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).
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Publication number: 20230261025Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2023Publication date: August 17, 2023Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Osamu SARUWATARI, Shutaro KATO, Ryoji ANDO, Yojiro TEZUKA, Atsushi KOMAI
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Publication number: 20230239591Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 3, 2023Publication date: July 27, 2023Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Wataru FUNAMIZU, Yojiro TEZUKA, Masahiro JUEN
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Patent number: 11664404Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 21, 2020Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Osamu Saruwatari, Shutaro Kato, Ryoji Ando, Yojiro Tezuka, Atsushi Komai
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Publication number: 20230156367Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2021Publication date: May 18, 2023Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Yojiro TEZUKA, Tomoki HIRATA, Shiro TSUNAI
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Publication number: 20210185253Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2021Publication date: June 17, 2021Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Wataru FUNAMIZU, Yojiro TEZUKA, Masahiro JUEN
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Publication number: 20210112210Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2020Publication date: April 15, 2021Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Osamu SARUWATARI, Shutaro KATO, Ryoji ANDO, Yojiro TEZUKA, Atsushi KOMAI
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Patent number: 10944924Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 27, 2016Date of Patent: March 9, 2021Assignee: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Osamu Saruwatari, Shutaro Kato, Ryoji Ando, Yojiro Tezuka, Atsushi Komai
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Patent number: 10904463Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 27, 2016Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Osamu Saruwatari, Shutaro Kato, Ryoji Ando, Yojiro Tezuka, Atsushi Komai
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Patent number: 10291831Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 27, 2017Date of Patent: May 14, 2019Assignee: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Wataru Funamizu, Hiroshi Ohki, Shigeru Aoki, Naoki Ohkouchi, Toru Takagi, Yojiro Tezuka, Sota Nakanishi
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Publication number: 20190141267Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2017Publication date: May 9, 2019Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Wataru FUNAMIZU, Yojiro TEZUKA, Masahiro JUEN
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Publication number: 20180278860Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2016Publication date: September 27, 2018Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Osamu SARUWATARI, Shutaro KATO, Ryoji ANDO, Yojiro TEZUKA, Atsushi KOMAI
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Publication number: 20180020143Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2017Publication date: January 18, 2018Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Wataru FUNAMIZU, Hiroshi OHKI, Shigeru AOKI, Naoki OHKOUCHI, Toru TAKAGI, Yojiro TEZUKA, Sota NAKANISHI
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Patent number: 9325924Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 27, 2013Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: NIKON CORPORATIONInventor: Yojiro Tezuka
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Publication number: 20150116558Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2013Publication date: April 30, 2015Inventor: Yojiro Tezuka
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Patent number: 8710422Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 11, 2013Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Taku Arii, Yojiro Tezuka, Ryoji Motohana, Satoshi Nakayama, Wataru Funamizu, Hideki Yamanaka
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Patent number: 8159580Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 2, 2008Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Satoshi Suzuki, Yojiro Tezuka, Naoki Ohkouchi
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Patent number: 8120688Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 4, 2010Date of Patent: February 21, 2012Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Yojiro Tezuka, Hideki Yamanaka, Eiichi Arihara
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Publication number: 20100134671Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2010Publication date: June 3, 2010Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Yojiro TEZUKA, Hideki Yamanaka, Eiichi Arihara
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Publication number: 20090086063Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2008Publication date: April 2, 2009Inventors: Satoshi SUZUKI, Yojiro TEZUKA, Naoki OHKOUCHI