Patents by Inventor Tomoyuki Iwabuchi

Tomoyuki Iwabuchi 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: 20240088184
    Abstract: There is provided a imaging device including: an N-type region formed for each pixel and configured to perform photoelectric conversion; an inter-pixel light-shielding wall penetrating a semiconductor substrate in a depth direction and formed between N-type regions configured to perform the photoelectric conversion, the N-type regions each being formed for each of pixels adjacent to each other; a P-type layer formed between the N-type region configured to perform the photoelectric conversion and the inter-pixel light-shielding wall; and a P-type region adjacent to the P-type layer and formed between the N-type region and an interface on a side of a light incident surface of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Applicant: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuya UCHIDA, Ryoji SUZUKI, Hisahiro ANSAI, Yoichi Ueda, Shinichi YOSHIDA, Yukari TAKEYA, Tomoyuki HIRANO, Hiroyuki MORI, Hirotoshi NOMURA, Yoshiharu KUDOH, Masashi OHURA, Shin IWABUCHI
  • Patent number: 11745782
    Abstract: A stroller seat is mounted on a stroller and is provided with: a main part extending from a backrest to a seating part of the stroller and having a space therein through which air flows; an extension part protruding from at least one of the two side portions of the main body and having a space therein which communicates with the space of the main body; and a fan attachment part which is provided on the extension part and to which an electric fan can be attached. The main body has, on a surface to be in contact with a human body, an air discharge unit for discharging air therein to the outside. Air introduced by the electric fan attached to the fan attachment part flows into the main body through the extension part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: SFT LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Daiyu Aoki, Yohei Oki, Manabu Isei, Nagomi Yoshizaki, Yuji Sumiyoshi, Akina Kawada, Tomoyuki Iwabuchi
  • Publication number: 20220355845
    Abstract: A stroller seat is mounted on a stroller and is provided with: a main part extending from a backrest to a seating part of the stroller and having a space therein through which air flows; an extension part protruding from at least one of the two side portions of the main body and having a space therein which communicates with the space of the main body; and a fan attachment part which is provided on the extension part and to which an electric fan can be attached. The main body has, on a surface to be in contact with a human body, an air discharge unit for discharging air therein to the outside. Air introduced by the electric fan attached to the fan attachment part flows into the main body through the extension part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: SFT LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Daiyu AOKI, Yohei OKI, Manabu ISEI, Nagomi YOSHIZAKI, Yuji SUMIYOSHI, Akina KAWADA, Tomoyuki IWABUCHI
  • Patent number: 9772221
    Abstract: A photodetector of the invention is characterized by having a plurality of detector elements that are arranged over a light-transparent substrate and are connected in parallel. A foldable portable communication tool having two display portions of the invention is characterized by including one photodetector which includes a plurality of detector elements connected in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Nishi, Yu Yamazaki, Tomoyuki Iwabuchi, Keisuke Miyagawa
  • Patent number: 9577008
    Abstract: A problem in that a light emitting element slightly emits light is solved by an off current of a thin film transistor connected in series to the light emitting element, thereby a display device which can perform a clear display by increasing contrast, and a driving method thereof are provided. When the thin film transistor connected in series to the light emitting element is turned off, a charge held in the capacitance of the light emitting element itself is discharged. Even when an off current is generated at the thin film transistor connected in series to the light emitting element, this off current charges this capacitance until the capacitance of the light emitting element itself holds a predetermined voltage again. Accordingly, the off current of the thin film transistor does not contribute to light emission. In this manner, a slight light emission of the light emitting element can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Miyake, Tomoyuki Iwabuchi
  • Patent number: 9153168
    Abstract: There is provided a method for deciding a duty factor in driving a light-emitting device and a driving method using the duty factor that enable restraint of deterioration of light-emitting elements and improvement in reliability. In a method for deciding a duty factor of a light-emitting device that performs display based on an analog video signal, with respect to a characteristic obtained by multiplying the characteristic of luminance after X hours in relation to the current density and the characteristic of luminance after X hours in relation to the duty factor when the total quantity of electricity flowing through light-emitting elements in one frame period is defined at a specific value, a range of duty factor that enables realization of luminance approximately exceeding a value that is 0.8 times a maximum value is regarded as an optimum range of duty factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Osame, Yu Yamazaki, Tomoyuki Iwabuchi
  • Patent number: 9047822
    Abstract: In order to achieve lower power consumption, a technique of performing display (partial display) by utilizing only a part of a display area is used. For example, a display area is divided, a plurality of driver circuits for driving the divided display areas independently are provided, and only a region where a fixed pattern is displayed is driven in a power saving mode, thereby partial display is performed; however, display cannot be performed at an arbitrary position. Alternatively, partial display can be performed by inputting a video signal to a pixel in an arbitrary display area; however, a structure of a driver circuit is complicated. The object of the invention is to provide a display device which can perform partial display at an arbitrary position and reduce power consumption. In partial display, operation of a signal line driver circuit is set so as to be stopped and a non-display signal is set so as to be outputted from the signal line driver circuit when a pixel in a non-display area is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Iwabuchi, Ryo Arasawa
  • Publication number: 20140103387
    Abstract: A problem in that a light emitting element slightly emits light is solved by an off current of a thin film transistor connected in series to the light emitting element, thereby a display device which can perform a clear display by increasing contrast, and a driving method thereof are provided. When the thin film transistor connected in series to the light emitting element is turned off, a charge held in the capacitance of the light emitting element itself is discharged. Even when an off current is generated at the thin film transistor connected in series to the light emitting element, this off current charges this capacitance until the capacitance of the light emitting element itself holds a predetermined voltage again. Accordingly, the off current of the thin film transistor does not contribute to light emission. In this manner, a slight light emission of the light emitting element can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Miyake, Tomoyuki Iwabuchi, Ryota Fukumoto
  • Patent number: 8624807
    Abstract: According to a driving method of applying a reverse bias voltage, capacitance occurs due to a stacked structure of a conductor, an insulator and a conductor, or due to a structure of a TFT. This capacitance prevents normal operation. The invention provides a pixel configuration including at least a driving transistor for driving a light emitting element and a switching transistor for controlling the driving transistor, wherein the switching transistor is turned on in the case of applying a forward bias voltage after applying a reverse bias voltage. As a result, it is prevented that the potential changes due to unwanted capacitive coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Miyake, Ryota Fukumoto, Tomoyuki Iwabuchi
  • Patent number: 8614699
    Abstract: A problem in that a light emitting element slightly emits light is solved by an off current of a thin film transistor connected in series to the light emitting element, thereby a display device which can perform a clear display by increasing contrast, and a driving method thereof are provided. When the thin film transistor connected in series to the light emitting element is turned off, a charge held in the capacitance of the light emitting element itself is discharged. Even when an off current is generated at the thin film transistor connected in series to the light emitting element, this off current charges this capacitance until the capacitance of the light emitting element itself holds a predetermined voltage again. Accordingly, the off current of the thin film transistor does not contribute to light emission. In this manner, a slight light emission of the light emitting element can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Miyake, Tomoyuki Iwabuchi, Ryota Fukumoto
  • Patent number: 8605076
    Abstract: Power consumption required for charging and discharging a source signal line is reduced in an active matrix EL display device. A bipolar transistor (Bi1) has a base terminal B connected to an output terminal c1 of an operational amplifier (OP1), a collector terminal C connected to a low power potential (GND), and an emitter terminal E connected to a resistor R2. A high power potential (VBH) is a potential in synchronization with a high power potential of a light emitting element. A potential of the output terminal c1 of the operational amplifier (OP1) is outputted as a buffer low power potential (VBL). The low power potential (VBL) corresponds to a potential difference between the high power potential (VBH) and a high power potential (V1). Accordingly, the low power potential (VBL) can follow the high power potential (VBH), that is a high power potential of the light emitting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Iwabuchi, Hiroyuki Miyake
  • Patent number: 8593381
    Abstract: Degradations in light emitting elements occur with the passage of time. The invention provides a method of driving a light-emitting device provided with a plurality of pixels, which includes a light-emitting means with a first and a second electrodes, a drive means for supplying the light-emitting means with a current in response to an analog video signal, and a setting means for setting a sustaining period and an off time period within a frame period. The method of driving a light-emitting device is characterized by including the steps of: supplying the light-emitting means with the current in response to the analog video signal during the sustaining period; and turning the drive means off thereby to make the light-emitting means nonluminous or making the first and the second electrodes identical in potential thereby to make the light-emitting means nonluminous during the off time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Osame, Aya Anzai, Yu Yamazaki, Tomoyuki Iwabuchi
  • Patent number: 8421715
    Abstract: A light emitting element has a property that a resistance value (internal resistance value) thereof changes according to the ambient temperature. Specifically, assuming that the room temperature is a normal temperature, when the ambient temperature becomes higher than the normal temperature, a resistance value is decreased, and when the ambient temperature becomes lower than the normal temperature, a resistance value is increased. Therefore, when the ambient temperature changes or degradation is caused with time due to the aforementioned property of the light emitting element, luminance varies. The invention provides a display device where an effect of current fluctuation of a light emitting element, which is caused by the change in ambient temperature and degradation with time, is suppressed. The display device comprises a monitoring element, to which a current is supplied from a current source. A voltage applied to the monitoring element is applied to a light emitting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiko Hayakawa, Yu Yamazaki, Yukari Ando, Keisuke Miyagawa, Jun Koyama, Tomoyuki Iwabuchi, Mitsuaki Osame, Aya Anzai, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8389997
    Abstract: The invention provides a light emitting device which is capable of displaying on both sides, has a small volume, and is capable of being used as a module. A light emitting element represented by an EL element and the like is used in a pixel portion, and two pixel portions are provided in one light emitting device. A first pixel portion has a structure to emit light only from a counter electrode side of the light emitting element. A second pixel portion has a structure to emit light only from a pixel electrode side of the light emitting element. That is, in the first pixel portion and the second pixel portion, directions of light emission are reverse in front and back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu Yamazaki, Aya Anzai, Tomoyuki Iwabuchi
  • Publication number: 20130002622
    Abstract: Degradations in light emitting elements occur with the passage of time. The invention provides a method of driving a light-emitting device provided with a plurality of pixels, which includes a light-emitting means with a first and a second electrodes, a drive means for supplying the light-emitting means with a current in response to an analog video signal, and a setting means for setting a sustaining period and an off time period within a frame period. The method of driving a light-emitting device is characterized by including the steps of: supplying the light-emitting means with the current in response to the analog video signal during the sustaining period; and turning the drive means off thereby to make the light-emitting means nonluminous or making the first and the second electrodes identical in potential thereby to make the light-emitting means nonluminous during the off time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Osame, Aya Anzai, Yu Yamazaki, Tomoyuki Iwabuchi
  • Patent number: 8324920
    Abstract: To provide a display device having a test circuit with high accuracy for testing in the step after a counter substrate is attached and before shipping, and to provide a display device having a correction circuit inside the display device, for the case where a defect occurs. A pixel circuit operated by a gate line and a source line, a first wiring formed at the same time as the gate line, a second wiring formed at the same time as the source line, and a test circuit of detecting a defect of the pixel circuit by using potentials of the first wiring and the second wiring are provided over a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuki Hata, Tomoyuki Iwabuchi, Akihiro Kimura, Shuhei Nagatsuka
  • Patent number: 8274458
    Abstract: Degradations in light emitting elements occur with the passage of time. A method of driving a light-emitting device is characterized by including the steps of: supplying a light-emitting element with the current in response to an analog video signal during a sustaining period; and turning switch off thereby to make the light-emitting element nonluminous or making first and the second electrodes identical in potential thereby to make the light-emitting element nonluminous during an off time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Osame, Aya Anzai, Yu Yamazaki, Tomoyuki Iwabuchi
  • Patent number: 8207915
    Abstract: It is provided a display device that prevents, when applying a reverse bias, an anode line and a power supply line included in a signal line driver circuit from being short-circuited, and a driving method thereof. According to the invention, a reverse bias applying circuit is provided in a scan line driver circuit or a signal line driver circuit, a signal from the reverse bias applying circuit is supplied to a transistor disposed between a signal line and an anode line, and thereby the transistor is turned off. The reverse bias applying circuit comprises an analog switch or a clocked inverter and a biasing transistor, and drives so as to invert potentials of the anode line and a cathode line and apply a reverse bias to a light emitting element, while turn off the analog switch and turn on the biasing transistor. Then, a potential of the anode line becomes equal to that of a scan line, and thereby turning off the transistor between the anode line and the signal line assuredly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Osame, Aya Anzai, Tomoyuki Iwabuchi, Hideyuki Ebine
  • Patent number: 8194009
    Abstract: A light emitting device capable of suppressing generation of pseudo-contours by increasing the frame frequency while suppressing the drive frequency of a driver circuit is provided. According to the present invention, gray scales are displayed not only by controlling the emission period of a light emitting element, but also by controlling the luminance of the light emitting element. Specifically, one frame period is divided into a plurality of sub-frame periods each having an equal length, and the luminance of the light emitting element in each sub-frame period is controlled to have different levels. By controlling the total sum of the luminance level of the sub-frame periods that are selected with a video signal, a desired gray scale can be displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Iwabuchi
  • Patent number: 8179170
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with less power consumption and an electronic appliance using the same. The semiconductor device of the invention is supplied with a first potential from a high potential power source and a second potential from a low potential power source. Upon input of a first signal to an input node, an output node outputs a second signal. With the semiconductor device of the invention, a potential difference of the second signal can be controlled to be smaller than a potential difference between the first potential and the second potential, thereby power consumption required for charging/discharging wires can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Osame, Tomoyuki Iwabuchi, Hajime Kimura