IP Library Granted Patent US 11,297,272
Granted Patent B2
US 11,297,272 · App. 17/124,171 · Granted Apr 5, 2022

Solid-state imaging device and endoscopic camera

Inventor: Kazutoshi Onozawa (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION JAPAN
H04N5/3745H04N5/347H04N5/378H04N2005/2255
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,297,272
App. No.
17/124,171
Granted
Apr 5, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A solid-state imaging device includes: a first semiconductor substrate including a light receiver that receives incident light; and a second semiconductor substrate including an image processing circuit that processes a signal from the light receiver and generates an image signal. The second semiconductor substrate includes: a nonvolatile memory including a region in which use history data is stored; and a control circuit (use history securing circuit) that restricts output of the image signal when the use history data is stored in the nonvolatile memory.

Claims (20)

1. A solid-state imaging device, comprising:

a first semiconductor substrate including a light receiver that receives incident light; and

a second semiconductor substrate including an image processing circuit that processes a signal from the light receiver and generates an image signal, wherein

the second semiconductor substrate includes:

a nonvolatile memory including a region in which use history data is stored; and

a control circuit including a determination circuit, a blocking circuit, and an input/output circuit,

the determination circuit determines whether use history data is present in the nonvolatile memory in response to power being turned on, and

when the use history data is present, the blocking circuit prohibits output of the image signal from the input/output circuit.

2. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

the nonvolatile memory stores, as the use history data, at least one of: image capturing device information; date and time of image capturing.

3. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

the control circuit includes:

an encryption circuit that encrypts the use history data stored in the nonvolatile memory.

4. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

the second semiconductor substrate further includes a joint surface to which the first semiconductor substrate is joined, and

the nonvolatile memory is provided on a joint surface side of the second semiconductor substrate.

5. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 4 , wherein

the nonvolatile memory is a ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM) or a resistive random access memory (ReRAM).

6. An endoscopic camera, comprising:

the solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2020
From: ONOZAWA, KAZUTOSHI
To: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION JAPAN
Reel/Frame 054672/0381 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2018-117451 · Jun 20, 2018 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2019024089 · Jun 18, 2019
Related Publication 20210105428A1 · Apr 8, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,608,451