Patents by Inventor Hirohisa Ohtsuki

Hirohisa Ohtsuki 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: 20080278614
    Abstract: In a MOS-type solid-state imaging device 1, in pixels 101 to 104 in which lines in an upper layer (charge transfer lines 1018 to 1048) are formed in shifted positions located toward a center L1 of an image area, each two oppositely disposed pixels with the center L1 of the image area sandwiched therebetween, such as a pixel 101 and a pixel 104 have the following relation. In each of the pixels 101 and 104, power supply lines 1016 and 1046, vertical signal lines 1017 and 1047, and charge transfer lines 1018 and 1048 relating to each of the pixels 101 and 104 are arranged symmetrically with respect to an imaginary plane extending from the center L1 of a sensor 10 in a direction orthogonal to the drawing page in an X-axis direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2008
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventors: Hirohisa OHTSUKI, Ryohei MIYAGAWA, Motonari KATSUNO, Mikiya UCHIDA
  • Publication number: 20080277702
    Abstract: Provided is a solid-state imaging device including unit pixels, wherein the unit pixels include two kinds of unit pixels including a first unit pixel and a second unit pixel that are formed on a common well on a semiconductor substrate. The first unit pixel includes: at least one photoelectric conversion region which converts light into a signal charge; the first semiconductor region that is formed on the common well and has a conductivity type identical to that of the common well; and the first contact electrically connected to the first semiconductor region. The second unit pixel includes: at least one photoelectric conversion region; the second semiconductor region that is formed on the common well and has a conductivity type opposite to that of the common well; and the second contact electrically connected to the second semiconductor region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2008
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Motonari KATSUNO, Ryohei MIYAGAWA, Hirohisa OHTSUKI
  • Publication number: 20070210398
    Abstract: A pixel array is provided in which cells are arranged in a matrix. Each cell includes a photodiode, an FD, a transfer transistor, a reset transistor, an amplifying transistor having a gate electrode connected to the FD, a drain connected to a power supply line, and a source connected to a vertical signal line, and an FD wire. The FD wire is provided in a first wiring line, and the vertical signal line is provided in a second wiring line positioned over the first wiring layer. Since the potential of the FD wire follows the potential of the vertical signal line, it is possible to suppress a variation in capacitance occurring in the FD when a position of the vertical signal is shifted, depending on a position of the cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2007
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Inventors: Hirohisa Ohtsuki, Motonari Katsuno, Ryohei Miyagawa
  • Patent number: 7248523
    Abstract: A static random access memory (SRAM) includes a memory array, a sense amplifier circuit, a replica circuit and a dummy cell. The replica circuit has the same elements as memory cells, and includes plural replica cells which output a signal whose level corresponds to the number of stages provided to a common replica bit line. The dummy cell is connected as a load with the common replica bit line. The source of a drive transistor of the dummy cell is connected with a power source which is at the High level. This suppresses a leak current flowing from a replica bit line to the dummy cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirohisa Ohtsuki, Kazuo Itoh, Katsuji Satomi, Hironori Akamatsu
  • Patent number: 7136318
    Abstract: A dummy cell includes two series-connected OFF-state transistors, one end of the series circuit which is formed by these two transistors is connected with a constant voltage source, and the other end of the series circuit is connected with a replica bit line. This suppresses a leak current flowing from the replica bit line to the dummy cell and therefore gives optimal start-up timing to a sense amplifier circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirohisa Ohtsuki, Kazuo Itoh, Katsuji Satomi, Hironori Akamatsu
  • Publication number: 20060050586
    Abstract: A memory array, a sense amplifier circuit, a replica circuit and a dummy cell are disposed. The replica circuit has the same elements as memory cells, and includes plural replica cells which output a signal whose level corresponds to the number of stages provided to a common replica bit line. The dummy cell is connected as a load with the common replica bit line. The source of a drive transistor of the dummy cell is connected with a power source which is at the High level. This suppresses a leak current flowing from a replica bit line to the dummy cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Publication date: March 9, 2006
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirohisa Ohtsuki, Kazuo Itoh, Katsuji Satomi, Hironori Akamatsu
  • Patent number: 6982914
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a replica circuit including a plurality of replica cells (RMC) having the same elements as those of memory cells in a memory array and outputting signals with levels in the stage number to a common replica bit line, and a sense amplifier control circuit for receiving a signal of the replica bit line to control a timing of a signal SAE for starting a sense amplifier circuit. The replica circuit includes a switching circuit (SW) for switching the stage number of the replica cells to be activated among the plurality of replica cells in a programmable manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirohisa Ohtsuki, Toshikazu Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20050286323
    Abstract: A dummy cell includes two series-connected OFF-state transistors, one end of the series circuit which is formed by these two transistors is connected with a constant voltage source, and the other end of the series circuit is connected with a replica bit line. This suppresses a leak current flowing from the replica bit line to the dummy cell and therefore gives optimal start-up timing to a sense amplifier circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2005
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirohisa Ohtsuki, Kazuo Itoh, Katsuji Satomi, Hironori Akamatsu
  • Publication number: 20040141395
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a replica circuit including a plurality of replica cells (RMC) having the same elements as those of memory cells in a memory array and outputting signals with levels in accordance with the stage number to a common replica bit line, and a sense amplifier control circuit for receiving a signal of the replica bit line to control a timing of a signal SAE for starting a sense amplifier circuit. The replica circuit includes a switching circuit (SW) for switching the stage number of the replica cells to be activated among the plurality of replica cells in a programmable manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2004
    Publication date: July 22, 2004
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirohisa Ohtsuki, Toshikazu Suzuki