric conversion section, and a second transfer gate section configured to combine the potential of the charge-voltage conversion section with the potential of the charge storage section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yorito Sakano, Isao Hirota, Motonobu Torii, Masaaki Takizawa, Junichiro Azami, Motohashi Yuichi, Atsushi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11006059
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an imaging device, a driving method, and an electronic apparatus that can capture an image with a higher dynamic range. The imaging device includes a pixel region in which pixels are arranged, the pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit that converts incident light into electric charges through electric conversion and stores the electric charges, and two or more charge storage units that store the electric charges transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit; and a drive unit that drives the pixels. The drive unit drives each pixel to cause the photoelectric conversion unit to repeatedly transfer electric charges with different exposure times to the two or more charge storage units during the light reception period of one frame. The present technology can be applied to an imaging device capable of capturing an HDR image, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Isao Hirota
  • Patent number: 10781904
    Abstract: A differential apparatus includes a differential device, and a differential restricting portion configured to restrict a differential operation of the differential device. The differential device includes a differential case which is rotatably disposed, a differential gear which is rotatable while being supported by the differential case and revolves by rotation of the differential case, and a pair of output gears which are meshed with the differential gear and are rotatable relative to each other. The output gears include a gear member provided with a gear portion, and an output member including an output portion configured to output a driving force inputted to the output gears. A cam portion is provided between the gear member and the output member. The differential restricting portion is provided between the differential case and the output member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: GKN Automotive Ltd.
    Inventors: Isao Hirota, Yousuke Kawai, Noboru Higano, Kazutaka Kawata
  • Patent number: 10728477
    Abstract: There are provided a solid-state image pickup device and a camera system that include no useless pixel arrangement and are capable of suppressing decrease in resolution caused by adopting stereo function. A pixel array section including a plurality of pixels arranged in an array is included. Each of the plurality of pixels has a photoelectric conversion function. Each of the plurality of pixels in the pixel array section includes a first pixel section and a second pixel section. The first pixel section includes at least a light receiving function. The second pixel section includes at least a function to detect electric charge that has been subjected to photoelectric conversion. The first and second pixel sections are formed in a laminated state. Further, the first pixel section is formed to have an arrangement in a state shifted in a direction different from first and second directions that are used as references. The second direction is orthogonal to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Isao Hirota
  • Publication number: 20200236308
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an imaging device, a driving method, and an electronic apparatus that can capture an image with a higher dynamic range. The imaging device includes a pixel region in which pixels are arranged, the pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit that converts incident light into electric charges through electric conversion and stores the electric charges, and two or more charge storage units that store the electric charges transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit; and a drive unit that drives the pixels. The drive unit drives each pixel to cause the photoelectric conversion unit to repeatedly transfer electric charges with different exposure times to the two or more charge storage units during the light reception period of one frame. The present technology can be applied to an imaging device capable of capturing an HDR image, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventor: ISAO HIROTA
  • Patent number: 10704612
    Abstract: A cam mechanism used is provided with: a cam ring forming a circle around an axis and including a plurality of cam faces arranged circumferentially on a face of the circle facing in an axial direction, each of the cam faces sloping in a circumferential direction relative to a circumferential face perpendicular to the axis; a pressure ring adjacent axially to the face of the cam ring and including a plurality of cam faces opposed to the face of the cam ring and respectively symmetrical to the plurality of cam faces of the cam ring, the pressure ring being rotatable relatively to the cam ring about the axis; and a plurality of taper rollers interposed between the cam ring and the pressure ring, each of the taper rollers including a conical face tapering radially inwardly and capable of rolling on the cam faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: GKN Automotive Ltd.
    Inventors: Isao Hirota, Manabu Endou, Atsushi Maruyama
  • Patent number: 10674100
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an imaging device, a driving method, and an electronic apparatus that can capture an image with a higher dynamic range. The imaging device includes a pixel region in which pixels are arranged, the pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit that converts incident light into electric charges through electric conversion and stores the electric charges, and two or more charge storage units that store the electric charges transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit, and a drive unit that drives the pixels. The drive unit drives each pixel to cause the photoelectric conversion unit to repeatedly transfer electric charges with different exposure times to the two or more charge storage units during the light reception period of one frame. The present technology can be applied to an imaging device capable of capturing an HDR image, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Isao Hirota
  • Publication number: 20200162661
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device and electronic equipment that enable improvement of image quality of a captured image. In the solid-state imaging device, two or more photoelectric conversion layers including a photoelectric converter and a charge detector are laminated. The solid-state imaging device is configured to include a state in which light having entered one pixel of a first photoelectric conversion layer closer to an optical lens is received by the photoelectric converter of a plurality of pixels of the second photoelectric conversion layer farther from the optical lens. The technology of the present disclosure can be applied to, for example, a solid-state imaging device that performs imaging.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Applicant: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Isao HIROTA
  • Publication number: 20200145595
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state image pickup device and an electronic apparatus by which a phase-difference detection pixel that avoids defects such as lowering of sensitivity to incident light and lowering of phase-difference detection accuracy can be realized. A solid-state image pickup device as a first aspect of the present disclosure is a solid-state image pickup device in which a normal pixel that generates a pixel signal of an image and a phase-difference detection pixel that generates a pixel signal used in calculation of a phase-difference signal for controlling an image-surface phase difference AF function are arranged in a mixed manner, in which, in the phase-difference detection pixel, a shared on-chip lens for condensing incident light to a photoelectric converter that generates a pixel signal used in calculation of the phase-difference signal is formed for every plurality of adjacent phase-difference detection pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Sozo Yokogawa, Isao Hirota
  • Patent number: 10594961
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid state imaging device, a drive control method therefor, an image processing method, and an electronic apparatus capable of achieving both generation of a pixel signal with a high dynamic range and generation of phase difference information. A pixel array unit of the solid state imaging device is configured such that a plurality of pixels each having the same light receiving region is arranged in a matrix, and light that has entered a single microlens enters the plurality of pixels adjacent to each other. In addition, a first pixel and a second pixel included in the plurality of pixels below the microlens of the pixel array unit are set to have a sensitivity difference. The technique of the present disclosure can be applied to, for example, a solid state imaging device or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Isao Hirota, Masao Matsumura
  • Patent number: 10587829
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state image pickup device and an electronic apparatus by which a phase-difference detection pixel that avoids defects such as lowering of sensitivity to incident light and lowering of phase-difference detection accuracy can be realized. A solid-state image pickup device as a first aspect of the present disclosure is a solid-state image pickup device in which a normal pixel that generates a pixel signal of an image and a phase-difference detection pixel that generates a pixel signal used in calculation of a phase-difference signal for controlling an image-surface phase difference AF function are arranged in a mixed manner, in which, in the phase-difference detection pixel, a shared on-chip lens for condensing incident light to a photoelectric converter that generates a pixel signal used in calculation of the phase-difference signal is formed for every plurality of adjacent phase-difference detection pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Sozo Yokogawa, Isao Hirota
  • Publication number: 20200059615
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device, a method for driving the solid-state imaging device, and an electronic apparatus, the solid-state imaging device being capable of expanding the dynamic range without deteriorating the image quality. The solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array section having a plurality of unit pixels and a drive section. Each of the unit pixels includes a first photoelectric conversion section, a second photoelectric conversion section which is less sensitive than the first photoelectric conversion section, a charge storage section configured to store charges generated by the second photoelectric conversion section, a charge-voltage conversion section, a first transfer gate section configured to transfer charges from the first photoelectric conversion section, and a second transfer gate section configured to combine the potential of the charge-voltage conversion section with the potential of the charge storage section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yorito SAKANO, Isao HIROTA, Motonobu TORII, Masaaki TAKIZAWA, Junichiro AZAMI, Motohashi YUICHI, Atsushi SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 10554874
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device and electronic equipment that enable improvement of image quality of a captured image. In the solid-state imaging device, two or more photoelectric conversion layers including a photoelectric converter and a charge detector are laminated. The solid-state imaging device is configured to include a state in which light having entered one pixel of a first photoelectric conversion layer closer to an optical lens is received by the photoelectric converter of a plurality of pixels of the second photoelectric conversion layer farther from the optical lens. The technology of the present disclosure can be applied to, for example, a solid-state imaging device that performs imaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Isao Hirota
  • Patent number: 10498983
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device, a method for driving the solid-state imaging device, and an electronic apparatus, the solid-state imaging device being capable of expanding the dynamic range without deteriorating the image quality. The solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array section having a plurality of unit pixels and a drive section. Each of the unit pixels includes a first photoelectric conversion section, a second photoelectric conversion section which is less sensitive than the first photoelectric conversion section, a charge storage section configured to store charges generated by the second photoelectric conversion section, a charge-voltage conversion section, a first transfer gate section configured to transfer charges from the first photoelectric conversion section, and a second transfer gate section configured to combine the potential of the charge-voltage conversion section with the potential of the charge storage section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yorito Sakano, Isao Hirota, Motonobu Torii, Masaaki Takizawa, Junichiro Azami, Motohashi Yuichi, Atsushi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10480588
    Abstract: A multi-plate clutch is comprised of: one or more core plates respectively coupled with a first rotary body rotatable about an axis; one or more reaction plates arranged alternately with the core plates and respectively coupled with a second rotary body rotatable about the axis, the reaction plates receiving the pressure force from the driver mechanism to brake the first rotary body relative to the second rotary body; one or more friction members respectively fixed to faces on the respective core plates, the faces to come into contact with the reaction plates, and including a bundle of warp yarns and a bundle of weft yarns mutually weaved perpendicular to each other, the yarns being formed of carbon fibers; and a plurality of bottomed grooves formed on faces on the respective reaction plates, the faces to come into contact with the core plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: GKN Driveline Japan Ltd
    Inventor: Isao Hirota
  • Patent number: 10415682
    Abstract: A case for a differential gear set includes: a rotatable carrier having a cylindrical fitting face and a radially projecting flange having an axially directed butting face; a cover having a brim section so projecting axially as to fit on an outer periphery of the flange and so dimensioned as to align an end face of the brim section with the butting face; a ring gear fitting on the fitting face and having a back face in contact with the butting face; and a weld metal uniting the carrier, the cover and the ring gear together, wherein the butting face of the carrier, the end face of the cover and the back face of the ring gear are so dimensioned as to keep a circular groove exposed outward and reaching an interface between the back face and the butting face and the weld metal fills the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: GKN Driveline Japan Ltd
    Inventors: Isao Hirota, Noboru Higano, Masahiko Asahi