Patents by Inventor Shigenari TAGUCHI

Shigenari TAGUCHI 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: 11158658
    Abstract: [Object] To achieve a radiation detector capable of suppressing variation in the amount of radiation detected. [Solution] A first gate electrode (52) is connected to a light receiving device, and a second gate electrode (53) is configured to have the same potential as that of the first gate electrode (52).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Shiota, Shigenari Taguchi, Takahiro Shindoh, Kunihiko Iizuka, Nobuyuki Ashida
  • Patent number: 11146222
    Abstract: The circuit area of an amplifier provided in a photon-counting radiation detector is decreased compared with the related art. A pulse amplification measurement circuit includes: an inverting amplification circuit that inverts and amplifies an input signal to generate an inverted amplified output; a feedback transistor that connects an input unit and an output unit of the inverting amplification circuit to each other; and a pulse measurement circuit that generates an output signal corresponding to the number of pulses of the inverted amplified output. The pulse measurement circuit is capable of supplying the output signal toward the feedback transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro Shindoh, Kunihiko Iizuka, Shigenari Taguchi
  • Patent number: 10886314
    Abstract: [Object] To achieve a high-sensitivity radiation detector. [Solution] An amplifying transistor (3) is configured such that a photodiode (1) receives light with the amplifying transistor (3) conductive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Shiota, Shigenari Taguchi, Takahiro Shindoh, Kunihiko Iizuka, Nobuyuki Ashida
  • Patent number: 10866332
    Abstract: An imaging system includes an input voltage setting unit that applies an input voltage to an Amp transistor, a setting output value acquisition unit that acquires a corresponding output for each pixel, and a calibration characteristic deriving unit that derives an input-output characteristic indicating a correspondence relationship between the input voltage and the output and derives a calibration characteristic to be used for calibration based on an inverse characteristic of the input-output characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigenari Taguchi, Seiichi Hama, Nobuyuki Ashida, Kunihiko Iizuka, Takahiro Shindoh, Isao Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20200213552
    Abstract: [Object] To reduce 1/f noise by utilizing the functionality of controlling row selection, with which a typical solid-state imaging element is provided. [Solution] A solid-state imaging element (1A) includes a pixel array (A) in which a plurality of columns of pixels (P) are arranged, a row selection unit (13) that specifies a readout row of the pixel array (A), and a control device (30) that sweeps information carried by each pixel (P) a plurality of times by controlling the row selection unit (13) and outputs an output value in accordance with results of a plurality of readouts of the information obtained from each pixel (P) by the sweeping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: NOBUYUKI ASHIDA, KUNIHIKO IIZUKA, SHIGENARI TAGUCHI, MASAHIRO SHIOTA
  • Publication number: 20200177141
    Abstract: The circuit area of an amplifier provided in a photon-counting radiation detector is decreased compared with the related art. A pulse amplification measurement circuit includes: an inverting amplification circuit that inverts and amplifies an input signal to generate an inverted amplified output; a feedback transistor that connects an input unit and an output unit of the inverting amplification circuit to each other; and a pulse measurement circuit that generates an output signal corresponding to the number of pulses of the inverted amplified output. The pulse measurement circuit is capable of supplying the output signal toward the feedback transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: TAKAHIRO SHINDOH, KUNIHIKO IIZUKA, SHIGENARI TAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20200014863
    Abstract: [Object] To realize an image capturing apparatus capable of suppressing noise in an image. [Solution] An image capturing apparatus (100) includes a plurality of pixels (110) arranged in a matrix form. Each pixel includes a switching element (112) configured to control outputting of a charge accumulated in a sensor element (111). Pixels in each column are grouped into blocks (120). Each block includes a block switching element (122) configured to control outputting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Inventors: MASAHIRO SHIOTA, SHIGENARI TAGUCHI, KUNIHIKO IIZUKA, NOBUYUKI ASHIDA
  • Publication number: 20190386045
    Abstract: [Object] To achieve a radiation detector capable of suppressing variation in the amount of radiation detected. [Solution] A first gate electrode (52) is connected to a light receiving device, and a second gate electrode (53) is configured to have the same potential as that of the first gate electrode (52).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: MASAHIRO SHIOTA, SHIGENARI TAGUCHI, TAKAHIRO SHINDOH, KUNIHIKO IIZUKA, NOBUYUKI ASHIDA
  • Publication number: 20190386046
    Abstract: [Object] To achieve a high-sensitivity radiation detector. [Solution] An amplifying transistor (3) is configured such that a photodiode (1) receives light with the amplifying transistor (3) conductive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: MASAHIRO SHIOTA, SHIGENARI TAGUCHI, TAKAHIRO SHINDOH, KUNIHIKO IIZUKA, NOBUYUKI ASHIDA
  • Publication number: 20190324163
    Abstract: An imaging system includes an input voltage setting unit that applies an input voltage to an Amp transistor, a setting output value acquisition unit that acquires a corresponding output for each pixel, and a calibration characteristic deriving unit that derives an input-output characteristic indicating a correspondence relationship between the input voltage and the output and derives a calibration characteristic to be used for calibration based on an inverse characteristic of the input-output characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: SHIGENARI TAGUCHI, SEIICHI HAMA, NOBUYUKI ASHIDA, KUNIHIKO IIZUKA, TAKAHIRO SHINDOH, ISAO NAKAMURA
  • Patent number: 10209374
    Abstract: A detectable range for an output signal corresponding to charge stored at a pixel is widened in a radiation detector based on an APS method. A resistor (42) is connected to a region between a pixel (12) and a signal readout circuit (21) in a signal output line (51). The resistor (42) is set so as to draw, from the signal output line (51), a current approximately equivalent to a bias current which flows to an amplifier transistor (16) when no charge is stored in a charge storage part (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiko Iizuka, Katsuhisa Kashiwagi, Shigenari Taguchi
  • Patent number: 10180501
    Abstract: A radiation detector (radiation sensor 1) includes a sensor element (3) and an amplifying transistor (5), reads a current value that flows between the drain and the source based on a change in voltage of a gate electrode of the amplifying transistor (5), and also includes a reset reading circuit (10) that includes an amplifier (11) and reads the current value, and the reset reading circuit (10) outputs an initial voltage to the gate electrode so that the current value becomes a value that is determined in advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiko Iizuka, Shigenari Taguchi
  • Patent number: 10165999
    Abstract: Improvement of a frame rate and suppression of power consumption are intended. A radiological-image acquisition device (100) includes a plurality of pixels, a capacitive element (1a) that accumulates electric charge corresponding to a dose (X) of radiation, and a read control unit (read element control unit 22, reset element control unit 23) that reads, from at least one pixel (active pixel 10) that is not subjected to initialization in two or more frames, an output (output voltage Vout) corresponding to the electric charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiko Iizuka, Shigenari Taguchi, Katsuhisa Kashiwagi
  • Publication number: 20180249976
    Abstract: Improvement of a frame rate and suppression of power consumption are intended. A radiological-image acquisition device (100) includes a plurality of pixels, a capacitive element (1a) that accumulates electric charge corresponding to a dose (X) of radiation, and a read control unit (read element control unit 22, reset element control unit 23) that reads, from at least one pixel (active pixel 10) that is not subjected to initialization in two or more frames, an output (output voltage Vout) corresponding to the electric charge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Inventors: KUNIHIKO IIZUKA, SHIGENARI TAGUCHI, KATSUHISA KASHIWAGI
  • Publication number: 20180203137
    Abstract: A detectable range for an output signal corresponding to charge stored at a pixel is widened in a radiation detector based on an APS method. A resistor (42) is connected to a region between a pixel (12) and a signal readout circuit (21) in a signal output line (51). The resistor (42) is set so as to draw, from the signal output line (51), a current approximately equivalent to a bias current which flows to an amplifier transistor (16) when no charge is stored in a charge storage part (14).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: KUNIHIKO IIZUKA, KATSUHISA KASHIWAGI, SHIGENARI TAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20170307764
    Abstract: A radiation detector (radiation sensor 1) includes a sensor element (3) and an amplifying transistor (5), reads a current value that flows between the drain and the source based on a change in voltage of a gate electrode of the amplifying transistor (5), and also includes a reset reading circuit (10) that includes an amplifier (11) and reads the current value, and the reset reading circuit (10) outputs an initial voltage to the gate electrode so that the current value becomes a value that is determined in advance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2015
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventors: Kunihiko IIZUKA, Shigenari TAGUCHI