Patents by Inventor Kazuhiro Sonoda

Kazuhiro Sonoda 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: 20110007173
    Abstract: In an amplifying type MOS sensor having a 3-transistor construction, when a frame rate is raised, an accumulation time of a frame just after the switching of a drive mode becomes short. When a gain correction is made to compensate a lack of accumulation time, a deterioration in picture quality is caused. A read out scan and a reset scan are executed in parallel in the frame before the switching of the drive mode, thereby preventing that a time period for resetting a pixel is overlapped with a time period for holding a pixel signal into a holding unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro Takenaka, Kazuhiro Sonoda, Masaru Fujimura, Tomoyuki Noda
  • Publication number: 20100201856
    Abstract: The present invention reduces differences in the influence of electric charge leakage from a non-read out region into multiple read out regions adjacent to a non-read out region. Reset scanning of that row in the non-read out region which adjoins the first or second read out region is started before read out scanning of the first and second read out regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Hayashi, Shintaro Takenaka, Kazuhiro Sonoda, Yukihiro Kuroda, Koichiro Iwata
  • Patent number: 7645349
    Abstract: A sintered permanent magnet having a composition comprising, by mass, 27-33.5% of R, which is at least one of rare earth elements including Y, 0.5-2% of B, 0.002-0.15% of N, 0.25% or less of O, 0.15% or less of C, and 0.001-0.05% of P, the balance being Fe, wherein it is in the shape of a ring having an outer diameter of 10-100 mm, an inner diameter of 8-96 mm, and a height of 10-70 mm, with a plurality of magnetic poles axially extending on an outer circumferential surface. The distribution of a surface magnetic flux density B0 on magnetic poles in an axial direction of the ring magnet is in a range of 92.5% or more of the maximum of B0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Fujimori, Kazuhiro Sonoda, Takashi Tsukada, Junji Matsushima, Yasushi Kimura, Satoru Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20090273697
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus includes an A/D conversion circuit in each column, wherein a connecting unit is provided for connecting a register circuit in a certain column to a register circuit in another column, and an operation is performed for holding, in register circuits through the connecting unit, digital signals obtained by performing A/D conversions of analog electric signals at different timings in one horizontal synchronizing period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20090262210
    Abstract: If a horizontal skipping operation is performed and operations are performed on the basis of the signals severally held in a plurality of register circuits in a solid-state imaging apparatus including an AD converting circuit in each column to perform the arithmetic processing of a digitized signal, then the AD converters and the register circuits in the columns to be skipped, that is, not to be read out become the state of not participating in the operations, and there is room for an examination in the aspect of the utilization efficiency of the circuits. A unit for connecting a register circuit in a certain column to a register circuit in another column is provided to the solid-state imaging apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20090256939
    Abstract: Solid-state imaging apparatus comprises: a plurality of A/D converters converting the analog electric signal from the pixel into a digital signal to output the digital signal from an output terminal of the A/D converter; a plurality of register circuits holding the digital signal; and a connecting unit for connecting the output terminal of the A/D converter arranged correspondingly to one column to the input terminal of the register circuit arranged correspondingly to another column, or for connecting an output terminal of the register circuit arranged correspondingly to one column to the input terminal of the register circuits arranged correspondingly to another column.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2009
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20090256936
    Abstract: When a horizontal skipping operation is performed in a solid-state imaging apparatus that includes an A/D converting circuit in each column and that applies an arithmetic operation process to a digitalized signal and an arithmetic operation is performed with signals held by a plurality of register circuits, A/D converters and register circuits in columns in which signals are skipped, or not read out, are not involved in the operations. A more consideration is needed in terms of the use efficiency of circuits. A unit for connecting a register circuit of a certain column and a register circuit of a different column is arranged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2009
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Sonoda, Kazuo Yamazaki, Shintaro Takenaka
  • Publication number: 20090244332
    Abstract: When a solid-state imaging apparatus which has A/D conversion circuits in every column and subjects a digitized signal to arithmetic processing carries out a horizontal skipping operation and calculates respective signals held in a plurality of register circuits, an A/D converter and a register circuit in a column which is skipped, specifically, is not read out, do not participate in the operation, so that the circuit has been susceptible to investigation in terms of use efficiency. The solid-state imaging apparatus has a unit for connecting a register circuit in a certain column with a register circuit in a different column.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20090219424
    Abstract: An image sensing apparatus comprising on a single semiconductor substrate: a pixel array; a vertical scanning unit; a horizontal scanning unit; a counter which starts a counting operation to count the number of the clocks before a start of the first period, and stops the counting operation before a start of the second period during the first period; and a generation unit which generates a first control signal for causing the vertical scanning unit to drive a pixel, the generation unit including a signal generation unit which generates a second control signal in accordance with the counted value output from the counter, and a delay unit which delays the second control signal to generate the first control signal and output the first control signal to the vertical scanning unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2009
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Sonoda, Shintaro Takenaka, Tomoyuki Noda, Tetsuya Itano
  • Publication number: 20090180014
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to provide a solid-state imaging apparatus and a method of driving the solid-state imaging apparatus. If the total read out time of all of the pixels is shortened when effective pixels are thinned out to be read out without thinning out OB pixels, then the reset time period of each row is different from each other, and the problem of uneven charge accumulation time periods is caused. An improvement by the present invention is that, if no signals are read out from a part of the rows of the pixels in an effective pixel region to skip the rows, then the time period in which the rows to be skipped are selected is made to be shorter than the time period in which the rows from which signals are read out are selected, and the pixels in the optical black pixel region and the pixels in the effective pixel region are driven by the drive pulses of patterns different from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Noda, Masaru Fujimura, Shintaro Takenaka, Kazuhiro Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20090167913
    Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device includes an effective pixel portion in which effective pixels are arranged in a matrix, the effective pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit and outputting a first signal, a non-effective pixel portion in which non-effective pixels are arranged in at least one row, the non-effective pixels each including no photoelectric conversion unit and outputting a second signal, a vertical scanning unit for selecting each row of pixels in the effective and non-effective pixel portions, and an input section for externally receiving a third signal used to change a driving mode of the solid-state image pickup device. The vertical scanning unit begins electronic shutter scanning upon pixels in the effective pixel portion and causes each of pixels in the non-effective pixel portion to output the second signal after the input section has received the third signal and before the first signal is output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro Takenaka, Tomoyuki Noda, Kazuhiro Sonoda, Masaru Fujimura
  • Publication number: 20080291290
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus is provided having: a pixel unit including an effective pixel region of multiple pixels accumulating charges generated according to incident light to output signals and an ineffective pixel region of multiple pixels outputting signals not dependent on incident light; a plurality of vertical signal lines provided for each column of pixels of pixel unit; a vertical scanning circuit that scans and selects pixels of pixel unit in row units to output signals of selected pixels of same row to plurality of vertical signal lines; and a horizontal scanning circuit that scans and selects signals of plurality of vertical signal lines to output signals of selected vertical signal lines; wherein the vertical scanning circuit selects pixels of same row of effective pixel region in row units once during one frame and selects pixels of same row of ineffective pixel region in row units multiple times during one frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: KAZUHIRO SONODA, Shintaro Takenaka
  • Publication number: 20080273101
    Abstract: An image capturing system includes a signal correction unit which corrects a signal output from a defective pixel in an optical black region based on a signal output from a normal pixel. The optical black region has a plurality of pixel blocks. Each of the plurality of pixel blocks has a plurality of pixels each including one or more elements which have the same functions as in the remaining pixels and which have relative positions different from the remaining pixels. The signal correction unit corrects the signal output from the defective pixel in the optical black region based on a signal output from a normal pixel which is included in another pixel block different from the pixel block of the defective pixel in the optical black region and includes one or more elements having the same functions and same relative positions as in the defective pixel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro Takenaka, Kazuhiro Sonoda, Kazunari Kitani
  • Publication number: 20080225145
    Abstract: A solid-state image pickup apparatus includes pixels arranged in a matrix, each pixel converting incident light into an analog electrical signal and outputting the analog electrical signal; AD converters in correspondence with individual columns, each AD converter converting the analog electrical signal from a corresponding pixel into a digital signal and outputting the digital signal from an output terminal; register circuits in correspondence with the individual columns, each register circuit receiving at an input terminal the digital signal output from the output terminal of a corresponding AD converter and storing the digital signal; and connection units, each of which connects the output terminal of a corresponding AD converter for one column to the input terminal of a corresponding register circuit for a different column or to connect the output terminal of a corresponding register circuit for one column to the input terminal of a corresponding register circuit for a different column.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20080017277
    Abstract: A sintered permanent magnet having a composition comprising, by mass, 27-33.5% of C, which is at least one of rare earth elements including Y, 0.5-2% of B, 0.002-0.15% of N, 0.25% or less of O, 0.15% or less of C, and 0.001-0.05% of P, the balance being Fe, wherein it is in the shape of a ring having an outer diameter of 10-100 mm, an inner diameter of 8-96 mm, and a height of 10-70 mm, with a plurality of magnetic poles axiafly extending on an outer circumferential surface. The distribution of a surface magnetic flux density B0 on magnetic poles in an axial direction of the ring magnet is in a range of 92.5% or more of the maximum of B0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Inventors: Nobuhiko FUJIMORI, Kazuhiro Sonoda, Takashi Tsukada, Junji Matsushima, Yasushi Kimura, Satoru Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20050132098
    Abstract: In order to reduce overhead of a CPU, a relay apparatus for relaying communication from a CPU to a peripheral device includes communication information holding sections for holding information required for communication with the peripheral devices inside the relay apparatus; and command holding sections, which are provided adjacent to the communication information holding section, for holding commands used to communicate desired information inside the communication information holding section to the peripheral device. The CPU writes desired information in the communication information holding section and the command holding section inside the relay apparatus by burst-mode communication, and the relay apparatus performs communication with the peripheral devices in accordance with instructions from the command holding section after the writing of the desired information in the communication holding section and the command holding section is completed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2004
    Publication date: June 16, 2005
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Sonoda, Kazunari Kitani, Tetsuya Tateno
  • Publication number: 20050067058
    Abstract: A sintered permanent magnet having a composition comprising, by mass, 27-33.5% of R, which is at least one of rare earth elements including Y. 0.5-2% of B, 0.002-0.15% of N, 0.25% or less of O, 0.15% or less of C, and 0.001-0.05% of P, the balance being Fe, wherein it is in the shape of a ring having an outer diameter of 10-100 mm, an inner diameter of 8-96 mm, and a height of 10-70 mm, with a plurality of magnetic poles axially extending on an outer circumferential surface. The distribution of a surface magnetic flux density B0 on magnetic poles in an axial direction of the ring magnet is in a range of 92.5% or more of the maximum of B0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2003
    Publication date: March 31, 2005
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Fujimori, Kazuhiro Sonoda, Takashi Tsukada, Junji Matsushima, Yasushi Kimura, Satoru Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20020113888
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus including a pixel area including a plurality of pixels, and a substrate on which the pixel area is integrated, wherein the centers of the pixel area and substrate substantially coincide with each other. This apparatus can attains reduction of the size thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Sonoda, Hidekazu Takahashi