Patents by Inventor Tetsuya Itano

Tetsuya Itano 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: 11477401
    Abstract: In an imaging device according to the present disclosure, during a period in which a signal from an amplifier transistor is output from a pixel via a select transistor, the gate voltage of the capacitance addition transistor changes frons the first voltage VH to the second voltage VL, and the amount of voltage change per time until the gate voltage changes from the first voltage VH to the second voltage VL is smaller than the amount of voltage change per unit time until the gate voltage changes from the second voltage VL to the first voltage VH.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuya Itano, Masaki Sato
  • Publication number: 20220303492
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device comprising a pixel unit in which a plurality of pixels each comprising a photoelectric conversion element are arranged in a matrix, and a plurality of delta-sigma AD converters each configured to convert a signal output from the pixel unit into a digital signal, is provided. The plurality of delta-sigma AD converters are divided into at least two groups having different timings of starting AD conversion from each other when converting, into digital signals, signals output from the pixels selected out of the plurality of pixels via a common pixel control line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventors: Tetsuya Itano, Kohichi Nakamura, Daisuke Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20220279160
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel that outputs a pixel signal of an analog signal, a readout unit that converts the pixel signal into a digital signal to generate a digital pixel signal, a memory unit that stores the digital pixel signal, and a first inspection signal output unit that outputs a first inspection signal to the memory unit such that the memory unit stores the first inspection signal. The first inspection signal stored in the memory unit is output from the memory unit in a period after output of the digital pixel signal of a frame ends and before output of the digital pixel signal of a next frame starts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Inventors: Shoji Kono, Tetsuya Itano, Yasushi Iwakura
  • Publication number: 20220246661
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a first substrate having a pixel area, a second substrate disposed in a multilayer structure on the first substrate, and a heat dissipation structure. The second substrate includes a processing unit configured to execute a machine learning process on an image signal output from the pixel area. The heat dissipation structure is disposed in a region adjacent to or in a region overlapping the processing unit when seen in a plan view, the processing unit. The heat dissipation structure is formed on the first or second substrate by a semiconductor active region, polysilicon, a structure including a metal connection part, a TSV structure, or a cavity structure, or the heat dissipation structure is attached to the first substrate in an area other than the pixel area. When the structure is formed on the first substrate, it is electrically connected to the second substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Tetsuya Itano, Masahiro Kobayashi, Kohichi Nakamura, Atsushi Furubayashi
  • Publication number: 20220247921
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a first substrate including a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, and a second substrate disposed in a multilayer structure on the first substrate. The photoelectric conversion apparatus further includes a machine learning unit configured to execute processing using machine learning on a signal output from the pixel array, and a signal output unit configured to output a signal corresponding to temperature. Both the machine learning unit and the signal output unit are disposed on the second substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Tatsuya Ryoki, Tetsuya Itano
  • Publication number: 20220247959
    Abstract: A photoelectric converter includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, a capacitive coupling amplifier configured to amplify a signal output from the pixel array, and a delta-sigma AD converter configured to convert, into a digital signal, an analog signal output from the amplifier. The amplifier is formed by a plurality of first elements including an active element and a capacitive element. The delta-sigma AD converter is formed by a plurality of second elements including an active element and a capacitive element. A breakdown voltage of at least one of the plurality of second elements forming the delta-sigma AD converter is lower than a breakdown voltage of the plurality of first elements forming the amplifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Saito, Kohichi Nakamura, Tetsuya Itano
  • Publication number: 20220247947
    Abstract: Since a failure related to an output from a sensor is not detected from an image signal and a failure of the sensor is not detected from an output from the sensor in a system including the sensor for abnormality detection, it is not possible to perform the abnormality detection and to indicate the abnormality to the outside of the system. An apparatus includes a pixel area including multiple pixels, multiple sensors, a processing unit that compares signals based on outputs from the multiple sensors with each other, an output unit that outputs information based on a result of comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Tetsuya Itano, Tatsuya Ryoki, Yu Arishima, Taro Muraki
  • Publication number: 20220247966
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a first substrate including a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, a second substrate layered on the first substrate and including an AD conversion portion including a plurality of AD conversion circuits configured to convert a signal output from the first substrate into a digital signal, wherein the second substrate further includes a plurality of signal processing units including a first signal processing unit and a second signal processing unit both configured to perform machine learning processing, wherein each of a plurality of sets includes a plurality of AD conversion circuits that differ between the plurality of sets, wherein the first signal processing unit is arranged to correspond to one of the plurality of sets, and wherein the second signal processing unit is arranged to correspond to another one of the plurality of sets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Kei Ochiai, Yoshiaki Takada, Masaki Sato, Masahiro Kobayashi, Daisuke Kobayashi, Tetsuya Itano, Nao Nakatsuji, Yasuhiro Oguro
  • Publication number: 20220247957
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a light receiving circuit configured to convert light into an electrical signal, a readout circuit configured to read out an analog signal corresponding to the electrical signal, a ?? A/D converter configured to convert the analog signal into a digital signal, and a control circuit configured to change a gain of the photoelectric conversion apparatus in accordance with a change of a driving mode of the photoelectric conversion apparatus. The analog signal read out by the readout circuit is an analog current signal. The readout circuit includes a variable resistor on a signal path for supplying the analog current signal to the ?? A/D converter. The control circuit changes the gain of the photoelectric conversion apparatus by changing a resistance value of the variable resistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Tetsuya Itano, Kohichi Nakamura, Daisuke Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11258966
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device of an embodiment includes a plurality of pixels, a signal processing circuit, and a switch unit. The signal processing circuit performs analog-to-digital conversion on signals output from the plurality of pixels. The switch unit performs switching between a first mode for motion detection to input a first signal generated by adding signals of at least two pixels to the signal processing circuit and a second mode to input respective signals of the at least two pixels to the signal processing circuit individually as second signals. A first period from start to end of a readout operation performed by the signal processing circuit in order to process the first signal is shorter than a second period from start to end of a readout operation performed by the signal processing circuit in order to process one of the second signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tetsuya Itano
  • Patent number: 11159759
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a first detection pixel and a second detection pixel, each of the first detection pixel and the second detection pixel including a transfer transistor and an amplifier transistor connected to the transfer transistor via a first node, a voltage supply unit that supplies a predetermined voltage, and a connection switch connected between the voltage supply unit and a second node at which the transfer transistor of the first detection pixel and the transfer transistor of the second detection pixel are connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hisashi Takado, Yasushi Iwakura, Tetsuya Itano
  • Patent number: 11140345
    Abstract: In a solid state imaging device as an embodiment, an analog-to-digital converter unit converts, in a first period, a first pixel signal into a digital signal, performs, in a determination period after the first period, the comparison of a second pixel signal with the reference signal set to a predetermined threshold, and converts, in a second period after the determination period, the second pixel signal at a gain in accordance with a result of the comparison performed in the determination period into a digital signal. Until the reference signal reaches the threshold from the first period, the reference signal generation unit changes the reference signal without changing a direction of change of the reference signal with respect to the lapse of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Saito, Tetsuya Itano
  • Publication number: 20210274111
    Abstract: In an imaging device according to the present disclosure, during a period in which a signal from an amplifier transistor is output from a pixel via a select transistor, the gate voltage of the capacitance addition transistor changes frons the first voltage VH to the second voltage VL, and the amount of voltage change per time until the gate voltage changes from the first voltage VH to the second voltage VL is smaller than the amount of voltage change per unit time until the gate voltage changes from the second voltage VL to the first voltage VH.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Inventors: Tetsuya Itano, Masaki Sato
  • Publication number: 20210242266
    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: April 19, 2021
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Endo, Tetsuya Itano, Kazuo Yamazaki, Kyouhei Watanabe, Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 11064140
    Abstract: Dark current from a transfer transistor is suppressed and power-supply voltage in a second semiconductor substrate is lowered. A solid-state image pickup device includes a pixel array, a plurality of common output lines receiving signals read out from a plurality of pixels, a transfer scanning unit sequentially driving the plurality of transfer transistors, a signal processing unit processing the signals output to the common signal lines, and a level shift unit making amplitude of a pulse supplied to a gate of the transfer transistor larger than amplitude of a pulse supplied to a gate of a transistor constituting the signal processing unit. The pixel array and the level shift unit are arranged on a first semiconductor substrate, whereas the plurality of common output lines and the signal processing unit are arranged on a second semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuya Itano, Kazuo Yamazaki, Nobuyuki Endo, Kyouhei Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20210168319
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes an effective pixel circuit, a reference pixel circuit, a signal output unit, and a comparison unit. The effective pixel circuit includes a photoelectric conversion unit, and is configured to be controlled by using a control line and to output a digital signal based on electric charges generated by the photoelectric conversion unit. The reference pixel circuit includes a holding unit for holding the digital signal. The reference pixel circuit is configured to be controlled by using the control line together with the effective pixel circuit. The signal output unit is configured to output a signal to the holding unit so that a first digital signal with a predetermined value is held by the holding unit. The comparison unit is configured to compare the first signal with the digital signal output from the holding unit controlled to hold the first digital signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Tetsuya Itano, Shinya Nakano
  • Patent number: 11011565
    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: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Endo, Tetsuya Itano, Kazuo Yamazaki, Kyouhei Watanabe, Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20210084244
    Abstract: An image pickup device according to an embodiment includes pixels each configured to output an analog signal based on electric charges produced in a photoelectric conversion unit and a control unit configured to control a gain applied to the analog signal to be at least a first gain and a second gain greater than the first gain in accordance with a signal value of the analog signal. Each of the pixels outputs, as the analog signal, a first signal and a second signal based on electric charges produced in the photoelectric conversion unit in a first exposure period and a second exposure period shorter than the first exposure period. The control unit controls the gain applied to the analog signal by selecting one from the first gain and the second gain in accordance with the signal value, for at least one of the first signal and the second signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventors: Tetsuya Itano, Shoji Kono, Hideo Kobayashi, Hiroyuki Morita, Yasuhiro Oguro, Kei Ochiai
  • Publication number: 20210021770
    Abstract: An embodiment includes: a semiconductor substrate including a pixel well region and a peripheral well region; a pixel ground line arranged above the pixel well region; a pixel well contact between the pixel ground line and the pixel well region; pixels arranged to form columns in the pixel well region; a reference signal generation circuit arranged in the peripheral well region; and comparator units arranged in the peripheral well region, provided to respective columns, and each configured to receive the pixel signal from the pixels on a corresponding column and the reference signal. Each comparator unit includes a comparator having a first input node that receives the pixel signal and a second input node that receives the reference signal, a first capacitor unit between the reference signal generation circuit and the second input node, and a second capacitor unit between the second input node and the pixel ground line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Keigo Nakazawa, Kazuhiro Saito, Tetsuya Itano, Kazuo Yamazaki, Hideo Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20210021782
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device includes: pixels forming columns and each configured to output a pixel signal; and comparator units provided to respective columns and each configured to receive the pixel signal from the pixels on a corresponding column and the reference signal. Each comparator unit includes a comparator having a first input node that receives the pixel signal and a second input node that receives the reference signal, a first capacitor that connects a reference signal line and the second input node, a second capacitor whose one electrode is connected to the second input node, and a select unit that connects the other electrode of the second capacitor to either the reference signal line or a reference voltage line. The other electrode of the second capacitor is connected to the reference signal line during first mode AD conversion and connected to the reference voltage line during second mode AD conversion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Masaki Sato, Kazuhiro Saito, Tetsuya Itano, Kazuo Yamazaki, Hideo Kobayashi, Keigo Nakazawa