Patents by Inventor Kazuhide Yokota

Kazuhide Yokota 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: 20210208474
    Abstract: To make it possible to adjust the focus of an imaging device more appropriately. To provide a control device, including an acquisition unit that acquires posture information that is information related to a first posture of an imaging device, and a focus adjustment unit that adjusts a focus of the imaging device by controlling drive of an optical member on a basis of the posture information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhide YOKOTA, Yuki ENDO, Shinsuke TODA, Kazuhiro NISHIDA
  • Patent number: 9673249
    Abstract: A back-illuminated type solid-state image pickup device (1041) includes read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) formed on one surface of a semiconductor substrate (1042) to read a signal from a photo-electric conversion element (PD) formed on the semiconductor substrate (1042), in which electric charges (e) generated in a photo-electric conversion region (1052c1) formed under at least one portion of the read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) are collected to an electric charge accumulation region (1052a) formed on one surface side of the semiconductor substrate (1042) of the photo-electric conversion element (PD) by electric field formed within the photo-electric conversion element (PD). Thus, the solid-state image pickup device and the camera are able to make the size of pixel become very small without lowering a saturation electric charge amount (Qs) and sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Iwabuchi, Kazuhide Yokota, Takeshi Yanagita, Yasushi Maruyama
  • Publication number: 20160020234
    Abstract: A back-illuminated type solid-state image pickup device (1041) includes read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) formed on one surface of a semiconductor substrate (1042) to read a signal from a photo-electric conversion element (PD) formed on the semiconductor substrate (1042), in which electric charges (e) generated in a photo-electric conversion region (1052c1) formed under at least one portion of the read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) are collected to an electric charge accumulation region (1052a) formed on one surface side of the semiconductor substrate (1042) of the photo-electric conversion element (PD) by electric field formed within the photo-electric conversion element (PD). Thus, the solid-state image pickup device and the camera are able to make the size of pixel become very small without lowering a saturation electric charge amount (Qs) and sensitivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Shin Iwabuchi, Kazuhide Yokota, Takeshi Yanagita, Yasushi Maruyama
  • Patent number: 9117710
    Abstract: A back-illuminated type solid-state image pickup device (1041) includes read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) formed on one surface of a semiconductor substrate (1042) to read a signal from a photo-electric conversion element (PD) formed on the semiconductor substrate (1042), in which electric charges (e) generated in a photo-electric conversion region (1052c1) formed under at least one portion of the read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) are collected to an electric charge accumulation region (1052a) formed on one surface side of the semiconductor substrate (1042) of the photo-electric conversion element (PD) by electric field formed within the photo-electric conversion element (PD). Thus, the solid-state image pickup device and the camera are able to make the size of pixel become very small without lowering a saturation electric charge amount (Qs) and sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Iwabuchi, Kazuhide Yokota, Takeshi Yanagita, Yasushi Maruyama
  • Patent number: 8841743
    Abstract: A back-illuminated type solid-state image pickup device (1041) includes read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) formed on one surface of a semiconductor substrate (1042) to read a signal from a photo-electric conversion element (PD) formed on the semiconductor substrate (1042), in which electric charges (e) generated in a photo-electric conversion region (1052c1) formed under at least one portion of the read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) are collected to an electric charge accumulation region (1052a) formed on one surface side of the semiconductor substrate (1042) of the photo-electric conversion element (PD) by electric field formed within the photo-electric conversion element (PD). Thus, the solid-state image pickup device and the camera are able to make the size of pixel become very small without lowering a saturation electric charge amount (Qs) and sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Iwabuchi, Kazuhide Yokota, Takeshi Yanagita, Yasushi Maruyama
  • Patent number: 8440499
    Abstract: A back-illuminated type solid-state image pickup device (1041) includes read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) formed on one surface of a semiconductor substrate (1042) to read a signal from a photo-electric conversion element (PD) formed on the semiconductor substrate (1042), in which electric charges (e) generated in a photo-electric conversion region (1052c1) formed under at least one portion of the read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) are collected to an electric charge accumulation region (1052a) formed on one surface side of the semiconductor substrate (1042) of the photo-electric conversion element (PD) by electric field formed within the photo-electric conversion element (PD). Thus, the solid-state image pickup device and the camera are able to make the size of pixel become very small without lowering a saturation electric charge amount (Qs) and sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Iwabuchi, Kazuhide Yokota, Takeshi Yanagita, Yasushi Maruyama
  • Patent number: 8309392
    Abstract: A back-illuminated type solid-state image pickup device (1041) includes read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) formed on one surface of a semiconductor substrate (1042) to read a signal from a photo-electric conversion element (PD) formed on the semiconductor substrate (1042), in which electric charges (e) generated in a photo-electric conversion region (1052c1) formed under at least one portion of the read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) are collected to an electric charge accumulation region (1052a) formed on one surface side of the semiconductor substrate (1042) of the photo-electric conversion element (PD) by electric field formed within the photo-electric conversion element (PD). Thus, the solid-state image pickup device and the camera are able to make the size of pixel become very small without lowering a saturation electric charge amount (Qs) and sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Iwabuchi, Kazuhide Yokota, Takeshi Yanagita, Yasushi Maruyama
  • Patent number: 8115153
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device which includes a pixel unit, a plurality of pixels in the pixel unit which are two dimensionally arranged in rows and columns and each include a photoelectric conversion element and a reset element, a driver unit which sequentially applies selective scanning to each respective row of the pixel unit, a mode switching circuit, where the mode switching circuit is configured to charge a portion of the pixels in the pixel unit and to apply an intermediate voltage to a gate of each reset element in the non-charged pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhide Yokota, Hisashi Kurebayashi
  • Patent number: 8049293
    Abstract: A back-illuminated type solid-state image pickup device (1041) includes read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) formed on one surface of a semiconductor substrate (1042) to read a signal from a photo-electric conversion element (PD) formed on the semiconductor substrate (1042), in which electric charges (e) generated in a photo-electric conversion region (1052c1) formed under at least one portion of the read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) are collected to an electric charge accumulation region (1052a) formed on one surface side of the semiconductor substrate (1042) of the photo-electric conversion element (PD) by electric field formed within the photo-electric conversion element (PD). Thus, the solid-state image pickup device and the camera are able to make the size of pixel become very small without lowering a saturation electric charge amount (Qs) and sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Iwabuchi, Kazuhide Yokota, Takeshi Yanagita, Yasushi Maruyama
  • Patent number: 8023018
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device having: (a) a pixel array with an oblique pixel pattern in which pixels are obliquely disposed, an odd-numbered row vertical signal line in an odd-numbered row vertical signal line group being connected to each column of odd-numbered row pixels and an even-numbered row vertical signal line in an even-numbered row vertical signal line group being connected to each column of even-numbered row pixels; (b) a row selector for separately selecting an odd-numbered row and an even-numbered row of the oblique pixel pattern; (c) an odd-numbered row column processing circuit group including column processing circuits and connected to the odd-numbered row vertical signal line group, for adding signals of the odd-numbered row pixels between columns; (d) an even-numbered row column processing circuit group including column processing circuits and connected to the even-numbered row vertical signal line group, for adding signals of the even-numbered row pixels in pixel columns; and (d) a column s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhide Yokota, Hisashi Kurebayashi, Kenji Tanaka, Akira Matsui, Yutaka Yoneda, Seishin Asato, Takuya Chiba, Ryota Kosakai
  • Publication number: 20110156111
    Abstract: A back-illuminated type solid-state image pickup device (1041) includes read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) formed on one surface of a semiconductor substrate (1042) to read a signal from a photo-electric conversion element (PD) formed on the semiconductor substrate (1042), in which electric charges (e) generated in a photo-electric conversion region (1052c1) formed under at least one portion of the read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) are collected to an electric charge accumulation region (1052a) formed on one surface side of the semiconductor substrate (1042) of the photo-electric conversion element (PD) by electric field formed within the photo-electric conversion element (PD). Thus, the solid-state image pickup device and the camera are able to make the size of pixel become very small without lowering a saturation electric charge amount (Qs) and sensitivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Iwabuchi, Kazuhide Yokota, Takeshi Yanagita, Yasushi Maruyama
  • Patent number: 7947528
    Abstract: A back-illuminated type solid-state image pickup device (1041) includes read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) formed on one surface of a semiconductor substrate (1042) to read a signal from a photo-electric conversion element (PD) formed on the semiconductor substrate (1042), in which electric charges (e) generated in a photo-electric conversion region (1052c1) formed under at least one portion of the read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) are collected to an electric charge accumulation region (1052a) formed on one surface side of the semiconductor substrate (1042) of the photo-electric conversion element (PD) by electric field formed within the photo-electric conversion element (PD). Thus, the solid-state image pickup device and the camera are able to make the size of pixel become very small without lowering a saturation electric charge amount (Qs) and sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Iwabuchi, Kazuhide Yokota, Takeshi Yanagita, Yasushi Maruyama
  • Publication number: 20100264474
    Abstract: A back-illuminated type solid-state image pickup device (1041) includes read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) formed on one surface of a semiconductor substrate (1042) to read a signal from a photo-electric conversion element (PD) formed on the semiconductor substrate (1042), in which electric charges (e) generated in a photo-electric conversion region (1052c1) formed under at least one portion of the read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) are collected to an electric charge accumulation region (1052a) formed on one surface side of the semiconductor substrate (1042) of the photo-electric conversion element (PD) by electric field formed within the photo-electric conversion element (PD). Thus, the solid-state image pickup device and the camera are able to make the size of pixel become very small without lowering a saturation electric charge amount (Qs) and sensitivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shin IWABUCHI, Kazuhide YOKOTA, Takeshi YANAGITA, Yasushi MARUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20100267185
    Abstract: A back-illuminated type solid-state image pickup device (1041) includes read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) formed on one surface of a semiconductor substrate (1042) to read a signal from a photo-electric conversion element (PD) formed on the semiconductor substrate (1042), in which electric charges (e) generated in a photo-electric conversion region (1052c1) formed under at least one portion of the read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) are collected to an electric charge accumulation region (1052a) formed on one surface side of the semiconductor substrate (1042) of the photo-electric conversion element (PD) by electric field formed within the photo-electric conversion element (PD). Thus, the solid-state image pickup device and the camera are able to make the size of pixel become very small without lowering a saturation electric charge amount (Qs) and sensitivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shin IWABUCHI, Kazuhide YOKOTA, Takeshi YANAGITA, Yasushi MARUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20090242740
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device which includes a pixel unit, a plurality of pixels in the pixel unit which are two dimensionally arranged in rows and columns and each include a photoelectric conversion element and a reset element, a driver unit which sequentially applies selective scanning to each respective row of the pixel unit, a mode switching circuit, where the mode switching circuit is configured to charge a portion of the pixels in the pixel unit and to apply an intermediate voltage to a gate of each reset element in the non-charged pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhide Yokota, Hisashi Kurebayashi
  • Patent number: 7570290
    Abstract: A drive method for a solid-state imaging device having an oblique pixel pattern includes the steps of: adding, separately for an odd-numbered row and an even-numbered row, x pixels in the horizontal direction and y pixels in the vertical direction, the x pixels and the y pixels having the same color, in an area having adjacent n pixels in the horizontal direction and adjacent n pixels in the vertical direction, where n is an odd number of three or greater and n?x?y; and repeatedly adding the x pixels and the y pixels while shifting the n×n area by m pixels in the vertical or horizontal direction, where m is an odd number of three or greater. The n×n area of odd-numbered rows is displaced from that of even-numbered rows by m pixels in the oblique direction in the oblique pixel pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhide Yokota, Hisashi Kurebayashi, Kenji Tanaka, Akira Matsui, Yutaka Yoneda, Seishin Asato, Takuya Chiba, Ryota Kosakai
  • Publication number: 20090160988
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device having: (a) a pixel array with an oblique pixel pattern in which pixels are obliquely disposed, an odd-numbered row vertical signal line in an odd-numbered row vertical signal line group being connected to each column of odd-numbered row pixels and an even-numbered row vertical signal line in an even-numbered row vertical signal line group being connected to each column of even-numbered row pixels; (b) a row selector for separately selecting an odd-numbered row and an even-numbered row of the oblique pixel pattern; (c) an odd-numbered row column processing circuit group including column processing circuits and connected to the odd-numbered row vertical signal line group, for adding signals of the odd-numbered row pixels between columns; (d) an even-numbered row column processing circuit group including column processing circuits and connected to the even-numbered row vertical signal line group, for adding signals of the even-numbered row pixels in pixel columns; and (d) a column s
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhide Yokota, Hisashi Kurebayashi, Kenji Tanaka, Akira Matsui, Yutaka Yoneda, Seishin Asato, Takuya Chiba, Ryota Kosakai
  • Patent number: 7550704
    Abstract: A solid state imaging device includes: a pixel array section in which pixels including photoelectric conversion elements are two dimensionally arranged; a vertical selector that sequentially applies selective scanning to respective rows of the pixel array section; and a controller that discharges, when a mode for reading out only pixel signals of respective rows in a given row range in the pixel array section is set by the vertical selector, charges generated in the photoelectric conversion elements in respective pixels of rows outside the row range to a pixel power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhide Yokota, Hisashi Kurebayashi
  • Publication number: 20090065681
    Abstract: A back-illuminated type solid-state image pickup device (1041) includes read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) formed on one surface of a semiconductor substrate (1042) to read a signal from a photo-electric conversion element (PD) formed on the semiconductor substrate (1042), in which electric charges (e) generated in a photo-electric conversion region (1052c1) formed under at least one portion of the read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) are collected to an electric charge accumulation region (1052a) formed on one surface side of the semiconductor substrate (1042) of the photo-electric conversion element (PD) by electric field formed within the photo-electric conversion element (PD). Thus, the solid-state image pickup device and the camera are able to make the size of pixel become very small without lowering a saturation electric charge amount (Qs) and sensitivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shin IWABUCHI, Kazuhide Yokota, Takeshi Yanagita, Yasushi Maruyama
  • Publication number: 20090057539
    Abstract: A back-illuminated type solid-state image pickup device (1041) includes read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) formed on one surface of a semiconductor substrate (1042) to read a signal from a photo-electric conversion element (PD) formed on the semiconductor substrate (1042), in which electric charges (e) generated in a photo-electric conversion region (1052c1) formed under at least one portion of the read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) are collected to an electric charge accumulation region (1052a) formed on one surface side of the semiconductor substrate (1042) of the photo-electric conversion element (PD) by electric field formed within the photo-electric conversion element (PD). Thus, the solid-state image pickup device and the camera are able to make the size of pixel become very small without lowering a saturation electric charge amount (Qs) and sensitivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Iwabuchi, Kazuhide Yokota, Takeshi Yanagita, Yasushi Maruyama