Patents by Inventor Hiromasa Funakoshi

Hiromasa Funakoshi 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: 8441559
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus is provided for reducing noise which is derived from random noise contained in a correction signal used for correcting an image data and is newly generated on correction of the image data. The imaging apparatus drives vertical transfer registers with no signal charge from photoelectric transducers read out to the vertical transfer registers to obtain and store a correction signal into a field memory. The apparatus subtracts the correction signal from the image data by a subtractor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yukihiro Tanizoe, Yasutoshi Yamamoto, Yoshimasa Okabe, Hiromasa Funakoshi
  • Publication number: 20110181759
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus is provided for reducing noise which is derived from random noise contained in a correction signal used for correcting an image data and is newly generated on correction of the image data. The imaging apparatus drives vertical transfer registers with no signal charge from photoelectric transducers read out to the vertical transfer registers to obtain and store a correction signal into a field memory. The apparatus subtracts the correction signal from the image data by a subtractor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yukihiro Tanizoe, Yasutoshi Yamamoto, Yoshimasa Okabe, Hiromasa Funakoshi
  • Patent number: 7948531
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus is provided for reducing noise which is derived from random noise contained in a correction signal used for correcting an image data and is newly generated on correction of the image data. The imaging apparatus drives vertical transfer registers with no signal charge from photoelectric transducers read out to the vertical transfer registers to obtain and store a correction signal into a field memory. The apparatus subtracts the correction signal from the image data by a subtractor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yukihiro Tanizoe, Yasutoshi Yamamoto, Yoshimasa Okabe, Hiromasa Funakoshi
  • Publication number: 20090207295
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a vertical transfer unit to sequentially transfer the charges generated by photoelectric conversion elements in a vertical direction with the transfer registers, during a vertical transfer period, a horizontal transfer unit to horizontally transfer the charges transferred by the vertical transfer unit, during a horizontal transfer period, and a controller to control the vertical transfer unit and the horizontal transfer unit. The controller controls the vertical transfer unit such that the number of transfer registers used to store the charges during the horizontal transfer period is larger than the number of transfer registers used to store the charges during the vertical transfer period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiromasa Funakoshi, Takeo Minami, Mitsuhiro Sasaki
  • Patent number: 7365776
    Abstract: The present invention provides an imaging apparatus for converting a 24p imaging signal generated with a frame frequency of 24 Hz according to a progressive scanning system into a 60i signal with a field frequency of 60 Hz by 2:3 pull-down processing according to an interlace scanning system which is a standard television system. The imaging apparatus prevents occurrence of a horizontal stripe and the like at the center of a screen and prevents degradation in picture quality. According to this inventive imaging apparatus, when the output timing of the 24p imaging signal from an imaging section 2 is not equal to the phase of a 60i vertical synchronizing signal, the 24p imaging signal is inputted to a memory section 3 after being delayed by a delay section 8 by a time during which the 60i signal is subjected to (½) field scanning, and the 24p imaging signal is written in the memory section 3 in synchronization with the 60i vertical synchronizing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryoji Asada, Hiromasa Funakoshi
  • Patent number: 7061531
    Abstract: An imaging device uses a solid state imaging element, during multi-field accumulation to prevent shading and oscillatory phenomena such as repeated black and white patterns. A signal is supplied from a timing signal generation circuit to switches, and controls the ON/OFF operation. During the H period of the signal, the switch is closed, and the output value of an amplifier is input to a capacitor. During the L period of the signal, the switch is opened, and the average value of the output of the amplifier is maintained in the capacitor. During the H period, the switch is open, while during the L period, the switch is in the ON state. At this time, the level of the capacitor C2 and the output of the amplifier are input to an amplifier, and their difference is amplified and supplied to a capacitor C3 via the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hiromasa Funakoshi, Ryoji Asada, Kazumasa Motoda
  • Publication number: 20060092283
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus is provided for reducing noise which is derived from random noise contained in a correction signal used for correcting an image data and is newly generated on correction of the image data. The imaging apparatus drives vertical transfer registers (302) with no signal charge from photoelectric transducers (301) read out to the vertical transfer registers (302) to obtain and store a correction signal into a field memory (7). The apparatus subtracts the correction signal from the image data by a subtractor (8).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Publication date: May 4, 2006
    Inventors: Yukihiro Tanizoe, Yasutoshi Yamamoto, Yoshimasa Okabe, Hiromasa Funakoshi
  • Patent number: 6980242
    Abstract: A solid-state image sensing device comprising a photoelectric converter portion, a solid-state image sensor, and a controlling means. The photoelectric converter portion has a plurality of photoelectric converters arranged in two dimensions on a semiconductor substrate. The solid-state image sensor vertically transfers charges, transferred from the photoelectric converter portion, at separate times of first transfer and second transfer. Further, the photoelectric converter portion has a vertical transfer portion, in which first and fourth gates are provided for odd-numbered photoelectric converters, and second and third gates are provided for even-numbered photoelectric converters, and a horizontal transfer portion for horizontally transferring charges transferred from the vertical transfer portion. The controlling means supplies the vertical transfer portion with vertical transfer pulses and the horizontal transfer portion with horizontal transfer pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromasa Funakoshi, Ryoji Asada, Kazumasa Motoda
  • Publication number: 20050280715
    Abstract: The present invention provides an imaging apparatus for converting a 24p imaging signal generated with a frame frequency of 24 Hz according to a progressive scanning system into a 60i signal with a field frequency of 60 Hz by 2:3 pull-down processing according to an interlace scanning system which is a standard television system. The imaging apparatus prevents occurrence of a horizontal stripe and the like at the center of a screen and prevents degradation in picture quality. According to this inventive imaging apparatus, when the output timing of the 24p imaging signal from an imaging section 2 is not equal to the phase of a 60i vertical synchronizing signal, the 24p imaging signal is inputted to a memory section 3 after being delayed by a delay section 8 by a time during which the 60i signal is subjected to (½) field scanning, and the 24p imaging signal is written in the memory section 3 in synchronization with the 60i vertical synchronizing signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Publication date: December 22, 2005
    Inventors: Ryoji Asada, Hiromasa Funakoshi
  • Publication number: 20010055068
    Abstract: An imaging device uses a solid state imaging element, during multi-field accumulation to prevent shading and oscillatory phenomena such as repeated black and white patterns. A signal is supplied from a timing signal generation circuit to switches, and controls the ON/OFF operation. During the H period of the signal, the switch is closed, and the output value of an amplifier is input to a capacitor. During the L period of the signal, the switch is opened, and the average value of the output of the amplifier is maintained in the capacitor. During the H period, the switch is open, while during the L period, the switch is in the ON state. At this time, the level of the capacitor C2 and the output of the amplifier are input to an amplifier, and their difference is amplified and supplied to a capacitor C3 via the switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2001
    Publication date: December 27, 2001
    Inventors: Hiromasa Funakoshi, Ryoji Asada, Kazumasa Motoda
  • Publication number: 20010022623
    Abstract: A solid-state image sensing device comprising a photoelectric converter portion, a solid-state image sensor, and a controlling means. The photoelectric converter portion has a plurality of photoelectric converters arranged in two dimensions on a semiconductor substrate. The solid-state image sensor vertically transfers charges, transferred from the photoelectric converter portion, at separate times of first transfer and second transfer. Further, the photoelectric converter portion has a vertical transfer portion, in which first and fourth gates are provided for odd-numbered photoelectric converters, and second and third gates are provided for even-numbered photoelectric converters, and a horizontal transfer portion for horizontally transferring charges transferred from the vertical transfer portion. The controlling means supplies the vertical transfer portion with vertical transfer pulses and the horizontal transfer portion with horizontal transfer pulses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Publication date: September 20, 2001
    Inventors: Hiromasa Funakoshi, Ryoji Asada, Kazumasa Motoda
  • Publication number: 20010005228
    Abstract: A solid-state image sensing device comprising a photoelectric converter portion, a solid-state image sensor, and a controlling means. The photoelectric converter portion has a plurality of photoelectric converters arranged in two dimensions on a semiconductor substrate. The solid-state image sensor vertically transfers charges, transferred from the photoelectric converter portion, at separate times of first transfer and second transfer. Further, the photoelectric converter portion has a vertical transfer portion, in which first and fourth gates are provided for odd-numbered photoelectric converters, and second and third gates are provided for even-numbered photoelectric converters, and a horizontal transfer portion for horizontally transferring charges transferred from the vertical transfer portion. The controlling means supplies the vertical transfer portion with vertical transfer pulses and the horizontal transfer portion with horizontal transfer pulses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2001
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Hiromasa Funakoshi, Ryoji Asada, Kazumasa Motoda
  • Patent number: 5650644
    Abstract: A charge transfer device has trapezoidal shape impurity-implanted regions (1, 51, . . . ) in n-type regions (271, 371) at least in the through-paths between a first HCCD (27) and a second HCCD (28), and its isolation regions (41) under the transfer gate (29) are trapezoidal shaped, and thereby charge transfer loss and hence FPN is minimized and the transfer efficiency is much improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 22, 1997
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromasa Funakoshi, Takao Kuroda
  • Patent number: 5612554
    Abstract: In a charge detection device of a charge coupled device, an unnecessary overlap between a floating gate and other gates are reduced. A gate of a source follower amplifier is also formed in an active region. Further, the floating gate is connected to a gate of the source follower amplifier, and a bias gate and the floating gate overlap above a field oxide film. A bias gate voltage is controlled according to fluctuations of floating gate voltage. Thus, floating gate potential is kept constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiromasa Funakoshi
  • Patent number: 5495116
    Abstract: An electric charge detecting apparatus comprising vertical CCD, horizontal CCD and floating diffusion amplifier comprised of floating diffusion layer and source follower amplifier comprising a MOS transistor wherein a buffer electrode is arranged at one end of a gate electrode of the MOS transistor, the gate electrode is formed within an active region of the MOS transistor, a contact hole is provided for connecting a polysilicon layer arranged on a charge-voltage transformer and the source follow or plural P wells are formed and one of them is arranged under a wiring connecting the charge-voltage transformer and the source follower and connected to a source of a drive transistor. Said electric charge detecting apparatus further comprising, P.sup.+ region arranged under a field oxide film on which an output signal wiring from the source follower is electrically isolated from another P.sup.+ region or no P.sup.+ regions are provided under the field oxide film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1996
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromasa Funakoshi, Takahiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 5111052
    Abstract: A radiation sensor for the measurement of photo energies of incident radiation is disclosed which comprises a semiconductor substrate sensitive to photons of the incident radiation, at least one common electrode and at least one split electrode, both of which are disposed on the same surface of the substrate, or the common electrode being disposed on one surface of the substrate and the split electrode being disposed on the other surface of the substrate at a diagonal position to the common electrode. Also disclosed is a radiation detecting apparatus using the above-mentioned radiation sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1992
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuro Ohtsuchi, Hiroshi Tsutsui, Koichi Ohmori, Sueki Baba, Hiromasa Funakoshi, Toshiyuki Kawara, Yoshiyuki Yoshizumi
  • Patent number: 5020085
    Abstract: An X-ray image processing device using dual energy projection radiography method, wherein the low energy image and the high energy image are subjected to a subtraction processing to output a first image such as bone X-ray image, and the first image and the low energy image are subjected to another subtraction to output a second image such as a soft tissue X-ray image without deterioration of the X-ray image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1991
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Kawara, Hiroshi Tsutsui, Hiromasa Funakoshi, Yoshiyuki Yoshizumi