Patents by Inventor Hirokazu Shiraki
Hirokazu Shiraki 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).
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Patent number: 9927516Abstract: A distance measuring apparatus includes: a light-emitting element that emits first to third pulsed beams; sensors that detect reflected light that is each of the pulsed beams reflected off an object, convert the reflected light into electrical signals, and accumulate the electrical signals over a predetermined exposure time; and a computing unit that derives a distance to the object using first to third signal amounts output by the sensors as a result of detecting, over the predetermined exposure time from first to third points in time, and the computing unit derives the distance to the object based on a first derived amount that is an amount derived using the first and second signal amounts and a second derived amount that is an amount derived using the second and third signal amounts.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2015Date of Patent: March 27, 2018Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventor: Hirokazu Shiraki
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Patent number: 9778361Abstract: In a TOF distance measurement employing light, the accuracy of distance measurement is improved without a significant increase in cost. A light source emits light to an object during an emission period. A sensor converts received reflected light (delay time ?) into an electrical signal during a plurality of signal accumulation periods, and accommodates the electrical signal. The signal accumulation period is set so that an accumulated signal amount varies depending on a distance to the object. The emission intensity of the light source is changed during the emission period so that the accumulated signal amount and the distance to the object has a nonlinear relationship.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2015Date of Patent: October 3, 2017Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akira Tsukamoto, Hirokazu Shiraki
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Publication number: 20160047905Abstract: A distance measuring apparatus includes: a light-emitting element that emits first to third pulsed beams; sensors that detect reflected light that is each of the pulsed beams reflected off an object, convert the reflected light into electrical signals, and accumulate the electrical signals over a predetermined exposure time; and a computing unit that derives a distance to the object using first to third signal amounts output by the sensors as a result of detecting, over the predetermined exposure time from first to third points in time, and the computing unit derives the distance to the object based on a first derived amount that is an amount derived using the first and second signal amounts and a second derived amount that is an amount derived using the second and third signal amounts.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2015Publication date: February 18, 2016Inventor: Hirokazu SHIRAKI
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Publication number: 20150301177Abstract: In a TOF distance measurement employing light, the accuracy of distance measurement is improved without a significant increase in cost. A light source emits light to an object during an emission period. A sensor converts received reflected light (delay time ?) into an electrical signal during a plurality of signal accumulation periods, and accommodates the electrical signal. The signal accumulation period is set so that an accumulated signal amount varies depending on a distance to the object. The emission intensity of the light source is changed during the emission period so that the accumulated signal amount and the distance to the object has a nonlinear relationship.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2015Publication date: October 22, 2015Inventors: Akira TSUKAMOTO, Hirokazu SHIRAKI
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Patent number: 8730366Abstract: A solid-state imaging device is provided in which transfer failure of signal charges is suppressed. The solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion units, a plurality of vertical transfer units having a plurality of vertical transfer electrodes, a plurality of horizontal transfer units having a plurality of horizontal transfer electrodes, and an intermediate transfer unit having a branch transfer electrode. In the first horizontal transfer unit, one of the horizontal transfer electrodes includes a plurality of column direction electrodes that are disposed adjacent to one another in the vertical direction and transfer the signal charges via the intermediate transfer unit to the second horizontal transfer unit. The vertical transfer electrode, the horizontal transfer electrodes, and the branch transfer electrode are a single layer electrode.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2012Date of Patent: May 20, 2014Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Koichi Yonemura, Hirokazu Shiraki, Akira Tsukamoto
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Publication number: 20130002921Abstract: A solid-state imaging device is provided in which transfer failure of signal charges is suppressed. The solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion units, a plurality of vertical transfer units having a plurality of vertical transfer electrodes, a plurality of horizontal transfer units having a plurality of horizontal transfer electrodes, and an intermediate transfer unit having a branch transfer electrode. In the first horizontal transfer unit, one of the horizontal transfer electrodes includes a plurality of column direction electrodes that are disposed adjacent to one another in the vertical direction and transfer the signal charges via the intermediate transfer unit to the second horizontal transfer unit. The vertical transfer electrode, the horizontal transfer electrodes, and the branch transfer electrode are a single layer electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2012Publication date: January 3, 2013Inventors: Koichi YONEMURA, Hirokazu SHIRAKI, Akira TSUKAMOTO
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Patent number: 7956389Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a semiconductor substrate; photoelectric conversion elements; vertical charge transfer paths that transfer charges generated in photoelectric conversion elements, in a vertical direction; a horizontal charge transfer path that transfers the charges transferred in vertical charge transfer paths, in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction; a plurality of charge accumulating sections between the vertical charge transfer paths and the horizontal charge transfer path; a plurality of electrodes disposed above the respective charge accumulating sections, the plurality of electrodes being classified into a plurality of kinds of electrodes; wirings corresponding to the respective kinds of electrodes and extending in the horizontal direction above the plurality of electrodes; and a planarizing layer disposed between the wirings and an uneven surface caused by the plurality of electrodes that are present in areas overlapping the wirings, so as to planarize the uType: GrantFiled: September 19, 2008Date of Patent: June 7, 2011Assignee: Fujifilm CorporationInventors: Hirokazu Shiraki, Katsumi Ikeda
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Publication number: 20100053404Abstract: Driving is performed so that a transition start time point ta of drive pulse signals ?H1 and ?H2 which are applied to transfer electrodes of a charge transfer section on an upstream side of a branch section is within transition period B or C of drive pulse signals ?HP1 and ?HP2 which are applied to transfer electrodes of the charge transfer section on a downstream side.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2009Publication date: March 4, 2010Applicant: FUJIFILM CorporationInventors: Hirokazu Shiraki, Makoto Kobayashi
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Patent number: 7605411Abstract: An HCCD includes a channel 21 that transfers electric charges in an X direction, a channel 25 that transfers the electric charges in a Z1 direction, a channel 23 that transfers the electric charges in a Z2 direction, and a channel 22 that connects the channels 23, 25 to the channel 21. The following relation is satisfied in impurity concentration of the channels: channel 21 channel 22 channel 23, 25. A fixed DC voltage is applied to branch electrodes 12a, 12b above the channel 22. The channel 22 has protrusion portions 19 that protrude inward from an outer circumference, which connects T1 and T2, and an outer circumference, which connects T3 and T4. The protrusion portions 19 causes charges below the transfer electrode 11b to move near the center of the channel 22 in a Y direction. Thereby, the travel distance of the charges in the channel 22 is reduced.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2008Date of Patent: October 20, 2009Assignee: Fujifilm CorporationInventors: Hirokazu Shiraki, Makoto Kobayashi, Katsumi Ikeda
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Publication number: 20090078969Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a semiconductor substrate; photoelectric conversion elements; vertical charge transfer paths that transfer charges generated in photoelectric conversion elements, in a vertical direction; a horizontal charge transfer path that transfers the charges transferred in vertical charge transfer paths, in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction; a plurality of charge accumulating sections between the vertical charge transfer paths and the horizontal charge transfer path; a plurality of electrodes disposed above the respective charge accumulating sections, the plurality of electrodes being classified into a plurality of kinds of electrodes; wirings corresponding to the respective kinds of electrodes and extending in the horizontal direction above the plurality of electrodes; and a planarizing layer disposed between the wirings and an uneven surface caused by the plurality of electrodes that are present in areas overlapping the wirings, so as to planarize the uType: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2008Publication date: March 26, 2009Inventors: Hirokazu SHIRAKI, Katsumi Ikeda
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Publication number: 20090020789Abstract: An HCCD includes a channel 21 that transfers electric charges in an X direction, a channel 25 that transfers the electric charges in a Z1 direction, a channel 23 that transfers the electric charges in a Z2 direction, and a channel 22 that connects the channels 23, 25 to the channel 21. The following relation is satisfied in impurity concentration of the channels: channel 21<channel 22<channel 23, 25 A fixed DC voltage is applied to branch electrodes 12a, 12b above the channel 22. The channel 22 has protrusion portions 19 that protrude inward from an outer circumference, which connects T1 and T2, and an outer circumference, which connects T3 and T4. The protrusion portions 19 causes charges below the transfer electrode 11b to move near the center of the channel 22 in a Y direction. Thereby, the travel distance of the charges in the channel 22 is reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2008Publication date: January 22, 2009Applicant: FUJIFILM CorporationInventors: Hirokazu SHIRAKI, Makoto Kobayashi, Katsumi Ikeda