Patents by Inventor Kengo Akimoto

Kengo Akimoto 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: 20250232127
    Abstract: An information processing system that assisting a user's discussion is provided. The information processing system includes an input/output interface that obtains voice data of a user and displays information related to the voice data of the user, a processing unit that creates text data based on the voice data and creates a prompt including the text data, and an information collecting unit that collects information based on the prompt and generates an information table and a question to the user. The input/output interface has a function of outputting the voice data to the processing unit. The processing unit has a function of transmitting the prompt to the information collecting unit. The information collecting unit has a function of transmitting the information table and the question to the user to the processing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2025
    Publication date: July 17, 2025
    Inventors: Kengo AKIMOTO, Junpei MOMO
  • Patent number: 12324189
    Abstract: A structure by which electric-field concentration which might occur between a source electrode and a drain electrode in a bottom-gate thin film transistor is relaxed and deterioration of the switching characteristics is suppressed, and a manufacturing method thereof. A bottom-gate thin film transistor in which an oxide semiconductor layer is provided over a source and drain electrodes is manufactured, and angle ?1 of the side surface of the source electrode which is in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer and angle ?2 of the side surface of the drain electrode which is in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer are each set to be greater than or equal to 20° and less than 90°, so that the distance from the top edge to the bottom edge in the side surface of each electrode is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Kengo Akimoto, Daisuke Kawae
  • Publication number: 20250174244
    Abstract: An audio device capable of inhibiting malfunction of an information terminal is provided. The audio device includes a sound sensor portion, a sound separation portion, a sound determination portion, and a processing portion. The sound sensor portion has a function of sensing sound. The sound separation portion has a function of separating the sound sensed by the sound sensor portion into a voice and sound other than a voice. The sound determination portion has a function of storing the feature quantity of the sound. The sound determination portion has a function of determining, with a machine learning model such as a neural network model, whether the feature quantity of the voice separated by the sound separation portion is the stored feature quantity. The processing portion has a function of analyzing an instruction contained in the voice and generating an instruction signal representing the content of the instruction in the case where the feature quantity of the voice is the stored feature quantity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2025
    Publication date: May 29, 2025
    Inventors: Fumiya NAGASHIMA, Kengo AKIMOTO, Yusuke KOUMURA, Seiko INOUE, Tatsuya OKANO
  • Patent number: 12315107
    Abstract: The driving assistance system includes an imaging device capable of capturing a first monochrome image in a vehicle traveling direction, a first neural network for segmentation processing, a second neural network for depth estimation processing, a determination portion determining a center of a portion cut off from the first monochrome image on the basis of the segmentation processing and the depth estimation processing, a third neural network for colorization processing of only a second cut-off monochrome image, and a display device for enlargement of the second monochrome image subjected to the colorization processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Akimoto, Koki Inoue, Yusuke Koumura
  • Patent number: 12300691
    Abstract: A protective circuit includes a non-linear element which includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer covering the gate electrode, a first oxide semiconductor layer overlapping with the gate electrode over the gate insulating layer, a channel protective layer overlapping with a channel formation region of the first oxide semiconductor layer, and a pair of a first wiring layer and a second wiring layer whose end portions overlap with the gate electrode over the channel protective layer and in which a conductive layer and a second oxide semiconductor layer are stacked. Over the gate insulating layer, oxide semiconductor layers with different properties are bonded to each other, whereby stable operation can be performed as compared with Schottky junction. Thus, the junction leakage can be reduced and the characteristics of the non-linear element can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2025
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Kengo Akimoto, Shigeki Komori, Hideki Uochi, Tomoya Futamura, Takahiro Kasahara
  • Publication number: 20250142888
    Abstract: To provide an oxide semiconductor film having stable electric conductivity and a highly reliable semiconductor device having stable electric characteristics by using the oxide semiconductor film. The oxide semiconductor film contains indium (In), gallium (Ga), and zinc (Zn) and includes a c-axis-aligned crystalline region aligned in the direction parallel to a normal vector of a surface where the oxide semiconductor film is formed. Further, the composition of the c-axis-aligned crystalline region is represented by In1+?Ga1??O3(ZnO)m (0<?<1 and m=1 to 3 are satisfied), and the composition of the entire oxide semiconductor film including the c-axis-aligned crystalline region is represented by InxGayO3(ZnO)m (0<x<2, 0<y<2, and m=1 to 3 are satisfied).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2024
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Inventors: Masahiro TAKAHASHI, Kengo AKIMOTO, Shunpei YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20250142891
    Abstract: A display device including a pixel having a memory. The pixel includes at least a display element, a capacitor, an inverter, and a switch. The switch is controlled with a signal held in the capacitor and a signal output from the inverter so that voltage is supplied to the display element. The inverter and the switch can be constituted by transistors with the same polarity. A semiconductor layer included in the pixel may be formed using a light-transmitting material. Moreover, a gate electrode, a drain electrode, and a capacitor electrode may be formed using a light-transmitting conductive layer. The pixel is formed using a light-transmitting material in such a manner, whereby the display device can be a transmissive display device while including a pixel having a memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2024
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Inventors: Hajime KIMURA, Kengo AKIMOTO, Masashi TSUBUKU, Toshinari SASAKI
  • Publication number: 20250140572
    Abstract: An object is to provide a display device with excellent display characteristics, where a pixel circuit and a driver circuit provided over one substrate are formed using transistors which have different structures corresponding to characteristics of the respective circuits. The driver circuit portion includes a driver circuit transistor in which a gate electrode layer, a source electrode layer, and a drain electrode layer are formed using a metal film, and a channel layer is formed using an oxide semiconductor. The pixel portion includes a pixel transistor in which a gate electrode layer, a source electrode layer, and a drain electrode layer are formed using an oxide conductor, and a semiconductor layer is formed using an oxide semiconductor. The pixel transistor is formed using a light-transmitting material, and thus, a display device with higher aperture ratio can be manufactured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2025
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Junichiro SAKATA, Masashi TSUBUKU, Kengo AKIMOTO, Miyuki HOSOBA, Masayuki SAKAKURA, Yoshiaki OIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20250117424
    Abstract: An image retrieval system that enables high-accuracy image retrieval in a short time is provided. The image retrieval system includes a processing portion provided with a neural network. The neural network includes a layer provided with a neuron. The processing portion has a function of comparing query image data with a plurality of pieces of database image data, and extracting the database image data including an area with a high degree of correspondence to the query image data as extracted image data. The processing portion has a function of extracting data of the area with a high degree of correspondence to the query image data from the extracted image data, as partial image data. The layer has a function of outputting an output value corresponding to the features of the image data input to the neural network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2024
    Publication date: April 10, 2025
    Inventors: Kengo AKIMOTO, Takahiro FUKUTOME, Kentaro HAYASHI
  • Patent number: 12250855
    Abstract: A display device includes a pixel portion in which a pixel is arranged in a matrix, the pixel including an inverted staggered thin film transistor having a combination of at least two kinds of oxide semiconductor layers with different amounts of oxygen and having a channel protective layer over a semiconductor layer to be a channel formation region overlapping a gate electrode layer and a pixel electrode layer electrically connected to the inverted staggered thin film transistor. In the periphery of the pixel portion in this display device, a pad portion including a conductive layer made of the same material as the pixel electrode layer is provided. In addition, the conductive layer is electrically connected to a common electrode layer formed on a counter substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Kengo Akimoto, Shigeki Komori, Hideki Uochi, Rihito Wada, Yoko Chiba
  • Publication number: 20250061746
    Abstract: A data processing system that can sense fatigue or the like using a neural network is provided. First, a reference image is obtained on the basis of first to n-th images (n is an integer greater than or equal to 2). Next, the first to n-th images and the reference image are input to an input layer of a neural network, first to n-th estimated ages and a reference estimated age are output from an output layer, and first to n-th data and reference data are output from an intermediate layer. After that, first to n-th coordinates are obtained in each of which an x-coordinate is a value corresponding to a difference between the reference estimated age and the first to n-th estimated ages and a y-coordinate is a value corresponding to the degree of similarity between the reference data and the first to n-th data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2024
    Publication date: February 20, 2025
    Inventors: Tatsuya OKANO, Teppei OGUNI, Kengo AKIMOTO
  • Patent number: 12230638
    Abstract: A pixel portion and a driver circuit driving the pixel portion are formed over the same substrate. At least a part of the driver circuit is formed using an inverted staggered thin film transistor in which an oxide semiconductor layer is used and a channel protective layer is provided over the oxide semiconductor layer serving as a channel formation region which is overlapped with the gate electrode. The driver circuit as well as the pixel portion is provided over the same substrate to reduce manufacturing costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Kengo Akimoto, Atsushi Umezaki
  • Publication number: 20250055087
    Abstract: The relative position shifts of a positive electrode and a negative electrode occur owing to bending in charge or discharge, whereby uneven distribution is caused and potential varies. Not graphite but a lithium metal film is used as the negative electrode. A lithium metal film is formed over one side of the negative electrode current collector by an evaporation method or a sputtering method, and a laminated body is formed such that surfaces of two negative electrode current collectors where no film is formed are in contact with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2022
    Publication date: February 13, 2025
    Inventors: Kazutaka KURIKI, Seiya SAITO, Teruaki OCHIAI, Kengo AKIMOTO
  • Patent number: 12217767
    Abstract: An audio device capable of inhibiting malfunction of an information terminal is provided. The audio device includes a sound sensor portion, a sound separation portion, a sound determination portion, and a processing portion. The sound sensor portion has a function of sensing sound. The sound separation portion has a function of separating the sound sensed by the sound sensor portion into a voice and sound other than a voice. The sound determination portion has a function of storing the feature quantity of the sound. The sound determination portion has a function of determining, with a machine learning model such as a neural network model, whether the feature quantity of the voice separated by the sound separation portion is the stored feature quantity. The processing portion has a function of analyzing an instruction contained in the voice and generating an instruction signal representing the content of the instruction in the case where the feature quantity of the voice is the stored feature quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumiya Nagashima, Kengo Akimoto, Tatsuya Okano, Yusuke Koumura, Seiko Inoue
  • Patent number: 12206023
    Abstract: To provide an oxide semiconductor film having stable electric conductivity and a highly reliable semiconductor device having stable electric characteristics by using the oxide semiconductor film. The oxide semiconductor film contains indium (In), gallium (Ga), and zinc (Zn) and includes a c-axis-aligned crystalline region aligned in the direction parallel to a normal vector of a surface where the oxide semiconductor film is formed. Further, the composition of the c-axis-aligned crystalline region is represented by In1+?Ga1??O3(ZnO)m (0<?<1 and m=1 to 3 are satisfied), and the composition of the entire oxide semiconductor film including the c-axis-aligned crystalline region is represented by InxGayO3(ZnO)m (0<x<2, 0<y<2, and m=1 to 3 are satisfied).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Takahashi, Kengo Akimoto, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 12206025
    Abstract: A display device including a pixel having a memory. The pixel includes at least a display element, a capacitor, an inverter, and a switch. The switch is controlled with a signal held in the capacitor and a signal output from the inverter so that voltage is supplied to the display element. The inverter and the switch can be constituted by transistors with the same polarity. A semiconductor layer included in the pixel may be formed using a light-transmitting material. Moreover, a gate electrode, a drain electrode, and a capacitor electrode may be formed using a light-transmitting conductive layer. The pixel is formed using a light-transmitting material in such a manner, whereby the display device can be a transmissive display device while including a pixel having a memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2024
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Kimura, Kengo Akimoto, Masashi Tsubuku, Toshinari Sasaki
  • Patent number: 12198941
    Abstract: An object is to provide a display device with excellent display characteristics, where a pixel circuit and a driver circuit provided over one substrate are formed using transistors which have different structures corresponding to characteristics of the respective circuits. The driver circuit portion includes a driver circuit transistor in which a gate electrode layer, a source electrode layer, and a drain electrode layer are formed using a metal film, and a channel layer is formed using an oxide semiconductor. The pixel portion includes a pixel transistor in which a gate electrode layer, a source electrode layer, and a drain electrode layer are formed using an oxide conductor, and a semiconductor layer is formed using an oxide semiconductor. The pixel transistor is formed using a light-transmitting material, and thus, a display device with higher aperture ratio can be manufactured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2024
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Junichiro Sakata, Masashi Tsubuku, Kengo Akimoto, Miyuki Hosoba, Masayuki Sakakura, Yoshiaki Oikawa
  • Patent number: 12183832
    Abstract: An object is to provide a semiconductor device of which a manufacturing process is not complicated and by which cost can be suppressed, by forming a thin film transistor using an oxide semiconductor film typified by zinc oxide, and a manufacturing method thereof. For the semiconductor device, a gate electrode is formed over a substrate; a gate insulating film is formed covering the gate electrode; an oxide semiconductor film is formed over the gate insulating film; and a first conductive film and a second conductive film are formed over the oxide semiconductor film. The oxide semiconductor film has at least a crystallized region in a channel region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Akimoto, Tatsuya Honda, Norihito Sone
  • Patent number: 12174882
    Abstract: An image retrieval system that enables high-accuracy image retrieval in a short time is provided. The image retrieval system includes a processing portion provided with a neural network. The neural network includes a layer provided with a neuron. The processing portion has a function of comparing query image data with a plurality of pieces of database image data, and extracting the database image data including an area with a high degree of correspondence to the query image data as extracted image data. The processing portion has a function of extracting data of the area with a high degree of correspondence to the query image data from the extracted image data, as partial image data. The layer has a function of outputting an output value corresponding to the features of the image data input to the neural network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Akimoto, Takahiro Fukutome, Kentaro Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20240413167
    Abstract: An embodiment is to include an inverted staggered (bottom gate structure) thin film transistor in which an oxide semiconductor film containing In, Ga, and Zn is used as a semiconductor layer and a buffer layer is provided between the semiconductor layer and a source and drain electrode layers. The buffer layer having higher carrier concentration than the semiconductor layer is provided intentionally between the source and drain electrode layers and the semiconductor layer, whereby an ohmic contact is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2024
    Publication date: December 12, 2024
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Hidekazu MIYAIRI, Akiharu MIYANAGA, Kengo AKIMOTO, Kojiro SHIRAISHI