Patents by Inventor Takeo Ushinaga

Takeo Ushinaga 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: 20240147100
    Abstract: An image sensor circuit includes a plurality of column analog/digital conversion circuits each including: first to n-th storage elements configured to respectively store first to n-th pieces of bit data that constitute analog/digital-converted data obtained by analog/digital-converting analog signals outputted by pixels, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2; first to (n?1)-th transfer paths configured to respectively transfer the bit data stored in the first to (n?1)-th storage elements from the first to (n?1)-th storage elements to the second to n-th storage elements; and an n-th transfer path configured to transfer the bit data stored in the n-th storage element from the n-th storage element to outside the plurality of column analog/digital conversion circuits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2023
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventors: Yoshinao MORIKAWA, Takeo USHINAGA
  • Publication number: 20230269352
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging element synthesizes luminance signals and chrominance signals to obtain an image. The solid-state imaging element includes a plurality of first pixels and a plurality of second pixels. Each of the plurality of second pixels has a spectral response characteristic in white. The solid-state imaging element generates the chrominance signals, using output signals from the plurality of first pixels. The solid-state imaging element generates the luminance signals, using output signals from the plurality of second pixels, without using the output signals from the plurality of first pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2023
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventors: Takeo USHINAGA, DAISUKE FUNAO, TOMONARI KENZAKI
  • Patent number: 11477405
    Abstract: An AD conversion circuit provided in a solid-state image sensor includes a counter circuit that performs count processing and a first latch circuit that holds at least one of a discrimination result of a first comparison circuit and a first output result of the counter circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeo Ushinaga, Yoshinao Morikawa
  • Publication number: 20210314518
    Abstract: An AD conversion circuit provided in a solid-state image sensor includes a counter circuit that performs count processing and a first latch circuit that holds at least one of a discrimination result of a first comparison circuit and a first output result of the counter circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: TAKEO USHINAGA, YOSHINAO MORIKAWA
  • Patent number: 10868995
    Abstract: An AD converter includes a comparator that compares a potential of a pixel signal line with a reference potential that is a potential of a ramp waveform changing with time, a counter that stops a counting operation in response to a change in an output of the comparator, and an all-bit latch unit that holds all bits of a count value subsequent to stopping the counting operation during the second count period. The counter sets an initial value for the counting operation during the first count period to be a negative value, and prior to the counting operation during the second count period, inverts all bits of the count value subsequent to stopping the counting operation during the first count period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takeo Ushinaga
  • Patent number: 10708532
    Abstract: [Object] To prevent code skipping in decoding. [Solution] Included are a low-order bit latch unit (63) that latches digital code data as a low-order bit, a high-order bit counter unit (64) that counts one or both of edges of a control signal corresponding to a reference clock, and stops counting of high-order bits, triggered by output of a comparator (62) being inverted, a low-order bit decoding signal latch unit (65) that latches a low-order bit decoding signal, and a signal processing unit (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeo Ushinaga, Yoshinao Morikawa
  • Publication number: 20200053310
    Abstract: [Object] To prevent code skipping in decoding. [Solution] Included are a low-order bit latch unit (63) that latches digital code data as a low-order bit, a high-order bit counter unit (64) that counts one or both of edges of a control signal corresponding to a reference clock, and stops counting of high-order bits, triggered by output of a comparator (62) being inverted, a low-order bit decoding signal latch unit (65) that latches a low-order bit decoding signal, and a signal processing unit (8).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: TAKEO USHINAGA, YOSHINAO MORIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20190082134
    Abstract: An AD converter includes a comparator that compares a potential of a pixel signal line with a reference potential that is a potential of a ramp waveform changing with time, a counter that stops a counting operation in response to a change in an output of the comparator, and an all-bit latch unit that holds all bits of a count value subsequent to stopping the counting operation during the second count period. The counter sets an initial value for the counting operation during the first count period to be a negative value, and prior to the counting operation during the second count period, inverts all bits of the count value subsequent to stopping the counting operation during the first count period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Inventor: TAKEO USHINAGA
  • Patent number: 10186547
    Abstract: Provided are a solid-state imaging element which can be simply manufactured and can control movement of electric charges in an accumulation region with a high degree of accuracy, and a method of manufacturing the same. A solid-state imaging element (1a) includes a substrate (11) having a first conductivity type; an accumulation region (12) having a second conductivity type and provided in the substrate (11); a read-out region (13) for receiving the transferred electric charges accumulated in the accumulation region (12); and a transfer section (14) for transferring the electric charges from the accumulation region (12) to the read-out region (13). An impurity concentration modulation region 121 having a locally high concentration of an impurity having the second conductivity type, or having a locally low concentration of an impurity having the first conductivity type is formed in a part of the accumulation region (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takeo Ushinaga
  • Patent number: 9979950
    Abstract: A means for correcting tilts and positional deviations from a stereo image is rendered unnecessary. The present invention has a solid-state imaging element 2 on which a plurality of light receiving sections for photoelectrically converting and imaging an image light from a subject are arranged in a matrix pattern and a lens means 3 with a single focal point on an imaging surface of the solid-state imaging element 2. The present invention is configured to simultaneously or chronologically expose and image each imaging light from a subject entering different positions of the lens means 3 as a plurality of images in a plurality of imaging regions for each predetermined imaging regions of the solid-state imaging element 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeo Ushinaga, Shinji Hattori
  • Publication number: 20150014749
    Abstract: Provided are a solid-state imaging element which can be simply manufactured and can control movement of electric charges in an accumulation region with a high degree of accuracy, and a method of manufacturing the same. A solid-state imaging element (1a) includes a substrate (11) having a first conductivity type; an accumulation region (12) having a second conductivity type and provided in the substrate (11); a read-out region (13) for receiving the transferred electric charges accumulated in the accumulation region (12); and a transfer section (14) for transferring the electric charges from the accumulation region (12) to the read-out region (13). An impurity concentration modulation region 121 having a locally high concentration of an impurity having the second conductivity type, or having a locally low concentration of an impurity having the first conductivity type is formed in a part of the accumulation region (12).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventor: Takeo Ushinaga
  • Publication number: 20140368618
    Abstract: A means for correcting tilts and positional deviations from a stereo image is rendered unnecessary. The present invention has a solid-state imaging element 2 on which a plurality of light receiving sections for photoelectrically converting and imaging an image light from a subject are arranged in a matrix pattern and a lens means 3 with a single focal point on an imaging surface of the solid-state imaging element 2. The present invention is configured to simultaneously or chronologically expose and image each imaging light from a subject entering different positions of the lens means 3 as a plurality of images in a plurality of imaging regions for each predetermined imaging regions of the solid-state imaging element 2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2012
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Takeo Ushinaga, Shinji Hattori