Patents by Inventor Yoshiyuki Kurokawa

Yoshiyuki Kurokawa 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: 11721703
    Abstract: A display device that is suitable for increasing its size is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Kei Takahashi, Yoshiyuki Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 11710751
    Abstract: In a CMOS image sensor in which a plurality of pixels is arranged in a matrix, a transistor in which a channel formation region includes an oxide semiconductor is used for each of a charge accumulation control transistor and a reset transistor which are in a pixel portion. After a reset operation of the signal charge accumulation portion is performed in all the pixels arranged in the matrix, a charge accumulation operation by the photodiode is performed in all the pixels, and a read operation of a signal from the pixel is performed per row. Accordingly, an image can be taken without a distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Kurokawa, Takayuki Ikeda, Hikaru Tamura, Munehiro Kozuma, Masataka Ikeda, Takeshi Aoki
  • Publication number: 20230206735
    Abstract: An imaging device capable of detecting differences with low power consumption is provided. The imaging device includes a pixel including a photoelectric conversion element and a transistor; an analog processing circuit; and a digital processing circuit. The imaging device is operated in a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode, the analog processing circuit detects a difference between first imaging data taken by the pixel and second imaging data taken by the pixel and generates a trigger signal on the basis of the value of the difference. In the second mode, the digital processing circuit converts third imaging data taken by the pixel into digital data. Switching from the first mode to the second mode is performed on the basis of the trigger signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2022
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki KUROKAWA
  • Patent number: 11676986
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including pixels arranged in a matrix of n rows and m columns, in which the pixels in the m-th column are shielded from light, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 11676558
    Abstract: A novel semiconductor device or display system is provided. The display system includes a correction circuit having a function of correcting an image signal by utilizing artificial intelligence. Specifically, learning by an artificial neural network enables the correction circuit to correct an image signal so as to alleviate the image discontinuity. Then, by making an inference (recognition) utilizing the artificial neural network which has finished the learning, the image signal is corrected and compensation for the image discontinuity can be made. In this manner, the junction can be inconspicuous on the displayed image, improving the quality of a high-resolution image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Kurokawa
  • Publication number: 20230139527
    Abstract: The operation speed of a semiconductor device is improved. The semiconductor device includes a first memory region and a second memory region; in the semiconductor device, a first memory cell in the first memory region is superior to a second memory cell in the second memory region in data retention characteristics such as a large storage capacitance or a large channel length—channel width ratio (L/W) of a transistor. When the semiconductor device is used as a cache memory or a main memory device of a processor, the first memory region mainly stores a start-up routine and is not used as a work region for arithmetic operation, and the second memory region is used as a work region for arithmetic operation. The first memory region becomes an accessible region when the processor is booted, and the first memory region becomes an inaccessible region when the processor is in normal operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki KUROKAWA, Shunpei YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20230132059
    Abstract: A semiconductor device capable of performing product-sum operation with high layout flexibility is provided. In the semiconductor device, a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer are formed in this order. The first layer includes a first cell, a first circuit, a first wiring, and a second wiring adjacent to the first wiring. The second layer includes a third wiring and a fourth wiring adjacent to the third wiring. The third layer includes an electrode and a sensor. The first circuit includes a switch. The sensor is electrically connected to the third wiring through the electrode and a first plug, a first terminal of the switch is electrically connected to the third wiring through a second plug, and a second terminal of the switch is electrically connected to the first cell through the first wiring. The electrode includes a region overlapping with the sensor and a region overlapping with the first plug.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2021
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki KUROKAWA, Munehiro KOZUMA, Takeshi AOKI, Takuro KANEMURA
  • Patent number: 11636883
    Abstract: To provide a semiconductor device which can execute the product-sum operation. The semiconductor device includes a first memory cell, a second memory cell, and an offset circuit. First analog data is stored in the first memory cell, and reference analog data is stored in the second memory cell. The first memory cell and the second memory cell supply a first current and a second current, respectively, when a reference potential is applied as a selection signal. The offset circuit has a function of supplying a third current corresponding to a differential current between the first current and the second current. In the semiconductor device, the first memory and the second memory supply a fourth current and a fifth current, respectively, when a potential corresponding to second analog data is applied as a selection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Kurokawa
  • Publication number: 20230093256
    Abstract: A semiconductor device that can perform product-sum operation with low power is provided. The semiconductor device includes a switching circuit. The switching circuit includes first to fourth terminals. The switching circuit has a function of selecting one of the third terminal and the fourth terminal as electrical connection destination of the first terminal, and selecting the other of the third terminal and the fourth terminal as electrical connection destination of the second terminal, on the basis of first data. The switching circuit includes a first transistor and a second transistor each having a back gate. The switching circuit has a function of determining a signal-transmission speed between the first terminal and one of the third terminal and the fourth terminal and a signal-transmission speed between the second terminal and the other of the third terminal and the fourth terminal on the basis of potentials of the back gates. The potentials are determined by second data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Hajime KIMURA, Yoshiyuki KUROKAWA
  • Patent number: 11610544
    Abstract: An electronic device capable of efficiently recognizing a handwritten character is provided. The electronic device includes a first circuit, a display portion, and a touch sensor. The first circuit includes a neural network. The display portion includes a flexible display. The touch sensor has the function of outputting an input handwritten character as image information to the first circuit. The first circuit has the function of analyzing the image information and converting the image information into character information, and a function of displaying an image including the character information on the display portion. The analysis is performed by inference through the use of the neural network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shintaro Harada, Yoshiyuki Kurokawa, Takeshi Aoki, Yuki Okamoto, Hiroki Inoue, Koji Kusunoki, Yosuke Tsukamoto, Katsuki Yanagawa, Kei Takahashi, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20230082313
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with reduced power consumption that can perform a product-sum operation is provided. The semiconductor device includes first and second circuits, and the second circuit includes first and second switches, a current/voltage converter circuit, and a first transistor. The first circuit is electrically connected to a first terminal of the second circuit; a first terminal of the first switch is electrically connected to the first terminal of the second circuit; a second terminal of the first switch is electrically connected to an input terminal of the current/voltage converter circuit; an output terminal of the current/voltage converter circuit is electrically connected to a first terminal of the first transistor; a second terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to a first terminal of the second switch; and a second terminal of the second switch is electrically connected to a second terminal of the second circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Takeshi AOKI, Yoshiyuki KUROKAWA, Munehiro KOZUMA, Takuro KANEMURA
  • Publication number: 20230063933
    Abstract: A display system and vehicle that have novel structures are provided. The display system includes a display panel, a correction circuit, and a memory circuit. The display panel is flexible. The display panel includes a display region and a non-display region. The memory circuit has a function of storing first data about the display region and second data about the non-display region. The non-display region has a region which overlaps with the display region when the display panel is bent. The correction circuit has a function of generating image data to be written to pixels in the display region on the basis of the first data and the second data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Applicant: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Yoshiyuki KUROKAWA
  • Patent number: 11594176
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with a high driving speed is provided. The semiconductor device includes first to fourth cells, a converter circuit, and first to fourth wirings. The first and second cells make a first current and a second current each corresponding to the product of first data and second data flow in the first wiring and the second wiring, respectively. The third and fourth cells make base currents in the same amount flow in the first and second wirings. The converter circuit outputs, from an output terminal thereof, a voltage corresponding to the differential current between the sum of the first current and the base current flowing in the first wiring and the sum of the second current and the base current flowing in the second wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromichi Godo, Yoshiyuki Kurokawa, Kazuki Tsuda, Satoru Ohshita, Hidefumi Rikimaru
  • Publication number: 20230049977
    Abstract: A semiconductor device that has low power consumption and is capable of performing arithmetic operation is provided. The semiconductor device includes first to third circuits and first and second cells. The first cell includes a first transistor, and the second cell includes a second transistor. The first and second transistors operate in a subthreshold region. The first cell is electrically connected to the first circuit, the first cell is electrically connected to the second and third circuits, and the second cell is electrically connected to the second and third circuits. The first cell sets current flowing from the first circuit to the first transistor to a first current, and the second cell sets current flowing from the second circuit to the second transistor to a second current. At this time, a potential corresponding to the second current is input to the first cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki KUROKAWA, Munehiro KOZUMA, Takeshi AOKI, Takuro KANEMURA
  • Publication number: 20230043910
    Abstract: A semiconductor device that has low power consumption and is capable of performing a product-sum operation is provided. The semiconductor device includes first and second cells, a first circuit, and first to third wirings. Each of the first and second cells includes a capacitor, and a first terminal of each of the capacitors is electrically connected to the third wiring. Each of the first and second cells has a function of feeding a current based on a potential held at a second terminal of the capacitor, to a corresponding one of the first and second wirings. The first circuit is electrically connected to the first and second wirings and stores currents I1 and I2 flowing through the first and second wirings. When the potential of the third wiring changes and accordingly the amount of current of the first wiring changes from I1 to I3 and the amount of current of the second wiring changes from I2 to I4, the first circuit generates a current with an amount I1-I2-I3+I4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki KUROKAWA, Munehiro KOZUMA, Takeshi AOKI, Takuro KANEMURA
  • Patent number: 11568223
    Abstract: A neural network circuit having a novel structure is provided. A plurality of arithmetic circuits each including a register, a memory, a multiplier circuit, and an adder circuit are provided. The memory outputs different weight data in response to switching of a context signal. The multiplier circuit outputs multiplication data of the weight data and input data held in the register. The adder circuit performs a product-sum operation by adding the obtained multiplication data to data obtained by a product-sum operation in an adder circuit of another arithmetic circuit. The obtained product-sum operation data is output to an adder circuit of another arithmetic circuit, so that product-sum operations of different weight data and input data are performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Inventors: Yuki Okamoto, Munehiro Kozuma, Yoshiyuki Kurokawa, Takayuki Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11568224
    Abstract: A semiconductor device capable of efficiently recognizing images utilizing a neural network is provided. The semiconductor device includes a shift register group, a D/A converter, and a product-sum operation circuit. The product-sum operation circuit includes an analog memory and stores a parameter of a filter. The shift register group captures image data and outputs part of the image data to the D/A converter while shifting the image data. The D/A converter converts the part of the input image data into analog data and outputs the analog data to the product-sum operation circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Kurokawa, Shintaro Harada
  • Publication number: 20230022494
    Abstract: A novel display apparatus is provided. The display apparatus includes a first layer including a plurality of pixel circuits, a second layer provided over the first layer, a plurality of optical lenses provided over the second layer, a display region, and a plurality of light-receiving regions. The display region includes a first pixel circuit provided in the first layer and a light-emitting device provided in the second layer. The light-receiving region includes a second pixel circuit provided in the first layer and a light-receiving device provided in the second layer. The plurality of light-receiving regions are provided around the display region. The optical lens is provided at a position overlapping with the light-receiving region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2022
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventors: Hiromichi GODO, Hisao IKEDA, Yoshiyuki KUROKAWA
  • Publication number: 20230018223
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with reduced power consumption can be provided. The semiconductor device includes a first transistor and a second transistor. The first transistor is a p-channel transistor including silicon in a channel formation region and the second transistor is an n-channel transistor including a metal oxide in a channel formation region. The metal oxide includes indium, an element M (e.g., gallium), and zinc. A gate of the first transistor is electrically connected to a gate of the second transistor, and one of a source and a drain of the first transistor is electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the second transistor. The first transistor and the second transistor can each operate in a subthreshold region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Shoki MIYATA, Yuto YAKUBO, Yoshiyuki KUROKAWA
  • Patent number: 11545203
    Abstract: The operation speed of a semiconductor device is improved. The semiconductor device includes a first memory region and a second memory region; in the semiconductor device, a first memory cell in the first memory region is superior to a second memory cell in the second memory region in data retention characteristics such as a large storage capacitance or a large channel length-channel width ratio (L/W) of a transistor. When the semiconductor device is used as a cache memory or a main memory device of a processor, the first memory region mainly stores a start-up routine and is not used as a work region for arithmetic operation, and the second memory region is used as a work region for arithmetic operation. The first memory region becomes an accessible region when the processor is booted, and the first memory region becomes an inaccessible region when the processor is in normal operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Kurokawa, Shunpei Yamazaki