Patents by Inventor Hirotaka Kitami

Hirotaka Kitami 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: 8830352
    Abstract: There is provided an image pickup device which eliminates the need for image processing different from one frame to another, and is capable of eliminating centroid displacement without additionally performing a centroid correction process, thereby improving an S/N ratio and image quality. A controller 140 sequentially reads signals from all pixels when an operation mode control signal designates all-pixel readout mode, whereas, controls to read a signal from a different pixel while varying a readout position from one field to another when the operation mode control signal designates selective readout mode, and a signal processing section 150 performs signal processing on a set of field data of a single field to output resultant data as frame data when the operation mode control signal designates all-pixel readout mode, whereas, adds up plural sets of field data over a plurality of fields to output resultant data as frame data when the operation mode control signal designates selective readout mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Ebihara, Yoshikazu Nitta, Hirotaka Kitami
  • Patent number: 8520110
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device and an imaging apparatus are provided. The solid-state imaging device performs an AD conversion in a column parallel for an analog pixel signal outputted from each of pixels disposed in a two-dimensional matrix shape. The solid-state imaging device includes: an AD conversion unit including a plurality of pixel signal accumulating units; a first switching unit for disconnecting parallel connection of a second pixel signal accumulating unit other than a first pixel signal accumulating unit which is one of the plurality of pixel signal accumulating units; and a second switching unit for connecting the second pixel signal accumulating unit to a pixel signal line of a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel in a row direction, when parallel connection of the second pixel signal accumulating unit is disconnected by the first switching unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotaka Kitami, Kenichi Okumura
  • Publication number: 20130016238
    Abstract: There is provided an image pickup device which eliminates the need for image processing different from one frame to another, and is capable of eliminating centroid displacement without additionally performing a centroid correction process, thereby improving an S/N ratio and image quality. A controller 140 sequentially reads signals from all pixels when an operation mode control signal designates all-pixel readout mode, whereas, controls to read a signal from a different pixel while varying a readout position from one field to another when the operation mode control signal designates selective readout mode, and a signal processing section 150 performs signal processing on a set of field data of a single field to output resultant data as frame data when the operation mode control signal designates all-pixel readout mode, whereas, adds up plural sets of field data over a plurality of fields to output resultant data as frame data when the operation mode control signal designates selective readout mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki Ebihara, Yoshikazu Nitta, Hirotaka Kitami
  • Publication number: 20120092538
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device and an imaging apparatus are provided. The solid-state imaging device performs an AD conversion in a column parallel for an analog pixel signal outputted from each of pixels disposed in a two-dimensional matrix shape. The solid-state imaging device includes: an AD conversion unit including a plurality of pixel signal accumulating units; a first switching unit for disconnecting parallel connection of a second pixel signal accumulating unit other than a first pixel signal accumulating unit which is one of the plurality of pixel signal accumulating units; and a second switching unit for connecting the second pixel signal accumulating unit to a pixel signal line of a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel in a row direction, when parallel connection of the second pixel signal accumulating unit is disconnected by the first switching unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirotaka KITAMI, Kenichi OKUMURA
  • Patent number: 8085329
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device and an imaging apparatus are provided. The solid-state imaging device performs an AD conversion in a column parallel for an analog pixel signal outputted from each of pixels disposed in a two-dimensional matrix shape. The solid-state imaging device includes: an AD conversion unit including a plurality of pixel signal accumulating units; a first switching unit for disconnecting parallel connection of a second pixel signal accumulating unit other than a first pixel signal accumulating unit which is one of the plurality of pixel signal accumulating units; and a second switching unit for connecting the second pixel signal accumulating unit to a pixel signal line of a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel in a row direction, when parallel connection of the second pixel signal accumulating unit is disconnected by the first switching unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotaka Kitami, Kenichi Okumura
  • Patent number: 7864094
    Abstract: A solid-state image sensing device includes: a pixel unit that has plural pixels and outputs analog pixel signals; a ramp signal generator unit that generates a ramp signal having a predetermined initial voltage and a fixed gradient; and an analog-digital converter unit that compares the analog pixel signals output by the pixel unit to the ramp signal generated by the ramp signal generator unit and digitally converts the analog pixel signals based on a comparison time, wherein the analog-digital converter unit can perform operation in a digital addition mode of adding the analog pixel signals output from the plural pixels of the pixel unit among plural pixels and outputting the signals as digital pixel signals, and the ramp signal generator unit can set the initial voltage of the ramp signal to an arbitrary value after resetting a potential of the ramp signal in the digital addition mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hirotaka Kitami
  • Publication number: 20100033362
    Abstract: A solid-state image sensing device includes: a pixel unit that has plural pixels and outputs analog pixel signals; a ramp signal generator unit that generates a ramp signal having a predetermined initial voltage and a fixed gradient; and an analog-digital converter unit that compares the analog pixel signals output by the pixel unit to the ramp signal generated by the ramp signal generator unit and digitally converts the analog pixel signals based on a comparison time, wherein the analog-digital converter unit can perform operation in a digital addition mode of adding the analog pixel signals output from the plural pixels of the pixel unit among plural pixels and outputting the signals as digital pixel signals, and the ramp signal generator unit can set the initial voltage of the ramp signal to an arbitrary value after resetting a potential of the ramp signal in the digital addition mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hirotaka Kitami
  • Publication number: 20090128678
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device and an imaging apparatus are provided. The solid-state imaging device performs an AD conversion in a column parallel for an analog pixel signal outputted from each of pixels disposed in a two-dimensional matrix shape. The solid-state imaging device includes: an AD conversion unit including a plurality of pixel signal accumulating units; a first switching unit for disconnecting parallel connection of a second pixel signal accumulating unit other than a first pixel signal accumulating unit which is one of the plurality of pixel signal accumulating units; and a second switching unit for connecting the second pixel signal accumulating unit to a pixel signal line of a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel in a row direction, when parallel connection of the second pixel signal accumulating unit is disconnected by the first switching unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotaka KITAMI, Kenichi Okumura