Patents Represented by Attorney Rockey, Depke & Lyons
  • Patent number: 8040972
    Abstract: A wireless communication apparatus that transmits a transmission signal and receives a reception signal via a wireless transmission channel, the wireless communication apparatus including circuitry for determining an expected signal attenuation along the wireless transmission channel, stored information providing correlation between a transmission level of the transmission signal into a first power consumption parameter for each possible modulation method, stored information providing correlation between an expected signal strength for a received signal into a second power consumption parameter for each possible modulation method, and a means for determining the modulation method and the level of the transmission signal that minimizes power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Naoki Miyabayashi
  • Patent number: 8040393
    Abstract: A plurality of flicker detection frames are formed by dividing an image into a plurality of frames. A flicker detection circuit performs detection of luminance data for each of the flicker detection frames. The differences between the luminance data of the preceding frame and the current frame, and between the luminance data of the current frame and the following frame with respect to each of the flicker detection frames are taken, a flicker component is extracted, and the flicker frequency is calculated, by a flicker frequency determination program in a microcomputer. Then, the space between the flicker detection frames in which a crest or trough of the extracted flicker component appears is measured, and the results are converted into the flicker frequency. The frame rate of the image pickup signals is controlled so as not to be synchronized with the flicker frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Katsumi Katoh, Eiji Machishima, Toshiaki Kodake
  • Patent number: 8035541
    Abstract: A digital-analog converter circuit includes: a first digital-analog conversion part that obtains an analog output signal in response to a value of a digital input signal; and a second digital-analog conversion part that generates a control signal in response to a value of a digital gain control input signal externally input, wherein the first digital-analog conversion part adjusts a start voltage or end voltage of the analog output signal based on the digital gain control input signal for controlling the second digital-analog conversion part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masatsugu Onizuka, Masaru Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 8035987
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an electronic device which includes a functional part provided in a housing. In a mounting surface of the housing, a mounting part is provided on the side of a side end of the housing with respect to a position corresponding to the functional part, and the mounting surface of the housing is provided with a groove for partitioning from each other the mounting part and a region corresponding to the functional part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hirohisa Yasukawa
  • Patent number: 8035067
    Abstract: A solid-state image capturing device, includes a semiconductor board, upon which same semiconductor board are disposed in a predetermined order: a first detecting unit for detecting a first wavelength region component within an electromagnetic wave; and a second detecting unit for detecting a second wavelength region component which is longer wavelength side than at least the first wavelength region component, wherein in the depth direction from the surface of the semiconductor board, a valid region where a first electroconductive type dopant of the second detecting unit is formed reaches a portion deeper than a valid region where a first electroconductive type dopant of the first detecting unit is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi Toda
  • Patent number: 8031251
    Abstract: A driving method for a solid-state image sensing device having a plurality of sensor portions being disposed two-dimensionally in a horizontal and a vertical directions, and a vertical charge transfer portion being disposed between said plurality of sensor portions and being provided with transfer electrodes of a plurality of systems disposed along its disposed direction, including the steps of; selectively applying high level driving pulses to the transfer electrodes of said plurality of systems in respective sectional periods in a vertical transfer period, and transferring the signal charges read out from said plurality of sensor portions in the vertical direction, wherein a sectional period in a vertical transfer period, in which the number of systems of the transfer electrodes to be applied with high level driving pulses becomes minimum is set longer than that of the other sectional periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ooki
  • Patent number: 8025986
    Abstract: The present invention provides an organic electroluminescent element which is superior in luminance, reliability, and thermal stability and is capable of selectively emitting light with comparative long wavelengths such as red and good color purity and a light-emitting device or display device incorporated therewith. The organic electroluminescent element consists of a glass substrate (1), an anode (2), a hole transporting layer (10), an emitting layer (11), an electron transporting layer (12), and a cathode (3), which are sequentially laminated on top of the other. The emitting layer (11) is formed from a mixture composed of at least one species of the styryl compound represented by the general formula [I] below and a material with charge transporting capability. Y—CH?CH—X ??General formula [I] (where X denotes an aryl group (such as phenyl group) which has a substituent group (such as cyano group and methyl group), and Y denotes a group having a skeleton of aminophenyl group or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tadashi Ishibashi, Mari Ichimura, Shinichiro Tamura, Naoyuki Ueda
  • Patent number: 8026116
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a display device, including a display element, a first scanning line, a second scanning line, a data signal line, a switching element having a first terminal and a second terminal of a first conduction type, the first terminal being connected to the data signal line, for being held in a conducting state or a non-conducting state according to a voltage applied to the first scanning line, and a storage capacitance having a first electrode and a second electrode that shares the second scanning line, wherein the second terminal of the switching element is connected to the display element and connected to the first electrode of the storage capacitance including a semiconductor film of a second conduction type different from the second terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8023034
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes: a solid-state imaging device provided with a plurality of arranged light-sensitive devices each having sensitivity to light in a range from a visible region to an infrared region; a first filter for transmitting light in the visible region to a first part light-sensitive device out of the plurality of light-sensitive devices; a second filter for transmitting light in the infrared region to a second part light-sensitive device out of the plurality of light-sensitive devices; and a signal processing section for changing a ratio between an electrical signal converted by the first part light-sensitive device and an electrical signal converted by the second part light-sensitive device used as an electrical signal used for deciding exposure in accordance with intensity of the electrical signal converted by the first part light-sensitive device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hajime Numata
  • Patent number: 8023092
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a liquid crystal display device including, a liquid crystal layer, a first substrate and a second substrate which face each other through the liquid crystal layer therebetween, and a plurality of columnar spacers holding a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the plurality of columnar spacers include a first columnar spacer and a second columnar spacer which are formed to be substantially equal in height, and a substrate surface of one of the first substrate and the second substrate is provided with a recess in at least one of a part where to dispose the first columnar spacer and a part where to dispose the second columnar spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shuichi Tatemori, Masaaki Kabe, Hidemasa Yamaguchi, Seiji Uejima
  • Patent number: 8013336
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device of a three-transistor pixel configuration having no selection transistor has a problem of a non-selection hot carrier white point, which is specific to this apparatus. A bias current during a non-reading period of pixels is made to flow to a pixel associated with an immediately previous selection pixel, for example, the immediately previous selection pixel itself. As a result, dark current only for one line occurs in each pixel, and the dark current for one line itself can be reduced markedly. Consequently, defective pixels due to non-selection hot carrier white points can be virtually eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Keiji Mabuchi
  • Patent number: 8007072
    Abstract: A cleaning blade which wipes a liquid discharge area by being moved relatively with respect to the liquid discharge area of a liquid discharge head having the liquid discharge area in which liquid discharge nozzles are arranged to discharge a liquid is disclosed. The cleaning blade includes: a supporting plate which has an adhesive agent layer on its front surface; and a wipe part which is slid and contacted with the liquid discharge area, the wipe part formed in which an elastic part formed of a synthetic resin is formed in one piece on the adhesive agent layer, and a tip end thereof is cut in a predetermined shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shota Nishi, Shigeyoshi Fujiki, Manabu Matsuda, Yuji Yakura, Makoto Ando
  • Patent number: 8004019
    Abstract: P type semiconductor well regions 8 and 9 for device separation are provided in an upper and lower two layer structure in conformity with the position of a high sensitivity type photodiode PD, and the first P type semiconductor well region 8 at the upper layer is provided in the state of being closer to the pixel side than an end portion of a LOCOS layer 1A, for limiting a dark current generated at the end portion of the LOCOS layer 1A. In addition, the second P type semiconductor well region 9 at the lower layer is formed in a narrow region receding from the photodiode PD, so that the depletion layer of the photodiode PD is prevented from being obstructed, and the depletion is secured in a sufficiently broad region, whereby enhancement of the sensitivity of the photodiode PD can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Fujita, Ryoji Suzuki, Nobuo Nakamura, Yasushi Maruyama
  • Patent number: 7997679
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium is disclosed. The image forming apparatus includes a print head (4) having an ink emitting surface (6) in which there are formed a plural number of ink emitting openings (13). An ink is emitted from the ink emitting openings (13) for forming an image on a recording medium. The image forming apparatus also includes an emission controller (41) for controlling the ink emission from the ink emitting openings (13) formed in the ink emitting surface (6). The emission controller (41) is responsive to an input image signal to control the quantity of preliminary ink emission from one or more of the ink emitting openings (13) or to select one or more of the ink emitting openings (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Yakura, Kenji Suzuki, Hiroshi Tokunaga, Shinichi Horii
  • Patent number: 8000301
    Abstract: An embodiment of the invention provides a wireless communication system for carrying out a spatial multiplexing communication between a transmitter, and a receiver, the system including: a channel information matrix acquiring section for acquiring a channel information matrix; a weighting factor matrix arithmetically operating section for obtaining a weighting factor matrix based on the channel information matrix thus acquired; a normalizing section for executing processing for normalizing the weighting factor matrix; a detecting section for detecting whether there is presence or absence of an abnormality in the processing; a weighting processing section for executing weighting processing based on the weighting factor matrix for each of transmission signals transmitted from the transmitter in accordance with a detection result obtained from the detecting section; and a transmitting section for transmitting the transmission signals for which the weighting processing section executes the weighting processing fr
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Norihito Mihota
  • Patent number: 7999291
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a solid state imaging device having a photo-electric conversion portion array and a transfer electrode array, these arrays being provided in parallel to each other, upper surfaces and side wall surfaces of the transfer electrode array being covered with a light-shielding layer, and a transparent layer showing an oxidizing property at the time of film formation, the transparent layer being formed on the photo-electric conversion parts and the light-shielding layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Takeda, Tadayuki Dofuku, Kenji Takeo
  • Patent number: 7999259
    Abstract: A display includes: a substrate having a pixel region and a sensor region in which photo-sensor parts are formed; an illuminating section operative to illuminate the substrate from one surface side of the substrate; a thin film photodiode disposed in the sensor region, having at least a P-type semiconductor region and an N-type semiconductor region, and operative to receive light incident from the other surface side of the substrate; and a metallic film formed on the one surface side of the substrate so as to face the thin film photodiode through an insulator film, operative to restrain light generated from the illuminating section from being directly incident on the thin film photodiode from the one surface side, and fixed to a predetermined potential, wherein in the thin film photodiode, the width of the P-type semiconductor region and the width of the N-type semiconductor region are different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masanobu Ikeda, Ryoichi Ito, Daisuke Takama, Kenta Seki, Natsuki Otani
  • Patent number: 7995013
    Abstract: In a display apparatus, as shown in FIG. 1, by using a reference signal, a shift register and a logical operation circuit generate a driving signal in periods for correcting a threshold voltage based on a rectangular wave signal. Also by using the reference signal, a write signal in a mobility correcting period is generated by an inverter, a NAND circuit, a level conversion circuit, a buffer circuit, a driving power generating unit, and a low-pass filter including a resistor and a capacitor. The signals are separately generated and are selectively output. Thus, excessive or insufficient mobility correction based on emission brightness can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yutaka Mitomi, Yukihito Iida, Takao Tanikame, Katsuhide Uchino
  • Patent number: 7991370
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an amplifier circuit formed by multiple transistor stages and having an input terminal for a signal and an inverted output terminal configured to output an inverted signal after amplification, wherein a feedback resistance and a feedback capacitor for input impedance matching are connected in series with each other between the inverted output terminal and the input terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tadashi Kabashima, Shoichi Kuroki, Toshio Chikaki
  • Patent number: 7990444
    Abstract: Disclosed is a solid-state imaging device which includes a group of elements, the group including at least color photoelectric conversion elements configured to convert light signals in first, second, and third wavelength ranges to electric signals, respectively, a white photoelectric conversion element configured to convert light signals in the wavelength range including the entire visible light range and a portion of the infrared light range to electric signals, and a light-shielded diode element configured to be shielded from light. A unit is formed by including the white photoelectric conversion element and the light-shielded diode element for one color photoelectric conversion element, and within the unit, the white photoelectric conversion element is electrically connected with the light-shielded diode element by way of an overflow path. A camera provided with the solid-state imaging device is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshiharu Kudoh