Patents by Inventor Koji Hizume

Koji Hizume 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: 10873714
    Abstract: An image sensor may include an array of pixels arranged in rows and columns. Row control circuitry may be coupled to the array of pixels to reset, control charge transfer, and read out operations. Pixel access circuitry in processing circuitry may provide control signals to row control circuitry to access the array of pixels using multiple pixel access settings. In particular, by using multiple pixel access setting, the array of pixels may successively and efficiently generate image frames of different types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Koji Hizume, Mariko Hirano
  • Patent number: 10356344
    Abstract: Image sensors may have high dynamic range (HDR) functionality. To implement the high dynamic range functionality, the image sensor may use multiple exposure imaging. In multiple exposure imaging, multiple images are captured with an image sensor at different exposure times and are later combined into a single high dynamic range image. Image data from one or more exposures in a multi-exposure imaging scheme may be used to determine that subsequent exposures will not produce useful information. To conserve power in the image sensor, certain readout circuitry such as analog-to-digital converter circuitry and column memory may be disabled during readout of the exposures that are determined to not produce useful information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Gabriel Bowers, Koji Hizume
  • Publication number: 20190141274
    Abstract: An image sensor may include an array of pixels arranged in rows and columns. Row control circuitry may be coupled to the array of pixels to reset, control charge transfer, and read out operations. Pixel access circuitry in processing circuitry may provide control signals to row control circuitry to access the array of pixels using multiple pixel access settings. In particular, by using multiple pixel access setting, the array of pixels may successively and efficiently generate image frames of different types.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Koji HIZUME, Mariko HIRANO
  • Patent number: 9602749
    Abstract: There is provided an image sensor that includes a pixel array section, a column processing section, and a row control section. The pixel array section is configured to include two or more shared pixel cells arranged in a two-dimensional array, the shared pixel cells each including a plurality of pixels that output electric signals by photoelectric conversion. The column processing section is configured to process the electric signals that are read at the same time from the shared pixel cells on a plurality of rows in the two-dimensional array. The row control section is configured to perform access control differently between one and another of the rows for reading the electric signals from the pixels in the shared pixel cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazunori Yamaguchi, Rei Yoshikawa, Koji Hizume, Daisuke Kawamata
  • Publication number: 20150029373
    Abstract: There is provided an image sensor that includes a pixel array section, a column processing section, and a row control section. The pixel array section is configured to include two or more shared pixel cells arranged in a two-dimensional array, the shared pixel cells each including a plurality of pixels that output electric signals by photoelectric conversion. The column processing section is configured to process the electric signals that are read at the same time from the shared pixel cells on a plurality of rows in the two-dimensional array. The row control section is configured to perform access control differently between one and another of the rows for reading the electric signals from the pixels in the shared pixel cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Kazunori Yamaguchi, Rei Yoshikawa, Koji Hizume, Daisuke Kawamata
  • Publication number: 20060201105
    Abstract: A spacer for a double-glazing unit, and a double-glazing unit, which make it possible to improve the durability performance of the double-glazing unit and moreover are capable of housing a granular desiccant in the spacer. The double-glazing unit 10 is comprised of a pair of glass plates 11 and 12 each of thickness 3.0 mm that face one another with a predetermined gap therebetween, a spacer 13 that is inserted between the glass plates 11 and 12 at a peripheral portion thereof so as to fix the predetermined gap between the glass plates 11 and 12 at, for example, 14.5 mm, and a secondary sealant 16 that is filled between the glass plates 11 and 12 on the outside of the spacer 13 and seals the spacer 13 from the exterior. The spacer 13 is comprised of an elongated thin-walled hollow body 13b that is interposed via a primary sealant 15 between the pair of glass plates 11 and 12 in the double-glazing unit 10 and houses a desiccant 13a.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Publication date: September 14, 2006
    Applicant: Nippon Sheet Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hidemi Kato, Koji Hizume