Nec Corporation

Nec Electronics Corporation

Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation

Other

Sony Group Corporation

Nippon Electric Co., Ltd.

Katsuji Kimura

Hirokazu Seki

Yuki Urano

Yukio Yokoyama

Daisuke Hirono

Rei Takamori

Atsushi Yamamoto

Toshifumi Sato

Koji Yamasaki

Naohisa Goto

Yoshiharu Tamura

Fumihiko Hanzawa

Yoshihiko Kasai

Hideaki Okano

Tetsuya Okuzumi

Kazumasa Tanida

Isao Yamamoto

Takahiro Tsuruta

Takayuki Kunimitsu

Kohei Imayoshi

Yuji Furukawa

Hiroyuki Yamanaka

Katsuaki Tatebayashi

Heiichiro Ryu

Hiroyuki Goto

Hironori Takahashi

Kohei Harada

Provided are a lens drive module, an imaging module, an electronic device, and a lens unit that have a simple configuration and are advantageous in reducing power consumption. The lens drive module includes a lens unit that includes a plurality of lenses and a spacer that includes a ferromagnetic material provided between two adjacent lenses among the plurality of lenses, and a lens actuator that causes an electromagnetic force to act on the lens unit in response to energization.

Lens drive module, imaging module, electronic device, and lens unit

An imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes: a solid-state imaging element () that has a light-receiving surface on which light-receiving elements are arranged in a two-dimensional matrix manner, a glass substrate () that is arranged on the light-receiving surface of the solid-state imaging element, and an infrared cut filter () that is arranged on a second surface of the glass substrate via a cavity layer (), where the second surface is opposite to a first surface facing the light-receiving surface.

Imaging apparatus

Provided is an imaging device that includes a first coil that moves a lens that collects light from a subject, in an optical axis direction of the light in accordance with a first magnetic field and that moves together with the lens, a second coil for moving the lens in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis in accordance with a second magnetic field, and a third coil for detecting the first magnetic field. The second coil and the third coil are arranged on a same substrate.

Imaging device

The present technology relates to an imaging device and an electronic apparatus capable of adjusting a focus position and an image stabilization position with high accuracy. There are provided a lens that converges object light, an imaging element that photoelectrically converts the object light received from the lens, a circuit base that includes a circuit configured to output a signal received from the imaging element to an outside, an actuator that drives the lens with a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) waveform in at least either one of an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction, and plural detection units that are so disposed as to face plural first coils included in the actuator, and detect magnetic fields generated by the first coils. The present technology is applicable to an imaging device.

Imaging device and electronic apparatus

An imaging apparatus with reduced flare includes an imaging structure including a solid state imaging element () and a transparent substrate () disposed on the imaging element. The imaging apparatus includes a circuit substrate () including a circuit, a spacer () including at least one fixing portion () that guides the imaging structure to a desired position on the circuit substrate () when the imaging structure is mounted on the circuit substrate, and a light absorbing material () disposed on at least one side surface of the imaging structure such that that light absorbing material () is between the imaging structure and the at least one fixing portion.

Imaging apparatus, manufacturing method therefor, and electronic apparatus

A proximity sensor that detects the distance between two coils is disclosed. In one example, the proximity sensor includes a reference signal generation circuit, a first coil, a second coil, a clock signal generation circuit, and a switched capacitor circuit. The reference signal generation circuit applies a first alternating voltage to the first coil and transmits a reference signal synchronized with the first alternating voltage to the clock signal generation circuit. The second coil is coupled with the first coil by magnetic field coupling to generate a second alternating voltage correlated with a coupling coefficient. The clock signal generation circuit transmits clock signals corresponding to the reference signal to the switched capacitor circuit, and the switched capacitor circuit detects a distance between the first coil and the second coil by acquiring the second alternating voltage at a timing when each of the clock signals changes.

Proximity sensor

The present technology relates to an imaging device and an electronic device that enable highly accurate adjustment of a focus position and a camera shake correction position. The device includes: a lens that focuses subject light; an imaging element that photoelectrically converts the subject light from the lens; a circuit substrate including a circuit that externally outputs a signal from the imaging element; an actuator that drives the lens with a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) waveform in at least one of an X-axis direction, a Y-axis direction, or a Z-axis direction; and a detection unit that detects a magnetic field generated by a coil included in the actuator. The actuator drives the lens to move a focus, or drives the lens to reduce an influence of camera shake. The present technology can be applied to the imaging device.

Imaging device and electronic device enabled to control position of lens

There is provided an imaging apparatus including: a solid state image sensor configured to generate a pixel signal by photoelectric conversion in accordance with a light amount of an incoming light; an integrated configuration unit configured to integrate a function for fixing the solid state image sensor and a function for removing an infrared light of the incoming light.

Imaging apparatus and electronic device

The present disclosure relates to an inspection apparatus and an inspection method that enable inspection of the performance of an image pickup element. Generation of collimated light and transmission of part of the collimated light through a transmission filter having a light-blocking face provided with circular holes arranged regularly, causes conversion to rays of columnar collimated light arranged regularly. An image including the rays of columnar collimated light arranged regularly, is captured by an image pickup element being inspected. Then, acquisition of the difference between the image captured by the image pickup element being inspected and an ideal image captured by an ideal image pickup element and comparison between the difference and a threshold, result in inspection of the performance of the image pickup element being inspected.

Inspection apparatus and inspection method

An imaging optical system according to the present disclosure includes: a lens; and an optical member, in which the optical member is configured such that a light transmittance value at least in a peripheral portion is larger than a light transmittance value in a central portion. Furthermore, a camera module according to the present disclosure includes the imaging optical system of the present disclosure. Furthermore, an electronic device according to the present disclosure includes a solid-state imaging element and the imaging optical system of the present disclosure.

Imaging optical system, camera module, and electronic device

The present technology relates to an imaging apparatus and an electronic apparatus that are capable of adjusting a focal position with high accuracy. There are provided a lens that collects subject light, an image sensor that photoelectrically converts the subject light from the lens, a circuit substrate including a circuit that outputs a signal from the image sensor to the outside, an actuator that drives the lens with a pulse width modulation (PWM) waveform, and a detection unit that detects a magnetic field generated by a coil included in the actuator. The detection unit detects an induced electromotive force generated by the magnetic field. In addition, the detection unit detects a position of the lens from the induced electromotive force. The present technology can be applied to an imaging apparatus.

Imaging apparatus and electronic apparatus for controlling a position of a lens

Disclosed is a multiplier circuit including first and second squaring circuits comprising first and second differential MOS transistors respectively connected in cascode to first and second diode-connected MOS transistors. The first squaring circuit receives a differential sum voltage of a first input voltage and a second input voltage. The second squaring circuit receives a differential subtraction voltage of the first input voltage and the second input voltage. Outputs of the first and second squaring circuits are first and second terminal voltages of the first and second diode-connected MOS transistors. A differential voltage between the first and second terminal voltages corresponds to the product of the first and second input voltages.

Multiplier circuit

Disclosed is a variable gain circuit, which operates in a region where the gain varies substantially exponentially with respect to a control voltage, having an operation region in which the gain varies substantially with an exponential function{(&#x221a;{square root over (1&#x2212;)}&#x2212;&#x221a;{square root over (2)})}/{(&#x221a;{square root over (1+)}&#x2212;&#x221a;{square root over (2)})where 0&#x2266;K&#x2266;1 and x is a variable corresponding to the control voltage. The denominator and the numerator of the above function are given by a first sum current and a second sum current, respectively. The first sum current is a sum of the drain current of a first transistor and a constant current, and the second sum current is a sum of the drain current of a second transistor and the constant current. The first and second transistors have sources grounded, having gates connected common and supplied with a bias voltage, and having back-gates supplied with control voltages differentially.

Variable gain circuit

Disclosed is a variable gain circuit including a gain change region in which the gain is changed substantially exponentially as a function of a control voltage. The gain is changed in the gain change region substantially exponentially based on a function {(1+x)+K}/{1&#x2212;x}+K}, where x is a control voltage and K is a parameter of K&#x2266;1. The parameter K of the function is about equal to 0.21. The denominator and the numerator of the function are proportionate to driving currents of OTAs (operational transconductance amplifiers). Or, the denominator and the numerator of the above function are constituted by output currents of a MOS differential pair and a quadritail cell that includes four transistors driven by a common tail current. Outputs of two of the transistors, receiving a differential input voltage, are connected in common and outputs of the other two of the transistors, receiving the common mode voltage of the differential input voltage, are connected in common.

Disclosed is a phase shifting circuit that includes a PLL loop in which a reference frequency received is branched into first and second signals. The first signal becomes one input to a phase comparator and the second signal becomes another input to the phase comparator after being shifted in phase via a phase shifter. The output of the phase comparator is supplied to one input terminal of a differential amplifier via a low-pass filter. The amount of phase shift of the phase shifter is controlled by the output signal of the differential amplifier. The amount of phase shift of the phase shifter is decided by a reference voltage applied to another input terminal of the differential amplifier.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Katsuji Kimura