Patents by Inventor Isao Ichimura

Isao Ichimura 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: 10956547
    Abstract: A biometrics authentication system having a small and simple configuration and being capable of implementing both of biometrics authentication and position detection is provided. A biometrics authentication system includes a light source emitting light to an object, a microlens array section condensing light from the object, a light-sensing device obtaining light detection data of the object on the basis of the light condensed by the microlens array section, a position detection section detecting the position of the object on the basis of the light detection data obtained in the light-sensing device, and an authentication section, in the case where the object is a living body, performing authentication of the living body on the basis of the light detection data obtained in the light-sensing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Yamamoto, Hideo Sato, Isao Ichimura, Toshio Watanabe, Shinichi Kai, Junji Kajihara, Kengo Hayasaka
  • Publication number: 20190042721
    Abstract: A biometrics authentication system having a small and simple configuration and being capable of implementing both of biometrics authentication and position detection is provided. A biometrics authentication system includes: a light source emitting light to an object; a microlens array section condensing light from the object; a light-sensing device obtaining light detection data of the object on the basis of the light condensed by the microlens array section; a position detection section detecting the position of the object on the basis of the light detection data obtained in the light-sensing device; and an authentication section, in the case where the object is a living body, performing authentication of the living body on the basis of the light detection data obtained in the light-sensing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: KENJI YAMAMOTO, HIDEO SATO, ISAO ICHIMURA, TOSHIO WATANABE, SHINICHI KAI, JUNJI KAJIHARA, KENGO HAYASAKA
  • Patent number: 9161432
    Abstract: A circuit board includes a board having a hole formed therein, and an imager that is bonded to a first region including at least a portion of the hole in a front surface of the board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toshio Watanabe, Isao Ichimura, Tatsuo Maeda, Takuma Nagata
  • Patent number: 8466475
    Abstract: A light detecting chip includes at least one detection region configured to accommodate a sample that is capable of emitting fluorescent light, and a light reflecting section configured to reflect at least a portion of the fluorescent light emitted from the sample in a direction toward a light detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Isao Ichimura, Masanobu Yamamoto, Shinichi Kai
  • Patent number: 8463001
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus capable of improving the image quality of a picked-up image at the time of closely picking up an image is provided. In an image processing section 14, after a process of clipping a central region 31 and an image reversing process are performed in each of image pickup regions 3 of microlenses on image pickup data D1 obtained by an image pickup device 13, an image synthesizing process using images is performed to obtain image-processed data (image pickup data D2). In the image pickup data D2, the process of clipping the central region 31 is performed in each of the image pickup regions 3 of the microlenses, so even if a living organism 2 as an object subjected to image pickup is closely placed, an overlap region 32 between the image pickup regions 3 by adjacent microlenses is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kengo Hayasaka, Isao Ichimura, Kenji Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8451352
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus allowed to obtain parallax information while preventing a decline in apparent resolution. An image pickup apparatus includes: an image pickup lens having an aperture stop; an image pickup device including a plurality of pixels and obtaining image pickup data based on light received on the plurality of pixels; and a microlens array arranged between the image pickup lens and the image pickup device so that one microlens is allocated to 2×2 pixels in the image pickup device. The plurality of pixels are disposed in a fashion of two-dimensional arrangement along two directions rotated a certain angle with respect to a horizontal direction and a vertical direction, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kengo Hayasaka, Kenji Yamamoto, Isao Ichimura, Isao Hirota
  • Publication number: 20130062717
    Abstract: A circuit board includes a board having a hole formed therein, and an imager that is bonded to a first region including at least a portion of the hole in a front surface of the board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toshio Watanabe, Isao Ichimura, Tatsuo Maeda, Takuma Nagata
  • Publication number: 20130034857
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an optical analysis apparatus including: a light source; a light guiding plate configured to guide incident light from the light source to each of reaction areas; a light shielding structure configured to restrict emission directions of light beams emitted from the inside of the reaction areas; and a detection system configured to detect the light beams emitted from the inside of the reaction areas by radiation of the light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Junji Kajihara, Shinichi Kai, Isao Ichimura, Yuji Segawa
  • Publication number: 20120326011
    Abstract: An image pickup device includes a plurality of photodiodes, a photoelectric conversion part, and structures. The photoelectric conversion part is configured to convert light incident on the plurality of photodiodes into an electric signal. The structures each have a plano-convex shape and are formed to cover the plurality of photodiodes, the structures each having a concave part at a center of the plano-convex shape, and regions other than the concave part on each surface of the structures, the regions being covered by a light reflecting material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Isao Ichimura
  • Patent number: 8335353
    Abstract: A low-profile biometrics authentication system capable of achieving high security level authentication is provided. A biometrics authentication system 1 includes a light source 10, a light guide section 11A, a diffraction section 11B, a microlens array 12, an image pickup device 13, an image processing section 14, a pattern storing section 15, an authentication section 16, a voltage supply section 17, a light source driving section 181, an image pickup device driving section 182 and a control section 19. When light L0 emitted from the light source 10 propagates through the light guide section 11A by total reflection, and then enters the diffraction section 11B, light L1 diffracted at a different angle from an incident angle is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Yamamoto, Isao Ichimura
  • Patent number: 8324597
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a light detection device including, at least, a substrate provided with a plurality of detection regions where to perform detection of fluorescent light emitted from the inside of a sample upon irradiation of the sample with light, a light irradiation section operable to perform the irradiation with light, an optical control section configured to irradiate the detection regions with the light radiated from the light irradiation section, and a light detection section operable to detect the fluorescent light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Fukumoto, Isao Ichimura, Shinichi Kai, Toshio Watanabe, Yuji Segawa
  • Patent number: 8305429
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus having a simple configuration and being capable of performing switching between an image pickup mode based on a light field photography technique and a normal high-resolution image pickup mode is provided. The image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup lens 11, a microlens array section 12 where light passing through the image pickup lens 11 enters, and an image pickup device 13 sensing light emitted from the microlens array section 12, and the focal length of each of microlenses constituting the microlens array section 12 is variable in response to an applied voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Junji Kajihara, Kenji Yamamoto, Isao Ichimura
  • Patent number: 8306287
    Abstract: A biometrics authentication system includes: a light source applying light to a living body; a detection section on which the living body is to be placed; a microlens array section configured so that a plurality of microlenses each condensing light from the living body are arranged at intervals; a light shielding section arranged on at least one of a light incidence side and a light exiting side of the microlens array section and having apertures each facing a region where each of the microlenses is arranged; an image pickup device obtaining image pickup data of the living body on the basis of the light condensed by the microlens array section; and an authentication section performing authentication of the living body on the basis of the image pickup data obtained in the image pickup device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Junji Kajihara, Isao Ichimura, Kenji Yamamoto, Toshio Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8237843
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an imaging device, including: an imaging lens having an aperture stop; an imaging element adapted to obtain image data based on received light; and a microlens array provided in the focal plane of the imaging lens between the imaging lens and imaging element, the microlens array including a plurality of microlenses arranged in such a manner that each microlens is associated with a plurality of imaging pixels of the imaging element, wherein the arrangement of the microlenses of the microlens array is corrected from an equidistant arrangement to a non-linear arrangement according to the height of the image from the imaging lens on the imaging element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Yamamoto, Isao Ichimura, Kengo Hayasaka, Koichiro Kishima
  • Patent number: 8180119
    Abstract: A biometrics authentication system capable of easily performing biometrics authentication is provided. A biometrics authentication system includes: a microlens array section including a plurality of microlenses; an image pickup device for receiving light condensed by each microlens in the microlens array section from each different part of a living organism to obtain image pickup data of each part; an image processing section for producing a single image pickup data of the living organism on the basis of the image pickup data of each part captured by the image pickup device; and an authentication section for performing at least vein authentication using a vein of the living organism on the basis of the single image pickup data captured by the image processing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Junji Kajihara, Kenji Yamamoto, Isao Ichimura
  • Patent number: 8170300
    Abstract: A biometric image pickup apparatus with a simple configuration capable of reducing light amount variations in a picked-up image. The biometric image pickup apparatus includes: a light source applying light to a living organism; a detection section for placing the living organism thereon; an image pickup lens section condensing light from the living organism; an image pickup device obtaining image pickup data on the basis of the light condensed by the image pickup lens section; and a transmittance distribution filter arranged between the detection section and the image pickup device, in which the transmittance distribution filter has a transmittance distribution in which the transmittance is higher in a region far from the light source than in a region near the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Yamamoto, Isao Ichimura
  • Patent number: 8130310
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus capable of increasing the number of pixels in a reproduced image without a decline in image quality of a picked up image is provided. The image pickup apparatus includes: an image pickup lens section including an aperture stop, the aperture stop including a plurality of aperture sections; an image pickup device obtaining image pickup data on the basis of light received; and a microlens array section being arranged on the focal plane of the image pickup lens section between the image pickup lens and the image pickup device, and including one microlens for a plurality of pixels of the image pickup device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Yamamoto, Shigeatsu Yoshioka, Isao Ichimura
  • Patent number: 8111595
    Abstract: An optical disc recording and playback apparatus includes an optical pickup performing an operation for recording and playing back signal information into and from an optical disc; an optical element allowing a light beam irradiated onto an optical disc by the optical pickup to be split into a main beam and sub-beams on both sides of the main beam and supplying the beams to the optical disc; an optical detector detecting return light from the optical disc; and a computation circuit detecting a track control error signal by a phase difference method and a differential push-pull method by using the detection signal from the optical detector and also detecting a wobble signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Isao Ichimura
  • Patent number: 8106994
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes: an image pickup lens section; an image pickup device obtaining image pickup data on the basis of light detected; a microlens array section arranged on a focal plane of the image pickup lens section, and including a plurality of microlenses, each of the microlenses being provided corresponding to a plurality of image pickup pixels of the image pickup device; and a light-condensing section configured of a plurality of light-condensing elements, each of the light-condensing elements condensing light entering into each of the image pickup pixels of the image pickup device, wherein on the image pickup device, in a pixel region corresponding to each microlens, the pitch between the light-condensing elements is smaller than the pixel size, and in a boundary region between pixel regions corresponding to microlenses, respectively, the pitch between the light-condensing elements is larger than the pixel size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Isao Ichimura
  • Publication number: 20110157446
    Abstract: An image sensor is provided. The image sensor includes a photoelectric conversion portion including a light receiving element; and a well region defined by a wall structure that is formed integrally on the photoelectric conversion portion, wherein the well region is positioned to correspond to the light receiving element of the photoelectric conversion portion. An image sensor device and methods of manufacture are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroto Kasai, Tatsuya Minakawa, Yuichi Aki, Makoto Hashimoto, Ayumu Taguchi, Takeshi Yamasaki, Isao Ichimura, Keiichi Maeda