Patents by Inventor Takeshi Ichikawa

Takeshi Ichikawa 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: 20170078594
    Abstract: An imaging device includes pixels including a photoelectric conversion unit, a holding unit that holds charge, and an amplifier unit. The pixels include a first group outputting a signal based on charge generated during a first exposure period, and a second group outputting a signal based on charge generated during a second exposure period longer than the first exposure period. The pixel belonging to the second group includes in the second exposure period a first period during which the charge generated in the photoelectric conversion unit is accumulated in the photoelectric conversion unit, and the charge held by the holding unit is transferred to the amplifier unit, and a second period during which the charge generated during the first period is held in the holding unit, and the charge generated after the first period is held by one of the photoelectric conversion unit and the holding unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Inventors: Kazunari Kawabata, Takeshi Ichikawa, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yusuke Onuki
  • Publication number: 20170078604
    Abstract: An image device transfers charges of a previous frame from the holding units to the amplification units, during a read-out period of each frame, the read-out period includes a period in which a plurality of overflow transistors are in an on-state and a first period in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion units accumulate charges, and, during a second period following the first period, the plurality of photoelectric conversion units of the plurality of pixels accumulate charges while the plurality of holding units of the plurality of pixels hold the charges accumulated during the first period. During the first and second periods, each of the plurality of pixels performs a plurality of times of charge transfers from the photoelectric conversion unit to the holding unit. The plurality of times of charge transfers including a charge transfer performed at the end of the second period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Inventors: Masahiro Kobayashi, Takeshi Ichikawa, Yusuke Onuki, Masaaki Minowa, Kazunari Kawabata, Hiroshi Sekine
  • Patent number: 9560285
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus performs a global electronic shutter operation in which exposure periods of a plurality of pixels coincide with one another. In a first period in which a photoelectric conversion unit of at least one of the pixels stores charge, signals based on charges stored in holding units of the pixels are successively output to output lines. In a second period after the output of the signals from the pixels is terminated, the holding units of the pixels hold charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi Ichikawa, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yusuke Onuki, Toru Koizumi
  • Publication number: 20160358968
    Abstract: An apparatus according to the present invention in which a first substrate including a photoelectric conversion element and a gate electrode of a transistor, and a second substrate including a peripheral circuit portion are placed upon each other. The first substrate does not include a high-melting-metal compound layer, and the second substrate includes a high-melting-metal compound layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Endo, Tetsuya Itano, Kazuo Yamazaki, Kyouhei Watanabe, Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20160301887
    Abstract: The imaging apparatuses according to the embodiments perform an operation of outputting a plurality of signals from pixels to an output line a plurality of times. In each operation, both of first and second transfer switches are brought into an on state so that a discharge operation of discharging charge of a photoelectric conversion unit through a holding unit is performed. In a first period, the photoelectric conversion unit of at least one of the pixels accumulates charge. The operation performed a plurality of times includes a first operation and a second operation to be performed after the first operation. After the output operation in the first operation is terminated, the discharge operation in the second operation is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventors: Takeshi Ichikawa, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yusuke Onuki, Toru Koizumi
  • Publication number: 20160284756
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a solid-state imaging apparatus including a first substrate having a plurality of photoelectric conversion units and a second substrate having a plurality of readout circuits. The first substrate is provided with a plurality of first conductive patterns that are electrically separated from one another and the second substrate is provided with a plurality of second conductive patterns that are electrically separated from one another. The first conductive patterns each include a first partial pattern extending in a first direction. The second conductive patterns each include a partial pattern extending in a second direction different from the first direction. The first partial pattern has a length extending in the first direction longer than a length thereof in the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventors: Takeshi Ichikawa, Mineo Shimotsusa, Genzo Momma
  • Publication number: 20160286149
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus performs a global electronic shutter operation in which a plurality of pixels are exposed during the same exposure period. In a first period, charge is accumulated by a photoelectric conversion unit. In a second period, accumulation units of a plurality of pixels accumulate charge. A ratio of saturation charge quantity of the photoelectric conversion unit to saturation charge quantity of the accumulation unit has a certain relationship with a ratio of a length of the first period to the sum of the length of the first period and the length of the second period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventors: Takeshi Ichikawa, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yusuke Onuki, Toru Koizumi
  • Patent number: 9443895
    Abstract: An apparatus according to the present invention in which a first substrate including a photoelectric conversion element and a gate electrode of a transistor, and a second substrate including a peripheral circuit portion are placed upon each other. The first substrate does not include a high-melting-metal compound layer, and the second substrate includes a high-melting-metal compound layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Endo, Tetsuya Itano, Kazuo Yamazaki, Kyouhei Watanabe, Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20160260763
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device includes a first semiconductor substrate including a photoelectric conversion unit for generating a signal charge in accordance with an incident light, and a second semiconductor substrate including a signal processing unit for processing an electrical signal on the basis of the signal charge generated in the photoelectric conversion unit. The signal processing unit is situated in an orthogonal projection area from the photoelectric conversion unit to the second semiconductor substrate. A multilayer film including a plurality of insulator layers is provided between the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate. The thickness of the second semiconductor substrate is smaller than 500 micrometers. The thickness of the second semiconductor substrate is greater than the distance from the second semiconductor substrate and a light-receiving surface of the first semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Inventors: Mineo Shimotsusa, Takeshi Ichikawa, Yasuhiro Sekine
  • Patent number: 9430340
    Abstract: A verification control part has the same write information data piece written into each of a plurality of memories according to a write instruction and then reads out information data piece from the plurality of memories. At this time, a coincidence determining part performs first verification to determine whether respective read-out information data pieces read out from the memories coincide with each other and outputs a verification result signal to the outside, and simultaneously the verification control part outputs one of the read-out information data pieces as an information data piece for second verification, which performs coincidence determination with the write information data piece, to the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: LAPIS SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20160227139
    Abstract: Provided is a solid-state imaging apparatus, including pixels each including: a photoelectric conversion unit; a charge accumulation unit; a transistor including a control electrode; a waveguide; and a light-shielding portion. The waveguide includes an incident portion and an output portion, the light-shielding portion includes a first portion that covers the control electrode of the transistor and a second portion that covers a part of the photoelectric conversion unit, the output portion and the photoelectric conversion unit are arranged with an interval therebetween, the interval between the output portion and the photoelectric conversion unit is larger than an interval between a lower end of the second portion of the light-shielding portion and the photoelectric conversion unit, and the interval between the output portion and the photoelectric conversion unit is smaller than an interval between an upper end of the second portion of the light-shielding portion and the photoelectric conversion unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Inventors: Mineo Shimotsusa, Masatsugu Itahashi, Masahiro Kobayashi, Kazunari Kawabata, Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9397131
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a solid-state imaging apparatus including a first substrate having a plurality of photoelectric conversion units and a second substrate having a plurality of readout circuits. The first substrate is provided with a plurality of first conductive patterns that are electrically separated from one another and the second substrate is provided with a plurality of second conductive patterns that are electrically separated from one another. The first conductive patterns each include a first partial pattern extending in a first direction. The second conductive patterns each include a partial pattern extending in a second direction different from the first direction. The first partial pattern has a length extending in the first direction longer than a length thereof in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi Ichikawa, Mineo Shimotsusa, Genzo Momma
  • Patent number: 9398236
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and a signal processing unit configured to process signals read out from the pixels. In a first mode, a charge accumulation is controlled by an electronic shutter. In a second mode, the charge accumulation is controlled by a mechanical shutter. The signal processing unit corrects image data obtained from the plurality of pixels based on a signal obtained by the charge accumulation in the second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Michiko Johnson, Masahiro Kobayashi, Hideyuki Itoh, Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9392195
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus performs a global electronic shutter operation in which a plurality of pixels are exposed during the same exposure period. In a first period, charge is accumulated by a photoelectric conversion unit. In a second period, accumulation units of a plurality of pixels accumulate charge. A ratio of saturation charge quantity of the photoelectric conversion unit to saturation charge quantity of the accumulation unit has a certain relationship with a ratio of a length of the first period to the sum of the length of the first period and the length of the second period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Ichikawa, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yusuke Onuki, Toru Koizumi
  • Patent number: 9385152
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a solid-state image pickup device. The device includes a first substrate including a photoelectric conversion element and a transfer gate electrode configured to transfer charge from the photoelectric conversion element, a second substrate having a peripheral circuit portion including a circuit configured to read a signal based charge generated in the photoelectric conversion element, the first and second substrates being laminated. The device further includes a multilayer interconnect structure, disposed on the first substrate, including an aluminum interconnect and a multilayer interconnect structure, disposed on the second substrate, including a copper interconnect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Endo, Tetsuya Itano, Kazuo Yamazaki, Kyouhei Watanabe, Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9368544
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device includes a first semiconductor substrate including a photoelectric conversion unit for generating a signal charge in accordance with an incident light, and a second semiconductor substrate including a signal processing unit for processing an electrical signal on the basis of the signal charge generated in the photoelectric conversion unit. The signal processing unit is situated in an orthogonal projection area from the photoelectric conversion unit to the second semiconductor substrate. A multilayer film including a plurality of insulator layers is provided between the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate. The thickness of the second semiconductor substrate is smaller than 500 micrometers. The thickness of the second semiconductor substrate is greater than the distance from the second semiconductor substrate and a light-receiving surface of the first semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mineo Shimotsusa, Takeshi Ichikawa, Yasuhiro Sekine
  • Patent number: 9350531
    Abstract: A communication device allows control of a device to be controlled such as a display device based on reference timing acquired from reception data without delay and with low power consumption. A method for generating a control signal for controlling the device to be controlled, shutter glasses, and a communication system having the corresponding features are also disclosed. The communication device includes a timing signal identifying part which identifies whether or not a predetermined reference signal pattern exist in data incoming intermittently, and a control signal generating part which generates a control signal for the device to be controlled when the existence of the predetermined signal pattern is identified by the timing signal identification part, and a controller which performs the control of the communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: LAPIS SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9344653
    Abstract: Provided is a solid-state imaging apparatus, including pixels each including: a photoelectric conversion unit; a charge accumulation unit; a transistor including a control electrode; a waveguide; and a light-shielding portion. The waveguide includes an incident portion and an output portion, the light-shielding portion includes a first portion that covers the control electrode of the transistor and a second portion that covers a part of the photoelectric conversion unit, the output portion and the photoelectric conversion unit are arranged with an interval therebetween, the interval between the output portion and the photoelectric conversion unit is larger than an interval between a lower end of the second portion of the light-shielding portion and the photoelectric conversion unit, and the interval between the output portion and the photoelectric conversion unit is smaller than an interval between an upper end of the second portion of the light-shielding portion and the photoelectric conversion unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mineo Shimotsusa, Masatsugu Itahashi, Masahiro Kobayashi, Kazunari Kawabata, Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9293493
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus at least includes an insulating film, a plurality of high-refractive-index members provided so as to correspond respectively to individual photoelectric conversion portions, being surrounded by the insulating film and having a refractive index higher than the refractive index of the insulating film, and a high-refractive-index film provided on the insulating film so as to connect the plurality of high-refractive-index members to one another and having a refractive index higher than the refractive index of the insulating film, and lens portions lying next to each other from among a plurality of lens portions border each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Kobayashi, Masaki Kurihara, Takeshi Ichikawa, Yasuhiro Sekine, Mahito Shinohara, Taro Kato, Genzo Momma
  • Patent number: 9263487
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate having a photoelectric conversion portion. An insulator is provided on the semiconductor substrate. The insulator has a hole corresponding to the photoelectric conversion portion. A waveguide member is provided in the hole. An in-layer lens is provided on a side of the waveguide member farther from the semiconductor substrate. A first intermediate member is provided between the waveguide member and the in-layer lens. The first intermediate member has a lower refractive index than the in-layer lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taro Kato, Mineo Shimotsusa, Hiroaki Sano, Takeshi Ichikawa, Yasuhiro Sekine, Mahito Shinohara, Genzo Momma