Patents by Inventor Kohji Hamaguchi

Kohji Hamaguchi 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).

  • Patent number: 12113541
    Abstract: An analog-to-digital convertor of an integration type, includes: a charging circuit having a capacitor configured to store electric charges based on an input current; a discharging circuit configured to discharge the electric charges stored in the capacitor; and a counting circuit configured to count a charge-discharge count of the capacitor in a first conversion period and in a second conversion period, in order to convert a current value of the input current into a digital value, wherein the first conversion period includes a first pre-charging period and a first counting period, the second conversion period includes a second pre-charging period and a second counting period, and the analog-to-digital convertor further comprises a phase changing circuit configured to change a first phase of an output signal of the charging circuit in the first counting period to a second phase in the second counting period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: Sharp Semiconductor Innovation Corporation
    Inventors: Kohji Hamaguchi, Takahiro Inoue, Takayuki Shimizu, Isamu Kawabe, Tetsuro Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20240077588
    Abstract: An optical sensor includes a light-emitting element configured to project light that changes with time; a light-receiving element including a pn junction and configured to directly or indirectly receive the light projected by the light-emitting element; a measuring section configured to measure an electric current generated based on an amount of the light received by the light-receiving element; and a bias application section configured to apply a bias to the light-receiving element, wherein the bias application section, before measuring the electric current generated based on the amount of the light received, applies the bias to the light-receiving element to cause either a forward current that flows when the light-receiving element is turned ON or a breakdown current that flows when the pn junction breaks down to flow through the pn junction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Takayuki SHIMIZU, Takahiro INOUE, Kohji HAMAGUCHI, Takuma HIRAMATSU, KAZUO NODA
  • Patent number: 11842680
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes the following: a light measuring instrument disposed opposite the display surface of a display panel provided with a self-emission element, and disposed for measuring the ambient-light illuminance of the display panel; a storage device configured to store a plurality of first measurements measured by the light measuring instrument in synchronization with a synchronizing signal of the display panel during a plurality of first measurement periods that are shorter than an ON/OFF period of the self-emission element; and a calculation unit configured to calculate the light emission illuminance of the self-emission element in accordance with the plurality of first measurements stored in the storage device, and configured to calculate the ambient-light illuminance by subtracting a value based on the light emission illuminance from a second measurement measured by the light measuring instrument during a second measurement period that is longer than the plurality of first measurement pe
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Sharp Semiconductor Innovation Corporation
    Inventors: Isamu Kawabe, Takahiro Inoue, Takayuki Shimizu, Kohji Hamaguchi, Tetsuro Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11488531
    Abstract: A proximity sensor comprises a light emitting element configured to emit light; a synchronization signal input unit configured to be input with a synchronization signal which is output from a display device and which indicates a rewrite timing of an image displayed on a display screen; and an emission controller configured to control emission of the light from the light emitting element, wherein the emission controller is configured to cause the light emitting element to start the emission of the light at a start timing set based on the rewrite timing at which rewriting of one of a plurality of scanning lines of the image is caused to start in the specific display region, and an emission time of the light from the light emitting element, and the emission controller is configured to cause the light emitting element to end the emission of the light before the rewrite timing comes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Sharp Semiconductor Innovation Corporation
    Inventors: Kohji Hamaguchi, Takahiro Inoue, Masaya Ohnishi, Isamu Kawabe
  • Publication number: 20210398486
    Abstract: A proximity sensor comprises a light emitting element configured to emit light; a synchronization signal input unit configured to be input with a synchronization signal which is output from a display device and which indicates a rewrite timing of an image displayed on a display screen; and an emission controller configured to control emission of the light from the light emitting element, wherein the emission controller is configured to cause the light emitting element to start the emission of the light at a start timing set based on the rewrite timing at which rewriting of one of a plurality of scanning lines of the image is caused to start in the specific display region, and an emission time of the light from the light emitting element, and the emission controller is configured to cause the light emitting element to end the emission of the light before the rewrite timing comes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: KOHJI HAMAGUCHI, Takahiro INOUE, Masaya OHNISHI, Isamu KAWABE
  • Patent number: 10819914
    Abstract: An illuminance sensor detects a flicker with higher accuracy than in the related art. The illuminance sensor includes: a light receiving unit that receives light and outputs a current; a flicker measurement counter circuit that performs AD conversion on the current and outputs a first digital signal to a flicker measurement storage device; an illuminance measurement counter circuit that performs AD conversion on the current and outputs a second digital signal to an illuminance measurement storage device; and a flicker detection unit that detects a flicker by analyzing the first digital signal stored in the flicker measurement storage device. A cycle during which the first digital signal is output from the flicker measurement counter circuit is shorter than a cycle during which the second digital signal is output from the illuminance measurement counter circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kohji Hamaguchi, Takahiro Inoue
  • Publication number: 20200137283
    Abstract: An illuminance sensor detects a flicker with higher accuracy than in the related art. The illuminance sensor includes: a light receiving unit that receives light and outputs a current; a flicker measurement counter circuit that performs AD conversion on the current and outputs a first digital signal to a flicker measurement storage device; an illuminance measurement counter circuit that performs AD conversion on the current and outputs a second digital signal to an illuminance measurement storage device; and a flicker detection unit that detects a flicker by analyzing the first digital signal stored in the flicker measurement storage device. A cycle during which the first digital signal is output from the flicker measurement counter circuit is shorter than a cycle during which the second digital signal is output from the illuminance measurement counter circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: KOHJI HAMAGUCHI, TAKAHIRO INOUE
  • Patent number: 10514448
    Abstract: A proximity sensor includes: a light emitting unit that emits light; a light receiving unit that generates measurement current which includes object reflected light current and non-detection-target-object reflected light current; and an initial calibration execution unit that updates, on the basis of a value of the measurement current, an offset value according to the non-detection-target-object reflected light current, in a case where the value of the measurement current is equal to or less than an initial threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kohji Hamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20190285735
    Abstract: A proximity sensor includes: a light emitting unit that emits light; a light receiving unit that generates measurement current which includes object reflected light current and non-detection-target-object reflected light current; and an initial calibration execution unit that updates, on the basis of a value of the measurement current, an offset value according to the non-detection-target-object reflected light current, in a case where the value of the measurement current is equal to or less than an initial threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: KOHJI HAMAGUCHI
  • Patent number: 6992930
    Abstract: A method for driving a semiconductor memory device includes a memory array having a plurality of memory cells arranged in rows and columns. Each memory cell includes a gate electrode formed on a semiconductor layer via a gate insulating film, a channel region disposed below the gate electrode, a source and a drain as diffusion regions disposed on both sides of the channel region and having a conductive type opposite to that of the channel region, and memory functional units formed on both sides of the gate electrode and having a function of retaining charges. The method includes the steps of: selecting a row line connected to the gate electrode of a memory cell to be selected; grounding a first column line connected to the source of the memory cell to be selected; and applying a first potential to a second column line and a second potential to a third column line at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuaki Matsuoka, Masaru Nawaki, Yoshinao Morikawa, Hiroshi Iwata, Akihide Shibata, Kohji Hamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20040222452
    Abstract: A method for driving a semiconductor memory device includes a memory array having a plurality of memory cells arranged in rows and columns. Each memory cell includes a gate electrode formed on a semiconductor layer via a gate insulating film, a channel region disposed below the gate electrode, a source and a drain as diffusion regions disposed on both sides of the channel region and having a conductive type opposite to that of the channel region, and memory functional units formed on both sides of the gate electrode and having a function of retaining charges. The method includes the steps of: selecting a row line connected to the gate electrode of a memory cell to be selected; grounding a first column line connected to the source of the memory cell to be selected; and applying a first potential to a second column line and a second potential to a third column line at the same time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Publication date: November 11, 2004
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuaki Matsuoka, Masaru Nawaki, Yoshinao Morikawa, Hiroshi Iwata, Akihide Shibata, Kohji Hamaguchi