Patents by Inventor Shintaro Takenaka

Shintaro Takenaka 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: 10547794
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus includes: a pixel unit (1) configured to perform imaging of a plurality of frames by a photoelectric conversion; an exposure amount calculating unit (9) configured to calculate exposure amounts of the plurality of frames imaged in a flicker cycle of a light source; and a control unit (12) configured to control the exposure amount of each of the frames imaged by the pixel unit based on the exposure amounts of the plurality of frames calculated by the exposure amount calculating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro Takenaka, Kazuhiro Sonoda
  • Patent number: 10542231
    Abstract: Periods in which first selection transistors of several pixel cells of a plurality of pixel cells are in an on state are overlapped, and periods in which second selection transistors of several other pixel cells of the plurality of pixel cells are in an on state are overlapped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noriyuki Shikina, Shintaro Takenaka
  • Patent number: 10432880
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a scanning circuit configured to perform shutter scanning and readout scanning, a first control unit configured to control the capacitance setting unit to set a capacitance value of the input node in the readout scanning, and a second control unit configured to control the capacitance setting unit to set a capacitance value of the input node in the shutter scanning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Hayashi, Shintaro Takenaka
  • Patent number: 10432878
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a first holding circuit, a second holding circuit, and a calculator. The first holding circuit is configured to hold and output a logical value based on a logical value supplied from an address decoder. The second holding circuit is configured to hold and output a logical value based on the logical value output from the first holding circuit. The calculator is configured to receive the logical values supplied from the first and second holding circuits and perform a logical operation for generating a driving signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro Takenaka, Daisuke Yoshida, Noriyuki Shikina, Yasuji Ikeda, Hidetoshi Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20190215469
    Abstract: Provided is an imaging device including row drive unit having a first storage unit that stores and outputs a first signal for a readout from the pixels on an associated row, a second storage unit that stores and outputs a second signal for an operation for causing the photoelectric conversion element on an associated row to be reset to a charge accumulation state, and a third storage unit that stores and outputs a third signal for maintaining the photoelectric conversion element on an associated row in a charge accumulation state or a reset state based on the first signal output from the first storage unit and the second signal output from the second storage unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Shintaro Takenaka, Yasuji Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20190191112
    Abstract: An embodiment includes: a pixel unit including first and second imaging regions arranged with effective pixels and first and second reference regions arranged with optical black pixels; and a scanning unit that performs, on a row-by-row basis, reset operations of photoelectric converters and readout operations of pixel signals based on charges generated in the photoelectric converters which includes charge transfer to transfer charges generated in the photoelectric converters to holding portions. The scanning unit drives the pixels in the first imaging region and the first reference region in a first condition where a period from the end of reset operation to the end of charge transfer is a first length and drives the pixels in the second imaging region and the second reference region in a second condition where a period from the end of reset operation to the end of charge transfer is a second length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Yoshiko Shigiya, Shintaro Takenaka
  • Patent number: 10277839
    Abstract: Provided is an imaging device including row drive unit having a first storage unit that stores and outputs a first signal for a readout from the pixels on an associated row, a second storage unit that stores and outputs a second signal for an operation for causing the photoelectric conversion element on an associated row to be reset to a charge accumulation state, and a third storage unit that stores and outputs a third signal for maintaining the photoelectric conversion element on an associated row in a charge accumulation state or a reset state based on the first signal output from the first storage unit and the second signal output from the second storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro Takenaka, Yasuji Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20180007287
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a first holding circuit, a second holding circuit, and a calculator. The first holding circuit is configured to hold and output a logical value based on a logical value supplied from an address decoder. The second holding circuit is configured to hold and output a logical value based on the logical value output from the first holding circuit. The calculator is configured to receive the logical values supplied from the first and second holding circuits and perform a logical operation for generating a driving signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Inventors: Shintaro Takenaka, Daisuke Yoshida, Noriyuki Shikina, Yasuji Ikeda, Hidetoshi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 9843752
    Abstract: A solid-state image sensor, comprising a plurality of circuit groups each of which can assume an operating state and a non-operating state, a storage unit configured to store an order of switching the plurality of circuit groups from the non-operating state to the operating state, and a control unit configured to receive, from outside the sensor, a control signal, common to the plurality of circuit groups, for switching the plurality of circuit groups from the non-operating state to the operating state, wherein after receiving the control signal, the control unit sequentially switches, according to the order stored in the storage unit, the plurality of circuit groups from the non-operating state to the operating state at an interval of a period corresponding to an integer multiple of a cycle of a clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takuro Yamamoto, Tatsuhiko Yamazaki, Shintaro Takenaka
  • Publication number: 20170237912
    Abstract: Provided is an imaging device including row drive unit having a first storage unit that stores and outputs a first signal for a readout from the pixels on an associated row, a second storage unit that stores and outputs a second signal for an operation for causing the photoelectric conversion element on an associated row to be reset to a charge accumulation state, and a third storage unit that stores and outputs a third signal for maintaining the photoelectric conversion element on an associated row in a charge accumulation state or a reset state based on the first signal output from the first storage unit and the second signal output from the second storage unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Shintaro Takenaka, Yasuji Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20170187944
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus includes: a pixel unit (1) configured to perform imaging of a plurality of frames by a photoelectric conversion; an exposure amount calculating unit (9) configured to calculate exposure amounts of the plurality of frames imaged in a flicker cycle of a light source; and a control unit (12) configured to control the exposure amount of each of the frames imaged by the pixel unit based on the exposure amounts of the plurality of frames calculated by the exposure amount calculating unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Shintaro TAKENAKA, Kazuhiro SONODA
  • Publication number: 20170155857
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a scanning circuit configured to perform shutter scanning and readout scanning, a first control unit configured to control the capacitance setting unit to set a capacitance value of the input node in the readout scanning, and a second control unit configured to control the capacitance setting unit to set a capacitance value of the input node in the shutter scanning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2016
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Hayashi, Shintaro Takenaka
  • Publication number: 20170155863
    Abstract: Periods in which first selection transistors of several pixel cells of a plurality of pixel cells are in an on state are overlapped, and periods in which second selection transistors of several other pixel cells of the plurality of pixel cells are in an on state are overlapped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2016
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Inventors: Noriyuki Shikina, Shintaro Takenaka
  • Patent number: 9654697
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus includes: a pixel unit (1) configured to perform imaging of a plurality of frames by a photoelectric conversion; an exposure amount calculating unit (9) configured to calculate exposure amounts of the plurality of frames imaged in a flicker cycle of a light source; and a control unit (12) configured to control the exposure amount of each of the frames imaged by the pixel unit based on the exposure amounts of the plurality of frames calculated by the exposure amount calculating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro Takenaka, Kazuhiro Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20160112661
    Abstract: A solid-state image sensor, comprising a plurality of circuit groups each of which can assume an operating state and a non-operating state, a storage unit configured to store an order of switching the plurality of circuit groups from the non-operating state to the operating state, and a control unit configured to receive, from outside the sensor, a control signal, common to the plurality of circuit groups, for switching the plurality of circuit groups from the non-operating state to the operating state, wherein after receiving the control signal, the control unit sequentially switches, according to the order stored in the storage unit, the plurality of circuit groups from the non-operating state to the operating state at an interval of a period corresponding to an integer multiple of a cycle of a clock signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Takuro Yamamoto, Tatsuhiko Yamazaki, Shintaro Takenaka
  • Patent number: 9294701
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus, a method for driving the image pickup apparatus, an image pickup system, and a method for driving the image pickup system output a digital signal based on a difference between signals output from a plurality of pixels and a digital signal based on the sum of the signals output from the pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Sonoda, Shintaro Takenaka, Atsushi Furubayashi
  • Patent number: 9288412
    Abstract: There is provided an image pickup apparatus which outputs a digital signal based on a comparison result signal that changes the signal value at Nth (where N is an integer of 1 or higher) among comparison result signals output by a plurality of comparators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Sonoda, Shintaro Takenaka, Atsushi Furubayashi
  • Publication number: 20150129744
    Abstract: An A/D converter includes a comparator configured to compare an input voltage and a reference signal changing monotonically with respect to time and output a comparison result signal indicating a comparison result, a pulse signal generation circuit configured to generate a pulse signal in accordance with the comparison result signal, a counting unit configured to receive a first clock signal, and to count the first clock signal from a start of changing a level of the reference signal to when a level of the comparison result signal is changed, and a latch unit configured to latch the pulse signal at a timing which is defined by a plurality of clock signals including a second clock signal in phase with the first clock signal and a third clock signal having a different phase from that of the second clock signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Sonoda, Shintaro Takenaka
  • Patent number: 8853607
    Abstract: In a solid-state image pickup apparatus including a pixel array having pixels each including photoelectric conversion element arranged in a matrix, a synchronization signal generation unit generates a horizontal synchronization signal to define a first horizontal period and a second horizontal period different in length from the first horizontal period. Based on the horizontal synchronization signal, a reset scanning circuit sequentially selects and resets pixels in rows of the pixel array, and a readout scanning circuit sequentially selects pixels and reads a pixel signal therefrom. In each pixel, the charge is accumulated in a charge accumulation period starting when the resetting is performed and ending when the pixel signal is read. In one vertical period, the first horizontal period and the plurality of second horizontal period both appear a plurality of times, wherein the second horizontal period appears periodically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Sonoda, Shintaro Takenaka
  • Patent number: 8836829
    Abstract: An imaging device comprising an imaging unit that outputs digital data of a pixel value indicating one of colors for each pixel and a conversion unit that outputs from ports I pieces of the digital data that has been input from the imaging unit in a first mode and output from part of the ports J (J<I) pieces of digital data obtained from the I pieces of the digital data of the same color that has been input from the imaging unit in a second mode is provided. When outputting digital data of pixels of a single row in the imaging unit in the both modes, the conversion unit outputs digital data of a first color from a first port and outputs digital data of a second color from a second port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Hayashi, Shintaro Takenaka, Tatsuhiko Yamazaki