Patents by Inventor Yojiro Tezuka

Yojiro Tezuka 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: 20230261025
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a first semiconductor substrate provided with a pixel, including a photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts incident light to generate an electric charge, an accumulation unit that accumulates the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, and a transfer unit that transfers the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit, and a second semiconductor substrate provided with a supply unit for the pixel, the supply unit supplying the transfer unit with a transfer signal to transfer the electric charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu SARUWATARI, Shutaro KATO, Ryoji ANDO, Yojiro TEZUKA, Atsushi KOMAI
  • Publication number: 20230239591
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a pixel that generates a pixel signal based upon incident light having entered therein; and a generation unit that includes a first input unit to which the pixel signal is input, a second input unit to which a first reference signal with a shifting voltage is input, and an output unit that outputs an output signal generated based upon the pixel signal and the first reference signal, wherein: the generation unit further includes a first capacitance disposed between the first input unit and the output unit, a second capacitance disposed between the second input unit and the output unit, and a third capacitance connected to either one of the first capacitance and the second capacitance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru FUNAMIZU, Yojiro TEZUKA, Masahiro JUEN
  • Patent number: 11664404
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a first semiconductor substrate provided with a pixel, including a photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts incident light to generate an electric charge, an accumulation unit that accumulates the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, and a transfer unit that transfers the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit, and a second semiconductor substrate provided with a supply unit for the pixel, the supply unit supplying the transfer unit with a transfer signal to transfer the electric charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Saruwatari, Shutaro Kato, Ryoji Ando, Yojiro Tezuka, Atsushi Komai
  • Publication number: 20230156367
    Abstract: Provided is an image capturing device including a first substrate having a plurality of pixel blocks each including one or more pixels; and a second substrate having a control circuit unit including a first control block including a first exposure control unit for controlling an exposure time of a pixel included in a first pixel block of the plurality of pixel blocks and a second control block including a second exposure control unit for controlling an exposure time of a pixel included in a second pixel block of the plurality of pixel blocks, and a peripheral circuit unit arranged outside the control circuit unit and configured to control signal reading of pixels each included in at least the first pixel block and the second pixel block of the plurality of pixel blocks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yojiro TEZUKA, Tomoki HIRATA, Shiro TSUNAI
  • Publication number: 20210185253
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a pixel that generates a pixel signal based upon incident light having entered therein; and a generation unit that includes a first input unit to which the pixel signal is input, a second input unit to which a first reference signal with a shifting voltage is input, and an output unit that outputs an output signal generated based upon the pixel signal and the first reference signal, wherein: the generation unit further includes a first capacitance disposed between the first input unit and the output unit, a second capacitance disposed between the second input unit and the output unit, and a third capacitance connected to either one of the first capacitance and the second capacitance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru FUNAMIZU, Yojiro TEZUKA, Masahiro JUEN
  • Publication number: 20210112210
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a first semiconductor substrate provided with a pixel, including a photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts incident light to generate an electric charge, an accumulation unit that accumulates the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, and a transfer unit that transfers the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit, and a second semiconductor substrate provided with a supply unit for the pixel, the supply unit supplying the transfer unit with a transfer signal to transfer the electric charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu SARUWATARI, Shutaro KATO, Ryoji ANDO, Yojiro TEZUKA, Atsushi KOMAI
  • Patent number: 10944924
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a first semiconductor substrate provided with a pixel, including a photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts incident light to generate an electric charge, an accumulation unit that accumulates the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, and a transfer unit that transfers the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit, and a second semiconductor substrate provided with a supply unit for the pixel, the supply unit supplying the transfer unit with a transfer signal to transfer the electric charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Saruwatari, Shutaro Kato, Ryoji Ando, Yojiro Tezuka, Atsushi Komai
  • Patent number: 10904463
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a first semiconductor substrate provided with a pixel, including a photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts incident light to generate an electric charge, an accumulation unit that accumulates the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, and a transfer unit that transfers the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit, and a second semiconductor substrate provided with a supply unit for the pixel, the supply unit supplying the transfer unit with a transfer signal to transfer the electric charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Saruwatari, Shutaro Kato, Ryoji Ando, Yojiro Tezuka, Atsushi Komai
  • Patent number: 10291831
    Abstract: Provided is an image processing apparatus including as image acquiring section that acquires a plurality of images obtained by imaging, at different times, a subject irradiated with lights intensity-modulated with a plurality of modulation frequencies or modulation frequency bands; and a demodulating section that demodulates pixel values of the plurality of images with a plurality of demodulation frequencies or demodulation frequency bands based on the plurality of modulation frequencies or modulation frequency bands, for each pixel, thereby generating a plurality of pieces of pixel information indicating subject light amounts from the subject caused by each of the lights intensity-modulated with the plurality of modulation frequencies or modulation frequency bands, for each pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru Funamizu, Hiroshi Ohki, Shigeru Aoki, Naoki Ohkouchi, Toru Takagi, Yojiro Tezuka, Sota Nakanishi
  • Publication number: 20190141267
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a pixel that generates a pixel signal based upon incident light having entered therein; and a generation unit that includes a first input unit to which the pixel signal is input, a second input unit to which a first reference signal with a shifting voltage is input, and an output unit that outputs an output signal generated based upon the pixel signal and the first reference signal, wherein: the generation unit further includes a first capacitance disposed between the first input unit and the output unit, a second capacitance disposed between the second input unit and the output unit, and a third capacitance connected to either one of the first capacitance and the second capacitance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru FUNAMIZU, Yojiro TEZUKA, Masahiro JUEN
  • Publication number: 20180278860
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a first semiconductor substrate provided with a pixel, including a photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts incident light to generate an electric charge, an accumulation unit that accumulates the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, and a transfer unit that transfers the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit, and a second semiconductor substrate provided with a supply unit for the pixel, the supply unit supplying the transfer unit with a transfer signal to transfer the electric charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu SARUWATARI, Shutaro KATO, Ryoji ANDO, Yojiro TEZUKA, Atsushi KOMAI
  • Publication number: 20180020143
    Abstract: Provided is an image processing apparatus including as image acquiring section that acquires a plurality of images obtained by imaging, at different times, a subject irradiated with lights intensity-modulated with a plurality of modulation frequencies or modulation frequency bands; and a demodulating section that demodulates pixel values of the plurality of images with a plurality of demodulation frequencies or demodulation frequency bands based on the plurality of modulation frequencies or modulation frequency bands, for each pixel, thereby generating a plurality of pieces of pixel information indicating subject light amounts from the subject caused by each of the lights intensity-modulated with the plurality of modulation frequencies or modulation frequency bands, for each pixel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru FUNAMIZU, Hiroshi OHKI, Shigeru AOKI, Naoki OHKOUCHI, Toru TAKAGI, Yojiro TEZUKA, Sota NAKANISHI
  • Patent number: 9325924
    Abstract: A solid-state image-capturing device includes: plurality of pixels arranged in two-dimensional manner; plurality of vertical signal lines for corresponding column of the plurality of pixels, to receive a signal of the pixels of corresponding column; plurality of signal processing units process a signal of the plurality of vertical signal lines based on a ramp signal and reference voltage; first line configured as a common line connects first input units of the plurality of signal processing units to receive the ramp signal; the ramp signal is supplied to one side of the first line along a row direction; second line configured as common line connects second input units of plurality of signal processing units to receive reference voltage, the reference voltage is supplied to one side of the second line along the row direction and reference voltage is not supplied to another side of the second line along the row direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yojiro Tezuka
  • Publication number: 20150116558
    Abstract: A solid-state image-capturing device includes: plurality of pixels arranged in two-dimensional manner; plurality of vertical signal lines for corresponding column of the plurality of pixels, to receive a signal of the pixels of corresponding column; plurality of signal processing units process a signal of the plurality of vertical signal lines based on a ramp signal and reference voltage; first line configured as a common line connects first input units of the plurality of signal processing units to receive the ramp signal; the ramp signal is supplied to one side of the first line along a row direction; second line configured as common line connects second input units of plurality of signal processing units to receive reference voltage, the reference voltage is supplied to one side of the second line along the row direction and reference voltage is not supplied to another side of the second line along the row direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventor: Yojiro Tezuka
  • Patent number: 8710422
    Abstract: A horizontal driving control unit of an imaging device supplies dummy pulse signals to a horizontal driving unit at least at a part of period during a period from a start time point of each horizontal blanking period to a last signal sampling time point defined by a sampling control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Taku Arii, Yojiro Tezuka, Ryoji Motohana, Satoshi Nakayama, Wataru Funamizu, Hideki Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 8159580
    Abstract: Providing a solid-state imaging device having a degree of freedom capable of changing which of the pixels functions as a pixel having a photoelectric converter portion bisected in which direction. When a gate electrode 67 is high and a gate electrode 68 is high, photodiodes 31 through 34 are electrically connected each other. When the gate electrode 67 is high and the gate electrode 68 is low, photodiodes 31 and 32, and photodiodes 33 and 34 are electrically connected each other. On the other hand, photodiodes 31 and 33, and photodiodes 32 and 34 are electrically separated. When the gate electrode 67 is low and the gate electrode 68 is high, photodiodes 31 and 32, and photodiodes 33 and 34 are electrically separated. On the other hand, photodiodes 31 and 33, and photodiodes 32 and 34 are electrically connected with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Suzuki, Yojiro Tezuka, Naoki Ohkouchi
  • Patent number: 8120688
    Abstract: In a solid state imaging device according to the present application, a sampling hold part samples and holds, in accordance with sampling control signals ?TVN, ?TVS, a dark signal and a light signal of each of vertical signal lines provided to correspond to each column of pixels, and supplies the signals being held to horizontal signal lines in accordance with a horizontal scanning signal. During predetermined intervals T21, T22 including signal sampling timings t1, t2 determined by the sampling control signals ?TVN, ?TVS, pulse, signals ?GH, ?HCLK1, ?HCLK2, ?RSTH that relate in reading the signals supplied from the sampling hold part to the horizontal signal lines are stopped. Accordingly, an influence of noise when the signals corresponding to the signals of the vertical signal lines are sampled by the sampling hold part is reduced, resulting in that an image quality of a captured image is further increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Yojiro Tezuka, Hideki Yamanaka, Eiichi Arihara
  • Publication number: 20100134671
    Abstract: In a solid state imaging device according to the present application, a sampling hold part samples and holds, in accordance with sampling control signals ?TVN, ?TVS, a dark signal and a light signal of each of vertical signal lines provided to correspond to each column of pixels, and supplies the signals being held to horizontal signal lines in accordance with a horizontal scanning signal. During predetermined intervals T21, T22 including signal sampling timings t1, t2 determined by the sampling control signals ?TVN, ?TVS, pulse, signals ?GH, ?HCLK1, ?HCLK2, ?RSTH that relate in reading the signals supplied from the sampling hold part to the horizontal signal lines are stopped. Accordingly, an influence of noise when the signals corresponding to the signals of the vertical signal lines are sampled by the sampling hold part is reduced, resulting in that an image quality of a captured image is further increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yojiro TEZUKA, Hideki Yamanaka, Eiichi Arihara
  • Publication number: 20090086063
    Abstract: Providing a solid-state imaging device having a degree of freedom capable of changing which of the pixels functions as a pixel having a photoelectric converter portion bisected in which direction. When a gate electrode 67 is high and a gate electrode 68 is high, photodiodes 31 through 34 are electrically connected each other. When the gate electrode 67 is high and the gate electrode 68 is low, photodiodes 31 and 32, and photodiodes 33 and 34 are electrically connected each other. On the other hand, photodiodes 31 and 33, and photodiodes 32 and 34 are electrically separated. When the gate electrode 67 is low and the gate electrode 68 is high, photodiodes 31 and 32, and photodiodes 33 and 34 are electrically separated. On the other hand, photodiodes 31 and 33, and photodiodes 32 and 34 are electrically connected with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Inventors: Satoshi SUZUKI, Yojiro TEZUKA, Naoki OHKOUCHI