Patents by Inventor Hiroaki Ishiwata

Hiroaki Ishiwata 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: 10177184
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device including an imaging area where a plurality of unit pixels are disposed to capture a color image, wherein each of the unit pixels includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions; a plurality of transfer gates, each of which is disposed in each of the photoelectric conversion portions to transfer signal charges from the photoelectric conversion portion; and a floating diffusion to which the signal charges are transferred from the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions by the plurality of the transfer gates, wherein the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions receive light of the same color to generate the signal charges, and wherein the signal charges transferred from the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions to the floating diffusion are added to be output as an electrical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Publication number: 20180358395
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate; and a pixel unit having a plurality of pixels on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the pixel unit includes first pixel groups having two or more pixels and second pixel groups being different from the first pixel groups, wherein a portion of the pixels in the first pixel groups and a portion of the pixels in the second pixel groups share a floating diffusion element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Applicant: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Ishiwata, Sanghoon Ha
  • Patent number: 10136092
    Abstract: A solid state image sensor includes a pixel array, as well as charge-to-voltage converters, reset gates, and amplifiers each shared by a plurality of pixels in the array. The voltage level of the reset gate power supply is set higher than the voltage level of the amplifier power supply. Additionally, charge overflowing from photodetectors in the pixels may be discarded into the charge-to-voltage converters. The image sensor may also include a row scanner configured such that, while scanning a row in the pixel array to read out signals therefrom, the row scanner resets the charge in the photodetectors of the pixels sharing a charge-to-voltage converter with pixels on the readout row. The charge reset is conducted simultaneously with or prior to reading out the signals from the pixels on the readout row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Yanagita, Keiji Mabuchi, Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Publication number: 20180323230
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device including an imaging area where a plurality of unit pixels are disposed to capture a color image, wherein each of the unit pixels includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions; a plurality of transfer gates, each of which is disposed in each of the photoelectric conversion portions to transfer signal charges from the photoelectric conversion portion; and a floating diffusion to which the signal charges are transferred from the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions by the plurality of the transfer gates, wherein the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions receive light of the same color to generate the signal charges, and wherein the signal charges transferred from the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions to the floating diffusion are added to be output as an electrical signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Applicant: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Publication number: 20180255261
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device and an electronic apparatus that realize a high frame rate image capture without deteriorating an image quality. A floating diffusion holds a charge accumulated on one or more photoelectric conversion units. A plurality of amplification transistors read out a signal corresponding to the charge held by the floating diffusion. The signal read out by the amplification transistor is output to a vertical signal line. The plurality of amplification transistors are connected in parallel. The present technology is applicable to a CMOS image sensor, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Inventor: HIROAKI ISHIWATA
  • Patent number: 10068939
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate; and a pixel unit having a plurality of pixels on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the pixel unit includes first pixel groups having two or more pixels and second pixel groups being different from the first pixel groups, wherein a portion of the pixels in the first pixel groups and a portion of the pixels in the second pixel groups share a floating diffusion element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Ishiwata, Sanghoon Ha
  • Patent number: 10062719
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate; and a pixel unit having a plurality of pixels on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the pixel unit includes first pixel groups having two or more pixels and second pixel groups being different from the first pixel groups, wherein a portion of the pixels in the first pixel groups and a portion of the pixels in the second pixel groups share a floating diffusion element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Ishiwata, Sanghoon Ha
  • Patent number: 10050073
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device including an imaging area where a plurality of unit pixels are disposed to capture a color image, wherein each of the unit pixels includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions; a plurality of transfer gates, each of which is disposed in each of the photoelectric conversion portions to transfer signal charges from the photoelectric conversion portion; and a floating diffusion to which the signal charges are transferred from the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions by the plurality of the transfer gates, wherein the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions receive light of the same color to generate the signal charges, and wherein the signal charges transferred from the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions to the floating diffusion are added to be output as an electrical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Patent number: 10027916
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device and an electronic apparatus that realize a high frame rate image capture without deteriorating an image quality. A floating diffusion holds a charge accumulated on one or more photoelectric conversion units. A plurality of amplification transistors read out a signal corresponding to the charge held by the floating diffusion. The signal read out by the amplification transistor is output to a vertical signal line. The plurality of amplification transistors are connected in parallel. The present technology is applicable to a CMOS image sensor, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Patent number: 10015426
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging element, a driving method therefor, and an electronic apparatus, by which the characteristics of phase-difference pixels can be made constant irrespective of a chip position. In a pixel array section, a normal pixel including a photodiode (PD) that receives and photoelectrically converts incident light such that a color component signal is obtained, and a phase-difference pixel including a pair of a photodiode (PD1) and a photodiode (PD2) including light-receiving surfaces having a size depending on an image height such that a phase difference detection signal is obtained are arranged in a matrix form. The pair of the photodiode (PD1) and the photodiode (PD2) each include a first region serving as a charge accumulation main part and a second region that performs photoelectric conversion and contributes to charge transfer to the main part. The present technology is applicable to a CMOS image sensor, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Publication number: 20180175087
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device including an imaging area where a plurality of unit pixels are disposed to capture a color image, wherein each of the unit pixels includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions; a plurality of transfer gates, each of which is disposed in each of the photoelectric conversion portions to transfer signal charges from the photoelectric conversion portion; and a floating diffusion to which the signal charges are transferred from the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions by the plurality of the transfer gates, wherein the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions receive light of the same color to generate the signal charges, and wherein the signal charges transferred from the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions to the floating diffusion are added to be output as an electrical signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Publication number: 20180152655
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array unit in which a plurality of imaging pixels configured to generate an image, and a plurality of phase difference detection pixels configured to perform phase difference detection are arranged, each of the plurality of phase difference detection pixels including a plurality of photoelectric conversion units, a plurality of floating diffusions configured to convert charges stored in the plurality of photoelectric conversion units into voltage, and a plurality of amplification transistors configured to amplify the converted voltage in the plurality of floating diffusions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Inventors: Hiroaki Ishiwata, Hideo Kido, Norihiro Kubo, Tetsuya Uchida
  • Patent number: 9924119
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array unit in which a plurality of imaging pixels configured to generate an image, and a plurality of phase difference detection pixels configured to perform phase difference detection are arranged, each of the plurality of phase difference detection pixels including a plurality of photoelectric conversion units, a plurality of floating diffusions configured to convert charges stored in the plurality of photoelectric conversion units into voltage, and a plurality of amplification transistors configured to amplify the converted voltage in the plurality of floating diffusions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Ishiwata, Hideo Kido, Norihiro Kubo, Tetsuya Uchida
  • Patent number: 9923005
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device including an imaging area where a plurality of unit pixels are disposed to capture a color image, wherein each of the unit pixels includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions; a plurality of transfer gates, each of which is disposed in each of the photoelectric conversion portions to transfer signal charges from the photoelectric conversion portion; and a floating diffusion to which the signal charges are transferred from the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions by the plurality of the transfer gates, wherein the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions receive light of the same color to generate the signal charges, and wherein the signal charges transferred from the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions to the floating diffusion are added to be output as an electrical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Publication number: 20180077372
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging element, a driving method therefor, and an electronic apparatus, by which the characteristics of phase-difference pixels can be made constant irrespective of a chip position. In a pixel array section, a normal pixel including a photodiode (PD) that receives and photoelectrically converts incident light such that a color component signal is obtained, and a phase-difference pixel including a pair of a photodiode (PD1) and a photodiode (PD2) including light-receiving surfaces having a size depending on an image height such that a phase difference detection signal is obtained are arranged in a matrix form. The pair of the photodiode (PD1) and the photodiode (PD2) each include a first region serving as a charge accumulation main part and a second region that performs photoelectric conversion and contributes to charge transfer to the main part. The present technology is applicable to a CMOS image sensor, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventor: Hiroaki ISHIWATA
  • Patent number: 9888196
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging element, a driving method therefor, and an electronic apparatus, by which the characteristics of phase-difference pixels can be made constant irrespective of a chip position. In a pixel array section, a normal pixel including a photodiode (PD) that receives and photoelectrically converts incident light such that a color component signal is obtained, and a phase-difference pixel including a pair of a photodiode (PD1) and a photodiode (PD2) including light-receiving surfaces having a size depending on an image height such that a phase difference detection signal is obtained are arranged in a matrix form. The pair of the photodiode (PD1) and the photodiode (PD2) each include a first region serving as a charge accumulation main part and a second region that performs photoelectric conversion and contributes to charge transfer to the main part. The present technology is applicable to a CMOS image sensor, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Publication number: 20180007306
    Abstract: A solid state image sensor includes a pixel array, as well as charge-to-voltage converters, reset gates, and amplifiers each shared by a plurality of pixels in the array. The voltage level of the reset gate power supply is set higher than the voltage level of the amplifier power supply. Additionally, charge overflowing from photodetectors in the pixels may be discarded into the charge-to-voltage converters. The image sensor may also include a row scanner configured such that, while scanning a row in the pixel array to read out signals therefrom, the row scanner resets the charge in the photodetectors of the pixels sharing a charge-to-voltage converter with pixels on the readout row. The charge reset is conducted simultaneously with or prior to reading out the signals from the pixels on the readout row.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Inventors: Takeshi Yanagita, Keiji Mabuchi, Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Patent number: 9793313
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate; and a pixel unit having a plurality of pixels on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the pixel unit includes first pixel groups having two or more pixels and second pixel groups being different from the first pixel groups, wherein a portion of the pixels in the first pixel groups and a portion of the pixels in the second pixel groups share a floating diffusion element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Ishiwata, Sanghoon Ha
  • Patent number: 9781371
    Abstract: A solid state image sensor includes a pixel array, as well as charge-to-voltage converters, reset gates, and amplifiers each shared by a plurality of pixels in the array. The voltage level of the reset gate power supply is set higher than the voltage level of the amplifier power supply. Additionally, charge overflowing from photodetectors in the pixels may be discarded into the charge-to-voltage converters. The image sensor may also include a row scanner configured such that, while scanning a row in the pixel array to read out signals therefrom, the row scanner resets the charge in the photodetectors of the pixels sharing a charge-to-voltage converter with pixels on the readout row. The charge reset is conducted simultaneously with or prior to reading out the signals from the pixels on the readout row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Yanagita, Keiji Mabuchi, Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Publication number: 20170237921
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging element, a driving method therefor, and an electronic apparatus, by which the characteristics of phase-difference pixels can be made constant irrespective of a chip position. In a pixel array section, a normal pixel including a photodiode (PD) that receives and photoelectrically converts incident light such that a color component signal is obtained, and a phase-difference pixel including a pair of a photodiode (PD1) and a photodiode (PD2) including light-receiving surfaces having a size depending on an image height such that a phase difference detection signal is obtained are arranged in a matrix form. The pair of the photodiode (PD1) and the photodiode (PD2) each include a first region serving as a charge accumulation main part and a second region that performs photoelectric conversion and contributes to charge transfer to the main part. The present technology is applicable to a CMOS image sensor, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventor: Hiroaki ISHIWATA