Patents by Inventor Katsuhito Sakurai
Katsuhito Sakurai 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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Publication number: 20190103434Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus includes a stack of a first chip having a plurality of pixel circuits arranged in a matrix form and a second chip having a plurality of electric circuit arranged in a matrix form. A wiring path between a semiconductor element configuring the pixel circuit and a semiconductor element configuring the electric circuit or a positional relationship between a semiconductor element configuring the pixel circuit and a semiconductor element configuring the electric circuit is differentiated among the electric circuits.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2018Publication date: April 4, 2019Inventors: Hiroaki Kobayashi, Atsushi Furubayashi, Katsuhito Sakurai
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Publication number: 20190104270Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus includes a stack of first and second chips each having a plurality of pixel circuits arranged in a matrix form. The pixel circuit of the a-th row and the e1-th column is connected to the electric circuit of the p-th row and the v-th column. The pixel circuit of the a-th row and the f1-th column is connected to the electric circuit of the q-th row and the v-th column. The pixel circuit of the a-th row and the g1-th column is connected to the electric circuit of the r-th row and the v-th column. The pixel circuit of the a-th row and the h1-th column is connected to the electric circuit of the s-th row and the v-th column.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2018Publication date: April 4, 2019Inventors: Katsuhito Sakurai, Yoshiaki Takada, Takahiro Shirai, Hideo Kobayashi, Kohichi Nakamura, Daisuke Yoshida, Fumihiro Inui
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Publication number: 20190104275Abstract: An imaging apparatus is provided and is configured in such a manner that a plurality of first pixels are connected to a first AD conversion unit, and a plurality of second pixels are connected to a second AD conversion unit whereby the imaging apparatus has a beneficial connection relationship between the pixels and the AD conversion units.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2018Publication date: April 4, 2019Inventors: Yuuichirou Hatano, Katsuhito Sakurai, Atsushi Furubayashi
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Publication number: 20190103427Abstract: An imaging device includes a first chip on which a plurality of first blocks is arranged in a matrix, and a second chip which includes a first block scanning circuit and a second block scanning circuit. The second chip includes a selection circuit configured to select driving timing given to a plurality of pixels, based on a signal output from the first block scanning circuit and a signal output from the second block scanning circuit. A second block includes a circuit other than the selection circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2018Publication date: April 4, 2019Inventors: Kohei Matsumoto, Hirofumi Totsuka, Katsuhito Sakurai, Kohichi Nakamura
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Publication number: 20190104263Abstract: Provided is an imaging device configured to sequentially perform AD conversion for A signals of pixels of the first row, A signals of pixels of the second row, A+B signals of the pixels of the first row, and A+B signals of the pixels of the second row.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2018Publication date: April 4, 2019Inventors: Kei Ochiai, Katsuhito Sakurai, Atsushi Furubayashi
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Publication number: 20180139396Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an imaging device including: a plurality of pixels, each pixel including a photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts received light, a read node in which a signal charge generated in the photoelectric conversion unit is accumulated, and a first readout circuit that performs analog-to-digital conversion to convert a signal based on the signal charge accumulated in the read node into a digital signal; and a second readout circuit that reads a signal based on the signal charge, the signal having a smaller amplitude than a resolution of the analog-to-digital conversion of the first readout circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2017Publication date: May 17, 2018Inventors: Hirofumi Totsuka, Katsuhito Sakurai
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Patent number: 9570508Abstract: A photoelectric conversion unit generates an amount of charges. A differential amplifier has first and second input transistors and is configured to output a current signal based on the amount of charges. A reset voltage providing unit is configured to provide a reset voltage for input nodes of the first and second input transistors. A transfer transistor is electrically connected to, and configured to transfer a charge to, the input node of the first input transistor. A reset transistor is electrically connected to one of the input nodes, and configured to control an electrical connection between the reset voltage providing unit and the input node connected to the reset transistor. A connection transistor has first and second nodes and is configured to control an electrical connection between the input nodes. The first and second nodes are connected to the input nodes of the first and second input transistors, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2012Date of Patent: February 14, 2017Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Katsuhito Sakurai
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Patent number: 9356585Abstract: An electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention comprises an output line, a current mirror circuit and a comparator. Current signals from a plurality of signal sources are output to the output line. The current mirror circuit is electrically connected to the output line. The comparator is configured to compare a mirrored current signal from the current mirror circuit with a reference current signal. The comparator is configured to output a signal representing a comparison result of amplitudes of the mirrored current signal and the reference current signal.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2012Date of Patent: May 31, 2016Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Katsuhito Sakurai, Itsutaku Sano
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Patent number: 9276021Abstract: An electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the invention comprises a plurality of first output lines and a plurality of current to voltage convertors. Current signals from a plurality of signal sources are output to the first output lines. Each of the current to voltage convertors are electrically connected to a corresponding one of the first output lines. The current to voltage convertor includes a first amplification unit. An offset reduction unit in a subsequent stage of the current to voltage convertor is provided for each of the first output lines.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2012Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Katsuhito Sakurai
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Patent number: 9264642Abstract: Conventionally, in order to obtain a difference signal between an A+N signal and an N signal and a difference signal between an A+B+N signal and the A+N signal, the A+N signal needs to be held in two different capacitors. Hence, there is a problem in that, due to variations in capacitance of the two capacitors, the difference signal between the A+N signal and the N signal and the difference signal between the A+B+N signal and the A+N signal may not accurately be obtained. An imaging device generates a signal obtained by subtracting the same digital N signal from each of the digital A+N signal and the digital A+B+N signal.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2013Date of Patent: February 16, 2016Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Katsuhito Sakurai, Seiji Hashimoto, Atsushi Furubayashi
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Patent number: 9257479Abstract: A method of manufacturing an active pixel sensor having a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels having a photodiode formed by a part of a first semiconductor region of a first conductive type and a second semiconductor region of a second conductive type, and a transfer transistor for transferring a charge carrier from the photodiode, includes the steps of preparing a substrate on which the first semiconductor region of the first conductive type is formed, forming a mask to form the second semiconductor region on the substrate, forming the second semiconductor region using the mask, and forming a gate of the transferring transistor after forming the second semiconductor region. The gate of the transferring transistor overlaps the second semiconductor region in a planar view.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2013Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Toru Koizumi, Shigetoshi Sugawa, Isamu Ueno, Tetsunobu Kochi, Katsuhito Sakurai, Hiroki Hiyama
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Patent number: 9252168Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device according to one or more embodiments includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion units. A readout portion is configured to output current signals to an output line. Each of the current signals is based on an amount of charges generated by a corresponding one of the photoelectric conversion units. The readout portion includes a plurality of transistors including at least a plurality of first input transistors and a plurality of second input transistors. Each of the first input transistors and a corresponding one of the second input transistor form a differential pair. Of the plurality of the transistors, any transistors repeatedly arranged correspondingly to every one or more of the photoelectric conversion units have the same conductivity type.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2012Date of Patent: February 2, 2016Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Katsuhito Sakurai
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Patent number: 9055211Abstract: There is provided an image pickup apparatus including a pixel including a photoelectric conversion element and an amplification element for amplifying and outputting a signal generated at the photoelectric conversion element, a load transistor for controlling an electric current flowing at the amplification element, and a potential control element for suppressing potential fluctuation in a first main electrode region of the load transistor which is an output side of the amplification element.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2013Date of Patent: June 9, 2015Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Katsuhito Sakurai, Toru Koizumi, Hiroki Hiyama
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Patent number: 8883526Abstract: An image pickup device, wherein a part of the carriers overflowing from the photoelectric conversion unit for a period of photoelectrically generating and accumulating the carriers may be flowed into the floating diffusion region, and a pixel signal generating unit generating a pixel signal according to the carriers stored in the photoelectric conversion unit and the carriers having overflowed into the floating diffusion region, is provided. The expansion of a dynamic range and the improvement of an image quality can be provided by controlling a ratio of the carriers flowing into the floating diffusion region to the carriers overflowing from such a photoelectric conversion unit at high accuracy.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2010Date of Patent: November 11, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Akira Okita, Toru Koizumi, Isamu Ueno, Katsuhito Sakurai
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Patent number: 8717475Abstract: There is provided an image pickup apparatus comprising a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit which converts incident light into an electrical signal and accumulates the electrical signal, an amplifier transistor which amplifies and outputs the signal from the photoelectric conversion unit, a transfer transistor which transfers the electrical signal accumulated in the photoelectric conversion unit to the amplifier transistor, and a processing transistor which performs predetermined processing, and a control circuit which sets the signal level supplied to the control electrode of the transfer transistor in order to turn off the transfer transistor to be lower than the signal level supplied to the control electrode of the processing transistor in order to turn off the processing transistor.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2011Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroki Hiyama, Toru Koizumi, Katsuhito Sakurai, Fumihiro Inui, Masaru Fujimura, Tomoko Eguchi, Masanori Ogura
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Publication number: 20140106496Abstract: A method of manufacturing an active pixel sensor having a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels having a photodiode formed by a part of a first semiconductor region of a first conductive type and a second semiconductor region of a second conductive type, and a transfer transistor for transferring a charge carrier from the photodiode, includes the steps of preparing a substrate on which the first semiconductor region of the first conductive type is formed, forming a mask to form the second semiconductor region on the substrate, forming the second semiconductor region using the mask, and forming a gate of the transferring transistor after forming the second semiconductor region. The gate of the transferring transistor overlaps the second semiconductor region in a planar view.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2013Publication date: April 17, 2014Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Toru Koizumi, Shigetoshi Sugawa, Isamu Ueno, Tetsunobu Kochi, Katsuhito Sakurai, Hiroki Hiyama
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Publication number: 20140002689Abstract: There is provided an image pickup apparatus including a pixel including a photoelectric conversion element and an amplification element for amplifying and outputting a signal generated at the photoelectric conversion element, a load transistor for controlling an electric current flowing at the amplification element, and a potential control element for suppressing potential fluctuation in a first main electrode region of the load transistor which is an output side of the amplification element.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 3, 2013Publication date: January 2, 2014Applicant: KANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Katsuhito Sakurai, Toru Koizumi, Hiroki Hiyama
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Patent number: 8610811Abstract: An image pickup apparatus comprises plural pixels each including a photoelectric converting element; plural capacitors which receive signals from the plural pixels at first terminals; plural clamping switches for setting a second terminal of each of the plural capacitors into a predetermined electric potential; plural first storing units for storing signals from the second terminals of the plural capacitors; plural second storing units for storing the signals from the second terminals of the plural capacitors; a first common output line to which the signals from the plural first storing units are sequentially output; a second common output line to which the signals from the plural second storing units are sequentially output; and a difference circuit for operating a difference between the signal from the first common output line and the signal from the second common output line.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2011Date of Patent: December 17, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroki Hiyama, Katsuhito Sakurai, Akira Okita, Hideaki Takada
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Patent number: 8553120Abstract: There is provided an image pickup apparatus including a pixel including a photoelectric conversion element and an amplification element for amplifying and outputting a signal generated at the photoelectric conversion element, a load transistor for controlling an electric current flowing at the amplification element, and a potential control element for suppressing potential fluctuation in a first main electrode region of the load transistor which is an output side of the amplification element.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2011Date of Patent: October 8, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Katsuhito Sakurai, Toru Koizumi, Hiroki Hiyama
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Patent number: 8462242Abstract: An image capture device includes a plurality of image capture elements for capturing an object image, a plurality of vertical output lines for reading signals out of the plurality of image capture elements, and a plurality of processing circuits. Each processing circuit includes a first capacitor element having a first electrode connected to one of the plurality of vertical output lines, a differential amplifier having a first input terminal connected to a second electrode of the first capacitor element, a second capacitor element connected between the first input terminal and an output terminal of the differential amplifier, and a first switch configured to control conduction between the first input terminal and the output terminal of the differential amplifier.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2011Date of Patent: June 11, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroki Hiyama, Akira Okita, Hideaki Takada, Katsuhito Sakurai