Patents by Inventor Yasuo Miyake

Yasuo Miyake 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: 20200106978
    Abstract: An imaging device including a first imaging cell having a variable sensitivity; and a first sensitivity control line electrically connected to the first imaging cell, where the first imaging cell comprises a photoelectron conversion area that generates a signal charge by incidence of light, and a signal detection circuit that detects the signal charge. The photoelectron conversion area includes a first electrode, a translucent second electrode connected to the first sensitivity control line, and a photoelectric conversion layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and during an exposure period from a reset of the first imaging cell until a readout of the signal charge accumulated in the first imaging cell by exposure, the first sensitivity control line supplies to the first imaging cell a first sensitivity control signal having a waveform expressed by a first function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: Katsuya NOZAWA, Yasuo MIYAKE
  • Patent number: 10594948
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a unit pixel cell. The unit pixel cell captures first data in a first exposure period and captures second data in a second exposure period different from the first exposure period, the first exposure period and the second exposure period being included in a frame period. A sensitivity per unit time of the unit pixel cell in the first exposure period is different from a sensitivity per unit time of the unit pixel cell in the second exposure period. The imaging device outputs multiple-exposure image data including at least the first data and the second data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Satou, Yasuo Miyake, Yasunori Inoue, Tokuhiko Tamaki
  • Publication number: 20200068150
    Abstract: An imaging device including a pixel including: a photoelectric converter including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a first photoelectric conversion layer, the first photoelectric conversion layer generating signal charge, and a transistor having a gate coupled to the first electrode, the transistor outputting a signal corresponding to an amount of the signal charge collected by the first electrode. The imaging device further includes voltage supply circuitry coupled to the second electrode, which, in each of consecutive frame periods, supplies a first voltage two or more times to form exposure periods in which the first signal charge is collected by the first electrode, supplies a second voltage one or more times to form non-exposure periods that separate the exposure periods from each other, and supplies a third voltage in a period when the transistor outputs the signal, and the third voltage is the same between the consecutive frame periods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventor: Yasuo MIYAKE
  • Publication number: 20200056879
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a pixel. The pixel includes: a first electrode; a second electrode facing the first electrode; a photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, the photoelectric conversion layer converting light into signal charge; and a charge accumulation region coupled to the second electrode, the charge accumulation region accumulating the signal charge. The pixel captures first data in a first exposure period and captures second data in a second exposure period different from the first exposure period, the first exposure period and the second exposure period being included in a frame period. A length of the first exposure period is different from a length of the second exposure period. The imaging device generates multiple-exposure image data including at least the first data and the second data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventors: Kazuko NISHIMURA, Yasuo MIYAKE, Yoshiaki SATOU, Osamu SHIBATA, Hiroshi IWAI
  • Patent number: 10542230
    Abstract: An imaging device having pixels in a row which include: first pixel including a first photoelectric converter and a first transistor having a first control terminal; second pixel including a second photoelectric converter and a second transistor having a second control terminal; third pixel including a third photoelectric converter and a third transistor having a third control terminal; and fourth pixel including a fourth photoelectric converter and a fourth transistor having a fourth control terminal. The device further including input signal line, a signal for controlling the first to fourth transistors input to the signal line; first buffer circuit having a first input terminal coupled to the signal line, and a first output terminal coupled to the first and second control terminals; and second buffer circuit having a second input terminal coupled to the signal line and a second output terminal coupled to the second and third control terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidenari Kanehara, Yasuo Miyake, Sanshiro Shishido
  • Patent number: 10542228
    Abstract: An imaging system includes a first illuminator that irradiates a subject with light whose intensity varies over time; and a first imaging device that includes a first imaging cell having a variable sensitivity, and a first sensitivity control line electrically connected to the first imaging cell. The first imaging cell includes a photoelectron conversion area that receives light from the subject to generate a signal charge, and a signal detection circuit that detects the signal charge. During an exposure period, the first sensitivity control line supplies to the first imaging cell a first sensitivity control signal having a waveform expressed by a first function that takes only positive values by adding a first constant to one basis from among bases of a system of functions constituting an orthogonal system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Katsuya Nozawa, Yasuo Miyake
  • Patent number: 10534240
    Abstract: An imaging control device includes a controller and an input section. The controller causes an image sensor to, during at least one first frame period, capture at least one first multiple exposure image by using a first exposure signal that contains a plurality of pulses having a plurality of pulse widths different from one another; the image sensor is configured to capture an image by making multiple exposure. The input section receives the at least one first multiple exposure image. The controller selects one pulse width from the plurality of pulse widths, based on the first multiple exposure image received by the input section and then causes the image sensor to, during a second frame period, capture the image by using a second exposure signal that contains a pulse having the selected pulse width; the second frame period follows the first frame period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Iwai, Osamu Shibata, Kazuko Nishimura, Yasuo Miyake, Yoshiaki Satou
  • Patent number: 10531021
    Abstract: An object is to extract the motion tracks of other vehicles from an image taken from a target vehicle. An image generating apparatus includes: a determiner circuit that determines whether surroundings of the target vehicle are in a dark place; and a control circuit that causes an image sensor including a high-sensitivity cell and a highly-saturated cell to create a highly-saturated frame by multiple exposures through the highly-saturated cell, the highly-saturated cell having lower sensitivity and larger charge storage capacity than the high-sensitivity cell, when the determiner circuit determines that the surroundings of the target vehicle are in the dark place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Osamu Shibata, Hiroshi Iwai, Kazuko Nishimura, Yasuo Miyake, Yoshiaki Satou
  • Patent number: 10498981
    Abstract: An imaging device includes: a first unit pixel cell including first and second electrodes, a first photoelectric conversion layer therebetween, and a first signal detection circuit connected to the first electrode; and a voltage supply circuit supplying a voltage to the second electrode. The voltage supply circuit forms exposure periods and one or more non-exposure periods that separate the exposure periods from each other by changing the voltage. The exposure and non-exposure periods are included in each of a first frame period and a second frame period subsequent to the first frame period. Timing of a start and an end of each of the exposure periods in the first frame period is the same as that of each of the exposure periods in the second frame period. Magnitude of change of the voltage in the first frame period is different from that of the voltage in the second frame period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yasuo Miyake
  • Publication number: 20190362479
    Abstract: An image generation device includes a first reception unit and a control unit. The first reception unit receives travel information about the travel state of a moving body. The control unit sets, based on the travel information, a multiple-exposure region in an imaging region of an image sensor used on the moving body, and generates image data in which the multiple-exposure region in the imaging region is formed through a multiple exposure and a region other than the multiple-exposure region is not formed through the multiple exposure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Inventors: OSAMU SHIBATA, HIROSHI IWAI, KAZUKO NISHIMURA, YASUO MIYAKE, YOSHIAKI SATOU
  • Patent number: 10473456
    Abstract: A driving control system includes: an imaging device that is installed on a moving body and that images a target object in a first frame period a plurality of times to generate a multiple-exposure image data including a first image data and a second image data; and a processor that detects a relative motion state of the moving body with respect to the target object, based on the first image data and the second image data. The imaging device images the target object with a first sensitivity in a first exposure period in the first frame period to generate the first image data and images the target object with a second sensitivity in a second exposure period in the first frame period to generate the second image data, the second exposure period being different from the first exposure period, the second sensitivity being different from the first sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuko Nishimura, Yasuo Miyake, Yoshiaki Satou, Osamu Shibata, Hiroshi Iwai
  • Publication number: 20190329647
    Abstract: A straddled vehicle includes a vehicle body frame supporting a front wheel and a rear wheel, a seat fixed to the vehicle body frame, an engine, a fuel tank, and a canister to adsorb vaporized gas generated by evaporation of a fuel inside the fuel tank. The engine includes a crankshaft that rotates around a crank axis extending in the left-right direction and located lower than the seat. The fuel tank is located farther forward than the seat and higher than the engine. The canister is connected to the fuel tank through a gas pipe. The canister is located farther forward than the crank axis and lower than the fuel tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Inventors: Kazunari TAKATA, Yasuo MIYAKE
  • Publication number: 20190313038
    Abstract: An electronic device including: a photosensitive layer that converts incident light into a signal charge; a first electrode that collects the signal charge; and a first carrier blocking layer between the photosensitive layer and the first electrode. The carrier blocking layer is configured to block a carrier a polarity of which is different from that of the signal charge. Under a first range of biases on the electronic device, the photosensitive layer is configured to generate photocurrent while illuminated. Under a second range of biases on the electronic device, the photosensitive layer is configured to generate lower photocurrent while illuminated compared to under the first range of biases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Yasuo MIYAKE, Masashi MURAKAMI, Tokuhiko TAMAKI, Yoshiaki SATOU
  • Publication number: 20190306442
    Abstract: An imaging device including: a photoelectric converter including first and second electrodes and a conversion layer therebetween; a voltage supplier; an outputter outputting a signal indicating the potential of the second electrode; and a detector detecting the signal level, in which the change rate of the conversion efficiency of the photoelectric converter with respect to a bias voltage, applied between the electrodes, when the bias voltage is in a first range is greater than when the bias voltage is in a second range greater than the first range, and the voltage supplier, when the detected level is less than a first threshold, causes the potential difference between the electrodes to become a first difference, and, when the detected level is greater than or equal to a second threshold greater than or equal to the first threshold, causes the potential difference to become a second difference greater than the first difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: MASASHI MURAKAMI, KAZUKO NISHIMURA, YASUO MIYAKE, YASUNORI INOUE
  • Publication number: 20190253597
    Abstract: A camera system includes an imaging device that acquires a first image by a normal exposure including only one exposure and that acquires a second image by a multiple exposure including a plurality of exposures; and an image processor that extracts a feature value of a first object in the first image and that identifies one or more locations corresponding to the feature value in the second image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Inventors: YOSHIAKI SATOU, SANSHIRO SHISHIDO, YASUO MIYAKE, KAZUKO NISHIMURA, HIROSHI IWAI, OSAMU SHIBATA
  • Publication number: 20190244987
    Abstract: An imaging device including: a photoelectric converter including first and second electrodes and a photoelectric conversion layer therebetween; a voltage supplier; an output circuit for outputting a signal corresponding to the potential of the second electrode; and a detector for detecting the signal level. The change rate of the conversion efficiency of the photoelectric converter with respect to a bias voltage applied between the electrodes when the bias voltage is in a first range is greater than that when the bias voltage is in a second range higher than the first range. The voltage supplier, when the detected level is a first threshold or higher, causes the potential difference between the electrodes to be a first difference, and, when the detected level is lower than a second threshold that is the first threshold or lower, causes the potential difference to be a second difference greater than the first difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Inventors: MASASHI MURAKAMI, KAZUKO NISHIMURA, YASUO MIYAKE, YASUNORI INOUE
  • Patent number: 10375329
    Abstract: An imaging device including: unit pixel cells each including a first electrode, a second electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer, a charge accumulation region connected to the first electrode, and a signal detection circuit connected to the charge accumulation region; and a voltage supply circuit connected to the second electrode, the voltage supply circuit supplying a first voltage to the second electrode in a first period, the voltage supply circuit supplying a second voltage that is different from the first voltage to the second electrode in a second period. Each unit pixel cells includes a reset transistor which switches between supply and cutoff of a reset voltage initializing the charge accumulation region, and a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode when the reset voltage is supplied is greater than a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode after the reset voltage is cut off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuo Miyake, Masashi Murakami, Tokuhiko Tamaki, Yoshiaki Satou
  • Publication number: 20190238768
    Abstract: An imaging device according to the present disclosure includes a photoelectric converter that converts light into an electric charge; a transfer transistor; a charge accumulation node coupled to the photoelectric converter via the transfer transistor; a first signal detection transistor having a gate coupled to the charge accumulation node; a first reset transistor one of a source and a drain of which is coupled to the charge accumulation node; and a second reset transistor one of a source and a drain of which is coupled to the photoelectric converter, wherein one of a source and a drain of the first signal detection transistor is coupled to the other of the source and the drain of the first reset transistor and the other of the source and drain of the second reset transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: TAKAYOSHI YAMADA, YASUO MIYAKE, MASASHI MURAKAMI
  • Publication number: 20190219891
    Abstract: An imaging control device includes a controller and an input section. The controller causes an image sensor to, during at least one first frame period, capture at least one first multiple exposure image by using a first exposure signal that contains a plurality of pulses having a plurality of pulse widths different from one another; the image sensor is configured to capture an image by making multiple exposure. The input section receives the at least one first multiple exposure image. The controller selects one pulse width from the plurality of pulse widths, based on the first multiple exposure image received by the input section and then causes the image sensor to, during a second frame period, capture the image by using a second exposure signal that contains a pulse having the selected pulse width; the second frame period follows the first frame period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2017
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Inventors: HIROSHI IWAI, OSAMU SHIBATA, KAZUKO NISHIMURA, YASUO MIYAKE, YOSHIAKI SATOU
  • Publication number: 20190198540
    Abstract: An image generation device includes a receiver and a controller. The receiver receives travel information about the travel state of a movable-body apparatus. The controller selects, based on the travel information, a first partial region from an entirety of a plurality of pixels of an image sensor or an entirety of image data captured by the image sensor, and generates image data in which a region other than the first partial region has a resolution lower than the resolution of the first partial region. The image sensor is to be mounted to the movable-body apparatus and is configured to capture an area in a traveling direction of the movable-body apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: OSAMU SHIBATA, HIROSHI IWAI, KAZUKO NISHIMURA, YASUO MIYAKE, YOSHIAKI SATOU