Patents by Inventor Kazunori Watanabe

Kazunori Watanabe 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: 20240021150
    Abstract: A novel display is provided. A display having a small change in chromaticity of a micro light-emitting diode in proportion to current density is provided. A display capable of reducing power consumption in the driver circuit when displaying a still image is provided. The display includes a plurality of pixels each including a display element and a microcontroller. The microcontroller includes a first transistor, a triangular wave generator circuit, a comparator, a switch, and a constant current circuit. The first transistor has a function of retaining a potential corresponding to data written to the pixel by being switched off. The triangular wave generator circuit has a function of generating a triangular wave signal. The comparator has a function of generating an output signal corresponding to the potential and the triangular wave signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Inventors: Kei TAKAHASHI, Koji KUSUNOKI, Kazunori WATANABE, Susumu KAWASHIMA, Kouhei TOYOTAKA, Shunpei YAMAZAKI
  • Patent number: 11869428
    Abstract: A display apparatus capable of image capturing with high sensitivity is provided. The display apparatus is configured to include first to third switches, a first transistor, a second transistor, and a light-emitting/receiving element. The first switch is electrically connected to a gate of the first transistor. The second switch is positioned between one of a source and a drain of the first transistor and one electrode of the light-emitting/receiving element. The third switch is positioned between the one electrode of the light-emitting/receiving element and a gate of the second transistor. The other of the source and the drain of the first transistor is supplied with a first potential. The other electrode of the light-emitting/receiving element is supplied with a second potential. The light-emitting/receiving element has a function of emitting light of a first color and a function of receiving light of a second color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Kawashima, Koji Kusunoki, Kazunori Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11869417
    Abstract: The power consumption of a display device is reduced. The power consumption of a driver circuit in a display device is reduced. A pixel included in the display device includes a display element. The pixel is configured to have a function of retaining a first voltage corresponding to a first input pulse signal and a function of driving the display element with a third voltage obtained by addition of a second voltage corresponding to a second input pulse signal to the first voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Kei Takahashi, Susumu Kawashima, Koji Kusunoki, Kazunori Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20230412935
    Abstract: A semiconductor device capable of performing authentication in a short time can be provided. The semiconductor device includes a light-emitting unit and an imaging unit. The imaging unit includes a row driver circuit, and the row driver circuit includes first to m latch circuits (m is an integer greater than or equal to 2) and first to m register circuits. A first start pulse signal is input to a first latch circuit and second start pulse signals are input to first to m latch circuits. Scan signals output from the first to (m?1)-th register circuits are input to the second to m-th latch circuits, respectively. The first latch circuit has a function of outputting one of the first start pulse signal and the second start pulse signal to the first register circuit on the basis of data held, and the second to m-th latch circuits have a function of outputting one of the scan signal and the second start pulse signal to the second to m-th register circuits on the basis of data held.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Kazunori WATANABE, Satoshi YOSHIMOTO, Koji KUSUNOKI, Susumu KAWASHIMA, Motoharu SAITO
  • Patent number: 11842705
    Abstract: A display apparatus with low-power consumption is provided. The display apparatus includes an inverter circuit and a pixel having a function of adding data, and the inverter circuit has a function of inverting data supplied from a source driver. The inverter circuit has a function of inverting data supplied from a source driver. The pixel has a function of adding data supplied from the source driver and the inverter circuit. Accordingly, the pixel can generate a voltage several times higher than the output voltage of the source driver and can supply the voltage to a display device. With such a structure, the output voltage of the source driver can be lowered, so that a display apparatus with low power consumption can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Kawashima, Koji Kusunoki, Kazunori Watanabe, Naoto Kusumoto
  • Publication number: 20230395022
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention relates to a common semiconductor apparatus for driving two different circuits. The semiconductor apparatus is capable of switching a plurality of signal potentials and sequentially outputting the plurality of signal potentials to the outside. The semiconductor apparatus can make one of two different circuits arranged in a matrix operate in all the rows and can make the other circuit operate in all the rows or only in a specific row. For example, in the case where the semiconductor apparatus is applied to a row driver that drives pixels of a display device in which sensor elements are incorporated, the operation of display elements in pixels in all the rows and the operation of sensor elements in pixels in all the rows or in the specific row can be switched.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2021
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Inventors: Satoshi YOSHIMOTO, Koji KUSUNOKI, Kazunori WATANABE, Susumu KAWASHIMA
  • Publication number: 20230395036
    Abstract: A display apparatus with low power consumption is provided. The display apparatus includes a circuit for boosting a signal voltage output from a gate driver. The signal voltage from the gate driver can be boosted and then supplied to a pixel, which is suitable for driving a display device with a high threshold voltage. Furthermore, by utilizing a boosting function, output of the gate driver can be reduced, and power consumption can also be reduced. By combination with a pixel having a boosting function of image data, a display apparatus with lower power consumption can be achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Inventors: Kazunori WATANABE, Koji KUSUNOKI
  • Patent number: 11837607
    Abstract: A display device includes a liquid crystal element, a transistor, a scan line, and a signal line. The liquid crystal element includes a pixel electrode, a liquid crystal layer, and a common electrode. The scan line and the signal line are each electrically connected to the transistor. The scan line and the signal line each include a metal layer. The transistor is electrically connected to the pixel electrode. A semiconductor layer of the transistor includes a stack of a first metal oxide layer and a second metal oxide layer. The first metal oxide layer includes a region with lower crystallinity than the second metal oxide layer. The transistor includes a first region connected to the pixel electrode. The pixel electrode, the common electrode, and the first region are each configured to transmit visible light. Visible light passes through the first region and the liquid crystal element and exits from the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Kenichi Okazaki, Daisuke Kurosaki, Yasutaka Nakazawa, Kazunori Watanabe, Koji Kusunoki
  • Publication number: 20230376076
    Abstract: To increase the detection sensitivity of a touch panel, provide a thin touch panel, provide a foldable touch panel, or provide a lightweight touch panel. A display element and a capacitor forming a touch sensor are provided between a pair of substrates. Preferably, a pair of conductive layers forming the capacitor each have an opening. The opening and the display element are provided to overlap each other. A light-blocking layer is provided between a substrate on the display surface side and the pair of conductive layers forming the capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji KUSUNOKI, Hiroyuki MIYAKE, Kazunori WATANABE
  • Patent number: 11825220
    Abstract: An imaging device including a miniaturized pixel is provided. A pixel is provided with a photoelectric conversion element, a first transistor, a second transistor, and a capacitor. One electrode of the photoelectric conversion element is electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the first transistor. The other of the source and the drain of the first transistor is electrically connected to a gate of the second transistor. The gate of the second transistor is electrically connected to one electrode of the capacitor. In a first period, a first potential is supplied to the other electrode of the capacitor and the first transistor is set in an on state so that imaging data corresponding to illuminance of light delivered to the photoelectric conversion element is written to the pixel. Furthermore, in a second period, a second potential is supplied to the other electrode of the capacitor so that the imaging data is read from the pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori Watanabe, Susumu Kawashima
  • Patent number: 11823614
    Abstract: A novel display device where a light-emitting element is turned on by a triangle wave is provided. One embodiment of the present invention is a method for driving a display device including a first pixel, a second pixel, a first wiring, a second wiring, and a third wiring. The first wiring is electrically connected to the first pixel and the second pixel. The second wiring and the third wiring are electrically connected to the first pixel and the second pixel, respectively. At a first time, the first pixel reaches the maximum luminance corresponding to first display data and the second pixel reaches the maximum luminance corresponding to second display data. The first pixel and the second pixel are initialized at a second time different from the first time by input of a reset signal to the first wiring to stop light emission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori Watanabe, Kei Takahashi, Koji Kusunoki, Takahiro Fukutome
  • Patent number: 11815775
    Abstract: The display apparatus includes a data generation circuit, a source driver circuit, and a pixel. The source driver circuit is electrically connected to the pixel through first and second wirings. The pixel includes a display device that is a liquid crystal device, a potential of one electrode of the display device can be a potential of the first wiring, and a potential of the other electrode of the display device can be a potential of the second wiring. The image data generation circuit has a function of generating digital image data including first and second data. One of the first and second wirings is made to have a potential corresponding to first data, and the other of the first and second wirings is made to have a potential corresponding to the second data. The potential of the first wiring and the potential of the second wiring are interchanged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Inventors: Kei Takahashi, Susumu Kawashima, Koji Kusunoki, Kouhei Toyotaka, Kazunori Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11817053
    Abstract: A display device that can easily achieve higher definition is provided The display device includes a pixel, a first wiring, and a second wiring. The pixel includes first to fourth transistors, a first capacitor, and a light-emitting element. One of a source and a drain of the first transistor is connected to the first wiring, and the other of the source and the drain of the first transistor is connected to a gate of the second transistor and to the first capacitor. The light-emitting element is connected to one of a source and a drain of the second transistor. The first wiring is supplied with a first data potential. The second wiring is supplied with a second data potential and a reset potential in different periods. The third transistor supplies the second data potential to the first capacitor. The fourth transistor supplies the reset potential to the light-emitting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori Watanabe, Susumu Kawashima, Koji Kusunoki
  • Patent number: 11817698
    Abstract: A battery management circuit with a novel structure and a power storage device including the battery management circuit are provided. The power storage device includes a plurality of battery cells connected in series and a battery management circuit. The battery management circuit includes a voltage monitor circuit having a function of acquiring a voltage value between a pair of electrodes of any one of the battery cells. The voltage monitor circuit includes a multiplexer and a buffer circuit for outputting a signal for controlling the multiplexer. The multiplexer and the buffer circuit each include an n-channel transistor. The n-channel transistor is a transistor including an oxide semiconductor in a channel formation region. The multiplexer has a function of retaining an output voltage of the battery cell by setting the transistor in an off state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kei Takahashi, Koji Kusunoki, Kouhei Toyotaka, Kazunori Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20230350256
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device with a high aperture ratio is provided. The display device includes a transistor, a first insulating layer, a second insulating layer, a third insulating layer, a first conductive layer, a pixel electrode, a common electrode, and a liquid crystal layer in a pixel. The first insulating layer is positioned over a channel formation region of the transistor. The first conductive layer is positioned over the first insulating layer. The second insulating layer is positioned over the transistor, the first insulating layer, and the first conductive layer. The pixel electrode is positioned over the second insulating layer, the third insulating layer is positioned over the pixel electrode, the common electrode is positioned over the third insulating layer, and the liquid crystal layer is positioned over the common electrode. The common electrode includes a region overlapping with the first conductive layer with the pixel electrode positioned therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Kouhei TOYOTAKA, Kazunori WATANABE, Susumu KAWASHIMA, Kei TAKAHASHI, Koji KUSUNOKI, Masataka NAKADA, Ami SATO
  • Patent number: 11799472
    Abstract: A drive circuit for a switching element includes: a first power supply; a second power supply; a power supply switching unit that switches the first and second power supplies for applying the drive voltage based on a drive command; and an output switching unit outputting an output voltage switching signal to the second power supply that the output voltage of the second power supply becomes zero in a part of a drive period of the switching element including at least a part of an on-drive period, and the output voltage becomes a predetermined voltage other than zero in a remaining part of the drive period including at least a part of an off-drive period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazunori Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20230335050
    Abstract: A display apparatus including a pixel circuit that generates a PWM signal is provided. In the display apparatus, a pixel has a function of generating a PWM signal. The PWM signal can be generated by an operation of comparing gate-source voltage or on-state resistance of each of two transistors provided in the pixel. Light emission of a light-emitting device such as a micro LED or an organic EL element is controlled with a duty ratio using the generated PWM signal. The PWM signal is generated in a circuit formed of a small number of transistors, which is effective in increasing the definition and the area of the display apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventors: Susumu KAWASHIMA, Koji KUSUNOKI, Kazunori WATANABE, Satoshi YOSHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20230326934
    Abstract: A highly functional semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a first transistor and a second transistor. The first transistor includes a first semiconductor layer, a first gate electrode, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The second transistor includes a second semiconductor layer, a second gate electrode, a third electrode, and a fourth electrode. The first gate electrode and the second gate electrode are connected to each other, and the second electrode and the third electrode are connected to each other. A first insulating layer, a second insulating layer, and a second semiconductor layer are stacked over the first semiconductor layer. The first insulating layer is less likely to diffuse hydrogen than the second insulating layer. The second insulating layer contains oxide, the first semiconductor layer contains polycrystalline silicon, and the second semiconductor layer contains a metal oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventors: Satoshi YOSHIMOTO, Koji KUSUNOKI, Kazunori WATANABE, Susumu KAWASHIMA, Marina HIYAMA, Motoharu SAITO
  • Publication number: 20230326396
    Abstract: A display apparatus having a wide range of threshold voltage compensation function is provided. In the display apparatus, a p-channel transistor is used as a driving transistor of the light-emitting device. Discharging is performed through a source-drain path while constant voltage is supplied to a gate so that Vth is extracted between the gate and the source. In addition, when a drain potential is set to the sum of forward voltage and a cathode potential of the light-emitting device or a potential sufficiently lower than the sum, it is possible to continue the discharging even when Vth is positive voltage. That is, compensation can be performed even in the case where Vth variation occurs from positive voltage to negative voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventors: Susumu KAWASHIMA, Koji KUSUNOKI, Kazunori WATANABE, Satoshi YOSHIMOTO
  • Patent number: 11783757
    Abstract: A novel display is provided. A display having a small change in chromaticity of a micro light-emitting diode in proportion to current density is provided. A display capable of reducing power consumption in the driver circuit when displaying a still image is provided. The display includes a plurality of pixels each including a display element and a microcontroller. The microcontroller includes a first transistor, a triangular wave generator circuit, a comparator, a switch, and a constant current circuit. The first transistor has a function of retaining a potential corresponding to data written to the pixel by being switched off. The triangular wave generator circuit has a function of generating a triangular wave signal. The comparator has a function of generating an output signal corresponding to the potential and the triangular wave signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kei Takahashi, Koji Kusunoki, Kazunori Watanabe, Susumu Kawashima, Kouhei Toyotaka, Shunpei Yamazaki