Patents by Inventor Hisashi Takado

Hisashi Takado 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: 20240098381
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a photoelectric device in which a plurality of pixels containing a photoelectric element including an avalanche photodiode are arranged in a two-dimensional array, and a processor that processes output signals of the plurality of pixels. The plurality of pixels includes a first pixel unit having imaging pixels, and a second pixel unit having at least one set of pixels including an aperture pixel and light shielded pixels that surround at least a part of the aperture pixel, and the processor uses output signals of the aperture pixel and the light shielded pixels of the set of the pixels to generate a correction pattern for correcting output signals of the imaging pixels, the correction pattern corresponding to an output pattern of the set of the aperture pixel and the light shielded pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventor: Hisashi Takado
  • Patent number: 11418733
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a pixel unit including pixels arranged in rows and columns, a pixel control unit that outputs, from each pixels, a first signal based on a charge generated during a first exposure period and a second signal based on a charge generated during a second exposure period, and an exposure time determination processing unit that determines a length of the second exposure period based on the first signal. The pixel unit includes areas each including at least one pixel, the exposure time determination processing unit determines the length of the second exposure period in each areas based on the first signal in each areas, and the pixel control unit starts the second exposure period in the pixels in a first area after outputting the first signal from the pixels in the first area and before outputting the first signal from the pixels in a second area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hisashi Takado
  • Patent number: 11297273
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus including a plurality of pixels each having: a photoelectric conversion unit; a first charge holding unit; a second charge holding unit; a first gate; and a second gate. In a period when the photoelectric conversion unit is storing charges to be transferred to the first charge holding unit, the potential of the first gate is set to a first potential, and the potential of the second gate is set to a second potential. Both the first potential and the second potential are higher than the potential of the first gate in a period when the charges of the photoelectric conversion unit are transferred to the first charge holding unit and the potential of the second gate in a period when the charges of the photoelectric conversion unit are transferred to the second charge holding unit. The first potential is lower than the second potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sekine, Hiroaki Sano, Hisashi Takado, Takahiro Yamasaki, Masahiro Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20220094867
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a pixel unit including pixels arranged in rows and columns, a pixel control unit that outputs, from each pixels, a first signal based on a charge generated during a first exposure period and a second signal based on a charge generated during a second exposure period, and an exposure time determination processing unit that determines a length of the second exposure period based on the first signal. The pixel unit includes areas each including at least one pixel, the exposure time determination processing unit determines the length of the second exposure period in each areas based on the first signal in each areas, and the pixel control unit starts the second exposure period in the pixels in a first area after outputting the first signal from the pixels in the first area and before outputting the first signal from the pixels in a second area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventor: Hisashi Takado
  • Patent number: 11284023
    Abstract: In an imaging apparatus as an embodiment, a drive unit drives pixels so that a photoelectric conversion unit alternately performs accumulation of charges in a first exposure period and accumulation of charges in a second exposure period having different length from the first exposure period. A control unit performs a first exposure in a first cycle and performs a second exposure in second cycle when a result of detection indicates that a subject is not blinking. Further, the control unit performs a first exposure in a cycle different from the first cycle when the result of detection indicates that the subject is blinking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinji Yamanaka, Hisashi Takado
  • Patent number: 11159759
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a first detection pixel and a second detection pixel, each of the first detection pixel and the second detection pixel including a transfer transistor and an amplifier transistor connected to the transfer transistor via a first node, a voltage supply unit that supplies a predetermined voltage, and a connection switch connected between the voltage supply unit and a second node at which the transfer transistor of the first detection pixel and the transfer transistor of the second detection pixel are connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hisashi Takado, Yasushi Iwakura, Tetsuya Itano
  • Patent number: 11057582
    Abstract: An image sensing device includes a plurality of pixels and a receiver configured to receive, from an outside, a trigger signal that gives a first timing and a second timing. Each of the plurality of pixels includes a photoelectric converter, a first charge holding portion configured to hold charges generated by the photoelectric converter, and a second charge holding portion configured to hold charges generated by the photoelectric converter. In each of the plurality of pixels, the charges whose accumulation is started in the photoelectric converter in accordance with the first timing are held by the first charge holding portion, and the charges whose accumulation is started in the photoelectric converter in accordance with the second timing are held by the second charge holding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hisashi Takado
  • Patent number: 10979647
    Abstract: An imaging device includes multiple pixels each having a photoelectric converter, a control unit that controls the pixels to output, from each pixel, a first signal based on charges generated by the photoelectric converter during first exposure time and a second signal based on charges generated by the photoelectric converter during second exposure time shorter than the first exposure time, a decision unit that decides whether or not a predetermined value is exceeded for each first signal output from the pixels and outputs a decision signal indicating a decision result, and a signal select unit that selects one of the first and second signals as an image forming signal of each pixel, and based on the decision signals of a target pixel and another pixel arranged in a predetermined region including the target pixel, the signal select unit selects the image forming signal of the target pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hisashi Takado
  • Publication number: 20200314369
    Abstract: In an imaging apparatus as an embodiment, a drive unit drives pixels so that a photoelectric conversion unit alternately performs accumulation of charges in a first exposure period and accumulation of charges in a second exposure period having different length from the first exposure period. A control unit performs a first exposure in a first cycle and performs a second exposure in second cycle when a result of detection indicates that a subject is not blinking. Further, the control unit performs a first exposure in a cycle different from the first cycle when the result of detection indicates that the subject is blinking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Shinji Yamanaka, Hisashi Takado
  • Publication number: 20200280690
    Abstract: A charge generated in a single photoelectric conversion unit during a certain period is stored in a first charge storing unit, and a charge generated in the single photoelectric conversion unit during a different period is stored in a second charge storing unit, and then a third transferring unit is set to on-state to transfer the charge to a floating diffusion, and then, in a state where the charge transferred to the floating diffusion is stored, a fourth transferring unit is set to on-state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventors: Hisashi Takado, Noriyuki Kaifu, Yasushi Iwakura, Masaaki Minowa, Takeshi Akiyama, Toshiki Tsuboi
  • Publication number: 20200252570
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus including a plurality of pixels each having: a photoelectric conversion unit; a first charge holding unit; a second charge holding unit; a first gate; and a second gate. In a period when the photoelectric conversion unit is storing charges to be transferred to the first charge holding unit, the potential of the first gate is set to a first potential, and the potential of the second gate is set to a second potential. Both the first potential and the second potential are higher than the potential of the first gate in a period when the charges of the photoelectric conversion unit are transferred to the first charge holding unit and the potential of the second gate in a period when the charges of the photoelectric conversion unit are transferred to the second charge holding unit. The first potential is lower than the second potential.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sekine, Hiroaki Sano, Hisashi Takado, Takahiro Yamasaki, Masahiro Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20200228741
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a first detection pixel and a second detection pixel, each of the first detection pixel and the second detection pixel including a transfer transistor and an amplifier transistor connected to the transfer transistor via a first node, a voltage supply unit that supplies a predetermined voltage, and a connection switch connected between the voltage supply unit and a second node at which the transfer transistor of the first detection pixel and the transfer transistor of the second detection pixel are connected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Inventors: Hisashi Takado, Yasushi Iwakura, Tetsuya Itano
  • Patent number: 10645325
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a first detection pixel and a second detection pixel, each of the first detection pixel and the second detection pixel including a transfer transistor and an amplifier transistor connected to the transfer transistor via a first node, a voltage supply unit that supplies a predetermined voltage, and a connection switch connected between the voltage supply unit and a second node at which the transfer transistor of the first detection pixel and the transfer transistor of the second detection pixel are connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hisashi Takado, Yasushi Iwakura, Tetsuya Itano
  • Publication number: 20200137286
    Abstract: An imaging device includes multiple pixels each having a photoelectric converter, a control unit that controls the pixels to output, from each pixel, a first signal based on charges generated by the photoelectric converter during first exposure time and a second signal based on charges generated by the photoelectric converter during second exposure time shorter than the first exposure time, a decision unit that decides whether or not a predetermined value is exceeded for each first signal output from the pixels and outputs a decision signal indicating a decision result, and a signal select unit that selects one of the first and second signals as an image forming signal of each pixel, and based on the decision signals of a target pixel and another pixel arranged in a predetermined region including the target pixel, the signal select unit selects the image forming signal of the target pixel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventor: Hisashi Takado
  • Patent number: 10477165
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus comprises a pixel unit including G-pixels 110-G, R-pixels 110-R, and B-pixels 110-B, an image signal output interval of the G-pixels 110 made shorter than image signal output intervals of the R-pixels and B-pixels. Regarding lights respectively having wavelength bands near a green color, near a red color, and near a blue color, the G-pixels 110-G have higher sensitivity to the wavelength band near the green color than both to the wavelength band near the red color and wavelength band near the blue color, the R-pixels 110-R have higher sensitivity to the wavelength band near the red color than both to the wavelength band near the green color and wavelength band near the blue color, and the B-pixels 110-B have higher sensitivity to the wavelength band near the blue color than both to the wavelength band near the green color and wavelength band near the red color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hisashi Takado
  • Patent number: 10462432
    Abstract: A method for driving an image pickup apparatus is a method that generates image data using signals output by R, G, and B pixels contained in n frames, where n is an integer greater than or equal to two, and a signal or signals output by a W pixel contained in m frame or frames, where m is smaller than n, or that generates image data using signals output by R and B pixels contained in n frames and a signal or signals output by a G pixel contained in m frame or frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoya Onishi, Noriyuki Kaifu, Fujio Kawano, Hisashi Takado
  • Patent number: 10455177
    Abstract: In a state where an electric charge is held in a first charge holding unit, starting accumulation of an electric charge in a photoelectric conversion unit simultaneously in a plurality of pixel rows, and performing a first transfer operation for transferring an electric charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the first charge holding unit simultaneously in the plurality of pixel rows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiki Tsuboi, Hisashi Takado, Takeshi Ichikawa, Kazuyuki Shigeta, Fumihiro Inui, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yusuke Onuki, Kazunari Kawabata
  • Publication number: 20190199978
    Abstract: An image sensing device includes a plurality of pixels and a receiver configured to receive, from an outside, a trigger signal that gives a first timing and a second timing. Each of the plurality of pixels includes a photoelectric converter, a first charge holding portion configured to hold charges generated by the photoelectric converter, and a second charge holding portion configured to hold charges generated by the photoelectric converter. In each of the plurality of pixels, the charges whose accumulation is started in the photoelectric converter in accordance with the first timing are held by the first charge holding portion, and the charges whose accumulation is started in the photoelectric converter in accordance with the second timing are held by the second charge holding portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventor: Hisashi Takado
  • Patent number: 10244192
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises an image sensor comprising pixels and a controller. The pixels include a photoelectric converter, a holding unit, an output unit and a first and second transfer unit. The controller causes the sensor to repeatedly perform a holding operation that the first transfer unit transfer charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the holding unit, and a transfer operation that the second transfer unit transfer the charge from the holding unit to the output unit. The controller causes the sensor to perform, as the holding operation, holding operations including a first holding operation for performing the first transfer unit transfer charge generated in a first exposure time and a second holding operation for performing the first transfer unit transfer charge generated in a second exposure time longer than the first exposure time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Shigeta, Noriyuki Kaifu, Hisashi Takado
  • Patent number: 10229475
    Abstract: Resolution data is generated by using signals output by a first pixel group. Color data is generated by using signals output by a second pixel group. The resolution data is combined with the color data to generate first data. Up-conversion processing is performed on the first data to generate second data, and mosaic processing is performed on the second data to generate data of a predetermined array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoya Onishi, Noriyuki Kaifu, Fujio Kawano, Hisashi Takado