Patents by Inventor Koichi Fukuda

Koichi Fukuda 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: 20140320711
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus having an image sensor including focus detection pixels capable of outputting a pair of image signals for focus detection determines whether each line of the pixels of the image sensor is an addition/non-addition line that outputs the image signal suitable/unsuitable for detection of a correlation amount, obtains the correlation amount for each addition line based on the pair of image signals, add the obtained correlation amount of the addition line, counts the number of addition lines, obtains a defocus amount based on the added correlation amount, and drives a focus lens based on the defocus amount when a product of an evaluation value representing reliability of the defocus amount and a predetermined standard number of additions is smaller than the product of the number of addition lines and a standard evaluation value representing a predetermined evaluation value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koichi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 8872962
    Abstract: The focus detection apparatus includes an image pickup part (101-107) including first and second pixels photoelectrically converting first and second images formed by light fluxes passing through different pupil area of an image-forming optical system to produce first and second image signals, a first signal processor (121) performing a first process to smooth the first and second image signals by using mutually different filters, a second signal processor (121) performing a second process to sharpen the first and second image signals by using mutually different filters. A calculating part (121) calculates a defocus amount by using the first and second image signals subjected to the first process when a contrast value is higher than a predetermined value, and calculates the defocus amount by using the first and second image signals subjected to the second process when the contrast value is lower than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 8872950
    Abstract: The capacitance of a charge-accumulating layer of an imaging pixel is made different from that of a charge-accumulating layer of a focusing pixel, thereby reducing the difference in saturation capacitance due to the difference between the light-reception efficiencies of the imaging pixel and the focusing pixel. The ratio between the capacitance of the charge-accumulating layer of the imaging pixel and that of the charge-accumulating layer of the focusing pixel is determined in consideration of a variation in ratio between the light-reception efficiencies of the imaging pixel and the focusing pixel with a change in at least one of the exit pupil distance and the aperture value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 8854529
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus performs focus detection based on a pair of image signals obtained from an image sensor including pixels each having a pair of photoelectric conversion units capable of outputting the pair of image signals obtained by independently receiving a pair of light beams that have passed through different exit pupil regions of an imaging optical system. In the focus detection, an f-number of the imaging optical system is acquired, the pair of image signals undergo filtering using a first filter formed from an summation filter when the f-number is less than a predetermined threshold, or using a second filter formed from the summation filter and a differential filter when the f-number is not less than the threshold, and focus detection is performed by a phase difference method based on the pair of filtered image signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuki Yoshimura, Koichi Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20140288898
    Abstract: A tunnel path of the tunnel FET at a source-gate overlap portion is divided into a vertical path vertical to the source-gate overlap portion and a horizontal path extending to a drain in a horizontal direction along a channel interface. A tunnel distance computation section obtains a tunnel distance for each position of a nonlocal electric field band-to-band tunnel, using first and second bends of the mid-gap potential, which are previously stored approximate functions of the mid-gap potential on the vertical and horizontal paths, respectively. A carrier generation rate computation section computes a carrier generation rate due to band-to-band tunneling, based on the tunnel distance at each position of the nonlocal electric field band-to-band tunnel and a band gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Inventor: Koichi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 8836010
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device including a memory cell configured to store data and a resistor element provided around the memory cell. The memory cell includes a charge storage layer provided above a substrate, a first semiconductor layer formed on a top surface of the charge storage layer via an insulating layer, and a first low resistive layer formed on a top surface of the first semiconductor layer and having resistance lower than that of the first semiconductor layer. The resistor element includes a second semiconductor layer formed on the same layer as the first semiconductor layer, and a second low resistive layer formed on the same layer as the first low resistive layer and on a top surface of the second semiconductor layer, having resistance lower than that of the second semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Koichi Fukuda, Rieko Tanaka, Takumi Abe
  • Publication number: 20140253753
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus generates a plurality of parallactic images having a relationship that the magnitude of an amount of image shift between parallactic images increases with an increase of a defocus amount, generates, through plural selections of the generated parallactic images permitting a repeated same selection, a series of parallactic images in which the selected parallactic images are arranged in a selection order; repeatedly applies interpolation processing to each pair of adjacent parallactic images included in the series of parallactic images to generate a plurality of interpolation images; and arranges the interpolation images between the adjacent parallactic images to output the interpolated parallactic images as an output image of a moving image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koichi Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20140241057
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment includes a memory cell array having a plurality of memory cell transistors connected in series therein; a plurality of bit lines; and a control circuit for executing a read operation. The control circuit is configured capable of executing the read operation, the read operation charging the bit line and applying a read voltage to the control gate electrode of the memory cell transistor to determine whether the memory cell transistor is conductive and the bit line discharges or not. The control circuit is configured to, in the read operation, be capable of executing the read operation targeting the memory cell transistors connected to a portion of the plurality of bit lines, and not execute a charging operation in those other of the bit lines where the connected memory cell transistors are not targeted by the read operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Rieko FUNATSUKI, Koichi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 8791517
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes at least one semiconductor region provided in a semiconductor substrate, and a capacitor group including a plurality of capacitors provided in the semiconductor region, each capacitor including a capacitor insulating film provided on the semiconductor region, a capacitor electrode provided on the capacitor insulating film, and at least one diffusion layer provided in the semiconductor region adjacent to the capacitor electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kutsukake, Yoshiko Kato, Yoshihisa Watanabe, Koichi Fukuda, Kazunori Masuda
  • Patent number: 8773549
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus generates a plurality of parallactic images having a relationship that the magnitude of an amount of image shift between parallactic images increases with an increase of a defocus amount, generates, through plural selections of the generated parallactic images permitting a repeated same selection, a series of parallactic images in which the selected parallactic images are arranged in a selection order; repeatedly applies interpolation processing to each pair of adjacent parallactic images included in the series of parallactic images to generate a plurality of interpolation images; and arranges the interpolation images between the adjacent parallactic images to output the interpolated parallactic images as an output image of a moving image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 8767146
    Abstract: A display device is provided which includes a lower substrate and an upper substrate. An inner surface of the lower substrate and an inner surface of the upper surface face each other. A polarizing plate is disposed on an outer surface of the upper substrate, wherein the polarizing plate includes at least an inside protective film, a polarizing film and an outside protective film, which are layered on the upper substrate side in this order so that the inside protective film is adjacent to the upper substrate. An expansion axis of the outside protective film forms an angle of 30° or more and 90° or less with an expansion axis of the polarizing film, and an expansion axis of the inside protective film forms an angle of 0° or more and 3° or less with an expansion axis of the polarizing film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignees: Japan Display Inc., Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Fukuda, Tetsuya Oshima, Satoru Kawasaki
  • Publication number: 20140146221
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus which can perform an AF of a high speed and a high focusing precision by simultaneously realizing a phase difference AF and a contrast AF, decides arrange where a contrast evaluation can be performed on the basis of a correspondence relation between each pixel of an image pickup element which is restricted by pupil division means provided for restricting light of an optical image of an object which enters each pixel of the image pickup element to light from a specific exit pupil area of a photographing lens and the specific exit pupil area of the photographing lens, and decides a focus evaluation value of the object in accordance with the decided range from a contrast focus position or a correlation focus position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masafumi Kimura, Koichi Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20140111677
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprises an image sensor including a plurality of image forming pixels and a lens which is arranged for the plurality of image forming pixels. Each of the image forming pixels includes a plurality of divided photo-electric conversion units, and the plurality of photo-electric conversion units have a function of photo-electrically converting a plurality of images having passed through different exit pupils of the imaging optical system, and outputting focus detection signals. Each of the image forming pixels includes a first light guide and a second light guide. The first light guide is arranged on a side of the lens, and the second light guide is arranged on a side of the photo-electric conversion unit, and a division count of the second light guide is larger than the division count of the first light guide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koichi Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20140111681
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of image forming pixels which receive light beams passing through an imaging pupil area of an imaging optical system, a plurality of first focus detecting pixels which receive light beams passing through a first pupil area smaller than the imaging pupil area, and a plurality of second focus detecting pixels which receive light beams passing through a second pupil area smaller than the imaging pupil area. The geometric centre of the first pupil area differs from the geometric centre of the second pupil area. The eccentricity of the microlens of the first focus detecting pixel relative to the center of the pixel differs from the eccentricity of the first focus detecting pixel relative to the center of the pixel of the microlens of the image forming pixel adjacent to the first focus detecting pixel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koichi Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20140071322
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus capable of making focus detection performance and image pickup performance compatible with each other. A plurality of image pickup pixels detect a subject image formed by an imaging optical system and generate an image for image pickup. Microlenses disposed for the respective image pickup pixels gather incident light to the respective image pickup pixels. Each image pickup pixel has a plurality of photoelectric converters divided in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Each photoelectric converter photoelectrically converts each of subject images having passed through pupil partial areas corresponding to the respective photoelectric converters in an exit pupil of the imaging optical system and outputs focus detection signals for detecting a phase difference between the subject images. A first curvature of the microlenses in the first direction and a second curvature of the microlenses in the second direction are different.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koichi Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20140010020
    Abstract: A memory system includes a controller and a memory part including a memory cell array including memory cells, word lines, bit lines including bit line pairs each composed of an even bit line and an odd bit line adjacent to each other, and sense amplifiers provided to the bit line pairs and configured to detect data in selected memory cells connected to a selected word line. When reading data is performed from first memory cells to which writing data is performed first in memory cell pairs each including two adjacent memory cells respectively connected to one of the even bit lines and one of the odd bit lines, the controller controls the memory part so as to change a read level voltage applied to the selected word line depending on a data write state of second memory cells in the memory cell pairs to which writing data is performed later.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Koichi FUKUDA
  • Publication number: 20140009727
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a liquid crystal display device having a first substrate, a second substrate bonded to the first substrate, with liquid crystal material held between the first substrate and the second substrate, and an upper polarizing plate affixed to the second substrate. A protective member is disposed over the upper polarizing plate, and an adhesive member is disposed between the protective member and the upper polarizing plate without an air layer between the protective member and the upper polarizing plate. The protective member is configured as a protective cover of the electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicants: PANASONIC LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY CO., LTD., JAPAN DISPLAY INC
    Inventor: Koichi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 8625378
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory includes a first power supply voltage pad to which a first power supply voltage required for a writing, reading or erasing operation of the memory cells is applied. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory includes a second power supply voltage pad to which a second power supply voltage that is lower than the first power supply voltage and to be supplied to the I/O circuit is applied. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory includes a first voltage down-converting circuit that converts the first power supply voltage down to a first down-converted voltage that is higher than the second power supply voltage. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory includes a second voltage down-converting circuit that converts the second power supply voltage down to a second down-converted voltage that is lower than the first down-converted voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Koichi Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20140001589
    Abstract: In an image sensor, if a pixel for focusing has a structure having a light-shielding layer for performing pupil division, between the micro lens and the photoelectric conversion unit, the pixel may be configured such that the focal position of the micro lens is positioned further on the micro lens side than the light-shielding layer, and the distance from the focal position of the micro lens to the light-shielding layer is greater than 0 and less than nF?, where n is the refractive index at the focal position of the micro lens, F is the aperture value of the micro lens, and ? is the diffraction limit of the micro lens. This enables variation in the pupil intensity distribution of the pixel for focusing due to positional production tolerance of components to be suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koichi Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20130329117
    Abstract: An image capture apparatus comprises an imaging optical system, an image sensor, a pupil division unit which limits a light beam entering each pixel on the image sensor to a specific pupil area of the imaging optical system, an incident angle determination unit which determines an incident angle to each pixel on the image sensor, an image shift unit which shifts an electric signal obtained from the image sensor, based on the incident angle determined by the incident angle determination unit and a position of a plane on which image generation is performed, and an image generation unit which synthesizes electric signals obtained from the image shift unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masafumi Kimura, Koichi Fukuda