Patents by Inventor Takumi OKA

Takumi OKA 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: 20210041305
    Abstract: To obtain an imaging device that can improve temperature detection accuracy. An imaging device of the present disclosure includes a processing unit formed on a first semiconductor substrate and capable of performing predetermined image processing on the basis of image data obtained by an imaging unit, a temperature sensor formed on the first semiconductor substrate and capable of generating a detection signal according to a temperature, and a first pad electrode formed on the first semiconductor substrate and electrically insulated from a circuit formed on the first semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Applicant: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Kawazu, Keita Sasaki, Takumi Oka, Mohammad Munir Haque, Nobuhiko Fujimori, Makoto Satou, Masahiro Baba, Satoshi Yamamoto, Yuichi Motohashi, Atsushi Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20200412950
    Abstract: An imaging device according to the present disclosure includes: an imaging unit configured to perform an imaging operation; a data generator configured to generate first power supply voltage data corresponding to a first power supply voltage; and a flag generation section configured to generate a flag signal for the first power supply voltage by comparing the first power supply voltage data and first reference data. The first power supply voltage is supplied to the imaging unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventors: NAOKI KAWAZU, KEITA SASAKI, TAKUMI OKA, YUICHI MOTOHASHI, ATSUSHI SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20200404204
    Abstract: An imaging device according to the present disclosure includes: a plurality of pixels each including a first light-receiving element and a second light-receiving element, the plurality of pixels including a first pixel; a generating section that is able to generate a first detection value on a basis of a light-receiving result by the first light-receiving element of each of the plurality of pixels, and is able to generate a second detection value on a basis of a light-receiving result by the second light-receiving element of each of the plurality of pixels; and a diagnosis section that is able to perform a diagnosis processing on a basis of a detection ratio that is a ratio between the first detection value and the second detection value in the first pixel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: NAOKI KAWAZU, KEITA SASAKI, TAKUMI OKA, MOHAMMAD MUNIR HAQUE, YUICHI MOTOHASHI, ATSUSHI SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20200322597
    Abstract: In one example, an imaging device including a plurality of pixel circuits, a first control line, a second control line, a first voltage supply line, a second voltage supply line, a first light-receiving element, and a diagnosis unit is disclosed. The pixel circuits each include a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, an accumulation unit, a first transistor, a second transistor, and an output unit. The first transistor is couples the third terminal to the accumulation unit on the basis of a voltage of the first terminal. The second transistor supplies a predetermined voltage to the accumulation unit on the basis of a voltage of the second terminal. The output unit outputs a signal corresponding to a voltage in the accumulation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: Takumi Oka, Naoki Kawazu, Atsushi Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20200296309
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an imaging apparatus and an imaging method, a camera module, and an electronic apparatus that are capable of detecting a failure in an imaging device having a structure in which a plurality of substrates are stacked. The timing at which a row drive unit provided in a second substrate outputs a control signal for controlling accumulation and reading of pixel signals in a pixel array provided in a first substrate is compared with the timing at which the control signal output from the row drive unit is detected after passing through the pixel array. Depending on whether or not the timings coincides with each other, a failure is detected. The present disclosure can be applied to an imaging apparatus mounted on a vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: Takumi Oka, Atsushi Suzuki, Naoki Kawazu
  • Patent number: 10748945
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device is provided that includes a pixel array with unit pixels. Each unit pixel includes, among other things, first and second photoelectric conversion portions; an electric charge accumulating portion that accumulates charges produced by the second photoelectric conversion portion, a counter electrode of the electric charge accumulating portion being connected to a variable voltage power source; and a charge-to-voltage conversion portion. For at least a part of a time period for which charges produced by the second photoelectric conversion portion are accumulated in the electric charge accumulating portion, a drive portion that controls an operation of the unit pixel causes a voltage of the variable voltage power source to be lower than that when a signal based on the charges accumulated in the electric charge accumulating portion is read out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takumi Oka
  • Patent number: 10694132
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device, a signal processing method, and an electronic device, capable of suppressing an input voltage of comparison apparatus at the time of P-phase input. In the present technology, a signal voltage is clipped at a predetermined voltage (for example, comparative voltage), and the clip is released at the time of D-phase count. With this configuration, the comparative voltage and the signal voltage VSL (initial voltage) do not cross (the comparator is not inverted in the D-phase). Thus, the up/down counter 32 detects this and sets the count of the P-phase to be 0 without counting the P-phase. The present disclosure can be applied to, for example, a CMOS solid-state imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takumi Oka, Makoto Aoki
  • Publication number: 20200186733
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an imaging apparatus and an imaging method, a camera module, and an electronic apparatus that are capable of detecting a failure in an imaging device having a structure in which a plurality of substrates are stacked. The timing at which a row drive unit provided in a second substrate outputs a control signal for controlling accumulation and reading of pixel signals in a pixel array provided in a first substrate is compared with the timing at which the control signal output from the row drive unit is detected after passing through the pixel array. Depending on whether or not the timings coincides with each other, a failure is detected. The present disclosure can be applied to an imaging apparatus mounted on a vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Applicant: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Takumi Oka, Atsushi Suzuki, Naoki Kawazu
  • Patent number: 10659707
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an imaging apparatus and an imaging method, a camera module, and an electronic apparatus that are capable of detecting a failure in an imaging device having a structure in which a plurality of substrates are stacked. The timing at which a row drive unit provided in a second substrate outputs a control signal for controlling accumulation and reading of pixel signals in a pixel array provided in a first substrate is compared with the timing at which the control signal output from the row drive unit is detected after passing through the pixel array. Depending on whether or not the timings coincides with each other, a failure is detected. The present disclosure can be applied to an imaging apparatus mounted on a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Takumi Oka, Atsushi Suzuki, Naoki Kawazu
  • Publication number: 20200014874
    Abstract: The present technology relates to an image pickup element, a control method, and an image pickup device which realize easier and more diversified data output. In one aspect of the present technology, a plurality of signal lines for transmitting a pixel signal read from a pixel is allocated to each column, and different reading modes of the pixel signals are respectively allocated to the signal lines of each column. Regarding each column of the pixel array connected to the pixel corresponding to the mode, the pixel signal is read from the pixel connected to the signal line corresponding to the reading mode of the pixel signal in the mode, and the read pixel signal is transmitted via the signal line. The present technology is applied to, for example, an image pickup element and an image pickup device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki KAWAZU, Atsushi SUZUKI, Takashi SHOJI, Masashi AKAMATSU, Nobutaka SHIMAMURA, Hayato WAKABAYASHI, Yuuki YAMAGATA, Norihiro NIKAI, Tohru KIKAWADA, Takumi OKA, Toshiki KAINUMA
  • Patent number: 10484634
    Abstract: The present technology relates to an image pickup element, a control method, and an image pickup device which realize easier and more diversified data output. In one aspect of the present technology, a plurality of signal lines for transmitting a pixel signal read from a pixel is allocated to each column, and different reading modes of the pixel signals are respectively allocated to the signal lines of each column. Regarding each column of the pixel array connected to the pixel corresponding to the mode, the pixel signal is read from the pixel connected to the signal line corresponding to the reading mode of the pixel signal in the mode, and the read pixel signal is transmitted via the signal line. The present technology is applied to, for example, an image pickup element and an image pickup device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Kawazu, Atsushi Suzuki, Takashi Shoji, Masashi Akamatsu, Nobutaka Shimamura, Hayato Wakabayashi, Yuuki Yamagata, Norihiro Nikai, Tohru Kikawada, Takumi Oka, Toshiki Kainuma
  • Publication number: 20190327430
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device, a driving method, and an electronic device that are able to enhance a gray scale of a combined pixel value obtained from a pixel including a plurality of photoelectric conversion units having different light receiving sensitivities. In a pixel array unit, a pixel including a plurality of photoelectric conversion units having different light receiving sensitivities is disposed. An analog to digital (AD) conversion unit that compares an electric signal corresponding to a charge of the photoelectric conversion unit having a low light receiving sensitivity among the plurality of photoelectric conversion units included in the pixel of the pixel array unit with a nonlinear reference signal that changes nonlinearly to perform AD conversion on the electric signal. The present technology is able to be applied to, for example, a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Applicant: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Kawazu, Atsushi Suzuki, Takumi Oka
  • Publication number: 20190297287
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an imaging apparatus and an imaging method, a camera module, and an electronic apparatus that are capable of detecting a failure in an imaging device having a structure in which a plurality of substrates are stacked. The timing at which a row drive unit provided in a second substrate outputs a control signal for controlling accumulation and reading of pixel signals in a pixel array provided in a first substrate is compared with the timing at which the control signal output from the row drive unit is detected after passing through the pixel array. Depending on whether or not the timings coincides with each other, a failure is detected. The present disclosure can be applied to an imaging apparatus mounted on a vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Applicant: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Takumi Oka, Atsushi Suzuki, Naoki Kawazu
  • Publication number: 20190116329
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device, a signal processing method, and an electronic device, capable of suppressing an input voltage of comparison apparatus at the time of P-phase input. In the present technology, a signal voltage is clipped at a predetermined voltage (for example, comparative voltage), and the clip is released at the time of D-phase count. With this configuration, the comparative voltage and the signal voltage VSL (initial voltage) do not cross (the comparator is not inverted in the D-phase). Thus, the up/down counter 32 detects this and sets the count of the P-phase to be 0 without counting the P-phase. The present disclosure can be applied to, for example, a CMOS solid-state imaging device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Inventors: TAKUMI OKA, MAKOTO AOKI
  • Publication number: 20190043900
    Abstract: The present technique relates to a solid-state imaging device, a method of driving the solid-state imaging device, and an electronic apparatus each of which enables a dynamic range of the solid-state imaging device to be expanded without deteriorating an image quality. A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array portion in which a plurality of unit pixels are arranged, and a drive portion configured to control an operation of the unit pixel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takumi Oka
  • Publication number: 20170195603
    Abstract: The present technology relates to an image pickup element, a control method, and an image pickup device which realize easier and more diversified data output. In one aspect of the present technology, a plurality of signal lines for transmitting a pixel signal read from a pixel is allocated to each column, and different reading modes of the pixel signals are respectively allocated to the signal lines of each column. Regarding each column of the pixel array connected to the pixel corresponding to the mode, the pixel signal is read from the pixel connected to the signal line corresponding to the reading mode of the pixel signal in the mode, and the read pixel signal is transmitted via the signal line. The present technology is applied to, for example, an image pickup element and an image pickup device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Inventors: Naoki KAWAZU, Atsushi SUZUKI, Takashi SHOJI, Masashi AKAMATSU, Nobutaka SHIMAMURA, Hayato WAKABAYASHI, Yuuki YAMAGATA, Norihiro NIKAI, Tohru KIKAWADA, Takumi OKA, Toshiki KAINUMA