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).
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Patent number: 8830352Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 14, 2010Date of Patent: September 9, 2014Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Hiroaki Ebihara, Yoshikazu Nitta, Hirotaka Kitami
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Patent number: 8520110Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 23, 2011Date of Patent: August 27, 2013Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Hirotaka Kitami, Kenichi Okumura
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Publication number: 20130016238Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2010Publication date: January 17, 2013Applicant: SONY CORPORATIONInventors: Hiroaki Ebihara, Yoshikazu Nitta, Hirotaka Kitami
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Publication number: 20120092538Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2011Publication date: April 19, 2012Applicant: SONY CORPORATIONInventors: Hirotaka KITAMI, Kenichi OKUMURA
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Patent number: 8085329Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 24, 2008Date of Patent: December 27, 2011Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Hirotaka Kitami, Kenichi Okumura
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Patent number: 7864094Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 30, 2009Date of Patent: January 4, 2011Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Hirotaka Kitami
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Publication number: 20100033362Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2009Publication date: February 11, 2010Applicant: Sony CorporationInventor: Hirotaka Kitami
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Publication number: 20090128678Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 24, 2008Publication date: May 21, 2009Applicant: Sony CorporationInventors: Hirotaka KITAMI, Kenichi Okumura