Patents by Inventor Atsushi Komai

Atsushi Komai 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: 10638067
    Abstract: A solid-state image sensor includes: a plurality of pixels, each including a photoelectric conversion unit and a charge accumulating unit that accumulates an electric charge from the photoelectric conversion unit; and a connection unit that includes a plurality of linking units each of which electrically connects the charge accumulating units of two adjacent pixels among the plurality of pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Komai, Yoshiyuki Watanabe, Osamu Saruwatari
  • Publication number: 20200105818
    Abstract: Image-capturing device includes: an image sensor that includes a first pixel and a second pixel, each having a filter unit that can be switched to a light-shielding state in which light is blocked or to a transmissive state in which light is transmitted, a photoelectric conversion unit that generates an electric charge through photoelectric conversion of light transmitted through the filter unit and an output unit that outputs a signal based upon electric charge generated at the photoelectric conversion unit, and; a correction unit that corrects a signal output from the output unit of the first pixel while the filter unit of the first pixel is in a transmissive state, based upon a signal output from the output unit of the first pixel with the filter unit of the first pixel set in a light-shielding state and with the filter unit of the second pixel set in a transmissive state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi KOMAI
  • Patent number: 10574930
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a first semiconductor layer provided with a pixel, including a photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts incident light to generate an electric charge, an accumulation unit that accumulates the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, and a transfer unit that transfers the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit, a second semiconductor layer provided with a supply unit that supplies the transfer unit with a transfer signal for transferring the electric charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit, and a third semiconductor layer into which a signal is inputted, the signal being based on the electric charge that has been transferred to the accumulation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Kamashita, Atsushi Komai, Toru Takagi, Tomohisa Ishida
  • Patent number: 10554916
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a readout circuit that reads out a signal to a signal line, the signal being generated by an electric charge resulting from a photoelectric conversion; a holding circuit that holds a voltage based on an electric current from a power supply circuit; and an electric current source including a transistor having a drain part connected to the signal line and a gate part connected to the holding circuit and the drain part, the electric current source supplying the signal line with an electric current generated by the voltage held in the holding circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru Funamizu, Masahiro Juen, Atsushi Komai
  • Publication number: 20200036917
    Abstract: An image sensor, includes: a plurality of pixels arranged along a first direction, each of which includes a photoelectric conversion unit that generates an electric charge through photoelectric conversion of light, and outputs a signal generated based upon the electric charge generated in the photoelectric conversion unit; a first signal line to which signals from one or more pixels among the plurality of pixels are output; a second signal line to which a signal from another pixel among the plurality of pixels is output; and an arithmetic unit that executes an arithmetic operation with a signal generated by combining the signals from the one or more pixels output to the first signal line and the signal output to the second signal line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi KOMAI
  • Publication number: 20200036921
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a readout circuit that reads out a signal to a signal line, the signal being generated by an electric charge resulting from a photoelectric conversion; a holding circuit that holds a voltage based on an electric current from a power supply circuit; and an electric current source including a transistor having a drain part connected to the signal line and a gate part connected to the holding circuit and the drain part, the electric current source supplying the signal line with an electric current generated by the voltage held in the holding circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru FUNAMIZU, Masahiro JUEN, Atsushi KOMAI
  • Publication number: 20200021757
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a first readout circuit that reads out a first signal, being generated by an electric charge resulting from a photoelectric conversion, to a first signal line; a first holding circuit that holds a voltage based on an electric current from a power supply circuit; and a first electric current source that supplies the first signal line with an electric current generated by the voltage held in the first holding circuit, wherein: the first holding circuit holds the voltage based on the electric current from the power supply circuit when the first signal is not read out to the first signal line by the first readout circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru FUNAMIZU, Masahiro JUEN, Atsushi KOMAI
  • Publication number: 20190394412
    Abstract: A solid-state image sensor includes: a plurality of pixels, each including a photoelectric conversion unit and a charge accumulating unit that accumulates an electric charge from the photoelectric conversion unit; and a connection unit that includes a plurality of linking units each of which electrically connects the charge accumulating units of two adjacent pixels among the plurality of pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi KOMAI, Yoshiyuki WATANABE, Osamu SARUWATARI
  • Patent number: 10516840
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a readout circuit that reads out a signal to a signal line, the signal being generated by an electric charge resulting from a photoelectric conversion; a holding circuit that holds a voltage based on an electric current from a power supply circuit; and an electric current source including a transistor having a drain part connected to the signal line and a gate part connected to the holding circuit and the drain part, the electric current source supplying the signal line with an electric current generated by the voltage held in the holding circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru Funamizu, Masahiro Juen, Atsushi Komai
  • Publication number: 20190346599
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a plurality of filter units, transmission wavelengths of which can be adjusted; a plurality of photoelectric conversion units that receive light transmitted through the filter unit; and a control unit that alters a size of a first region containing a first filter unit, among the plurality of filter units, through which light at a first wavelength is transmitted before entering a photoelectric conversion unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi KOMAI
  • Patent number: 10462392
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a first readout circuit that reads out a first signal, being generated by an electric charge resulting from a photoelectric conversion, to a first signal line; a first holding circuit that holds a voltage based on an electric current from a power supply circuit; and a first electric current source that supplies the first signal line with an electric current generated by the voltage held in the first holding circuit, wherein: the first holding circuit holds the voltage based on the electric current from the power supply circuit when the first signal is not read out to the first signal line by the first readout circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru Funamizu, Masahiro Juen, Atsushi Komai
  • Publication number: 20190131338
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a plurality of pixels each having a photoelectric conversion unit that converts incident light into an electric charge, the incident light being incident from one side of a substrate, and an output unit that outputs a signal caused by the electric charge, the plurality of pixels being arranged in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction; and an accumulation unit provided to be stacked on the photoelectric conversion unit on a side opposite to the one side of the substrate, the accumulation unit accumulating the signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi KOMAI
  • Publication number: 20190110009
    Abstract: A first circuit constituting a plurality of first circuit in a first direction, which stores a signal output from a pixel having a photoelectric conversion unit; a first control unit to which the plurality of first circuits are connected and outputs a first signal for outputting signals stored in the plurality of first circuits; a readout unit that reads out the signal output from the first circuit; a plurality of second circuits that are connected to the first control unit, a plurality of sets of the plurality of second circuits in the first direction; and a second control unit that controls a readout of the signal by the readout unit. The first control unit outputs a second signal to the plurality of second circuits together with the first signal; and the second control unit controls the readout of the signal by the readout unit, based on the second signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi KOMAI
  • Publication number: 20190058838
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a first readout circuit that reads out a first signal, being generated by an electric charge resulting from a photoelectric conversion, to a first signal line; a first holding circuit that holds a voltage based on an electric current from a power supply circuit; and a first electric current source that supplies the first signal line with an electric current generated by the voltage held in the first holding circuit, wherein: the first holding circuit holds the voltage based on the electric current from the power supply circuit when the first signal is not read out to the first signal line by the first readout circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru FUNAMIZU, Masahiro JUEN, Atsushi KOMAI
  • Publication number: 20190043913
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a plurality of pixels having photoelectric conversion units that convert incident light to charges, and readout units; a first signal line, connected to the plurality of pixels, that outputs a first signal transferred to the readout unit based upon the charge converted by the photoelectric conversion unit; and a second signal line, connected to the plurality of pixels, that outputs a second signal after the readout unit has been reset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro JUEN, Atsushi KOMAI
  • Publication number: 20180324374
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a first semiconductor layer provided with a pixel, including a photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts incident light to generate an electric charge, an accumulation unit that accumulates the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, and a transfer unit that transfers the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit, a second semiconductor layer provided with a supply unit that supplies the transfer unit with a transfer signal for transferring the electric charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit, and a third semiconductor layer into which a signal is inputted, the signal being based on the electric charge that has been transferred to the accumulation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Applicant: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi KAMASHITA, Atsushi KOMAI, Toru TAKAGI, Tomohisa ISHIDA
  • Publication number: 20180316883
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a readout circuit that reads out a signal to a signal line, the signal being generated by an electric charge resulting from a photoelectric conversion; a holding circuit that holds a voltage based on an electric current from a power supply circuit; and an electric current source including a transistor having a drain part connected to the signal line and a gate part connected to the holding circuit and the drain part, the electric current source supplying the signal line with an electric current generated by the voltage held in the holding circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru FUNAMIZU, Masahiro JUEN, Atsushi KOMAI
  • Publication number: 20180288347
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a readout circuit that reads out a signal to a signal line, the signal being generated by an electric charge resulting from a photoelectric conversion; a storage circuit including an analog/digital converter that converts a first voltage signal based on an electric current from a first power supply circuit into a digital signal and a first storage unit that stores the first voltage signal converted into a digital signal by the analog/digital converter; and a first electric current source that supplies the signal line with an electric current generated by the first voltage signal stored in the first storage unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi KOMAI, Wataru FUNAMIZU, Masahiro JUEN
  • Publication number: 20180278860
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a first semiconductor substrate provided with a pixel, including a photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts incident light to generate an electric charge, an accumulation unit that accumulates the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, and a transfer unit that transfers the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit, and a second semiconductor substrate provided with a supply unit for the pixel, the supply unit supplying the transfer unit with a transfer signal to transfer the electric charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu SARUWATARI, Shutaro KATO, Ryoji ANDO, Yojiro TEZUKA, Atsushi KOMAI
  • Publication number: 20160373668
    Abstract: A solid-state image sensor includes: a plurality of pixels, each including a photoelectric conversion unit and a charge accumulating unit that accumulates an electric charge from the photoelectric conversion unit; and a connection unit that includes a plurality of linking units each of which electrically connects the charge accumulating units of two adjacent pixels among the plurality of pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi KOMAI, Yoshiyuki WATANABE, Osamu SARUWATARI