Patents Examined by Mark Robinson
  • Patent number: 8403383
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method retain a print unit in a dock with a retainer that is at least partially below a top of a fluid supply of the print unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Bruce A. McFadden, Jeffrey T. Hendricks
  • Patent number: 8405693
    Abstract: A transport apparatus for flat materials which are to be printed has a number of spacer pieces which lie axially parallel with respect to one another and are disposed at two ends of a bearing plate of a roller carrier between a first and a second shaped part plate. The bearing plate is equipped with a pull rod for the defined deflection of the roller carrier with corresponding loading of the bearing plate by a mechanical tensile stress which is exerted by the pull rod, and is also equipped with a stressing and setting device, by way of which the tensile stress can be set, which is transmitted through stressing device to the two ends of the bearing plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Muhl
  • Patent number: 8406593
    Abstract: The present invention embraces an optical fiber that includes a central core having an alpha-index profile with respect to an outer cladding. The optical fiber also includes an inner cladding, a depressed trench, and an outer cladding. Typically, the alpha-index profile of the central core is interrupted at a point having a positive refractive index difference with respect to the outer cladding. The optical fiber achieves reduced bending losses and a high bandwidth with a reduced cladding effect for high-data-rate applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Draka Comteq B.V.
    Inventors: Denis Molin, Marianne Bigot-Astruc, Pierre Sillard, Koen de Jongh
  • Patent number: 8405814
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device and fabricating method thereof are disclosed, by which insufficient or excessive filling of liquid crystals can be cured by adjusting a liquid crystal quantity in a liquid crystal display device having the insufficient or excessive filling of liquid crystals generated thereon. The present invention includes the steps of preparing a liquid crystal cell including a first substrate, a second substrate and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates, checking a liquid crystal quantity within the liquid crystal cell, forming a hole in the liquid crystal cell, adjusting the liquid crystal quantity through the hole, and blocking the hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chong Chan Eun, Tae Man Kim
  • Patent number: 8405808
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a substrate; scanning lines formed on the substrate; an insulating film covering the scanning lines; signal lines intersecting the scanning lines via the insulating film; switching elements formed on the substrate, each operating in response to a signal which is applied to the corresponding scanning line; and pixel electrodes each capable of being electrically connected to the corresponding signal line via the switching elements. The insulating film is a multilayer insulating film including a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer. The first insulating layer is formed of an insulating material containing an organic component, and the multilayer insulating film has a low-stack region in at least a portion of a region overlapping each switching element, the first insulating layer not being formed in the low-stack region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Wataru Nakamura, Atsushi Ban, Shoji Okazaki, Hiromitsu Katsui, Yoshihiro Okada
  • Patent number: 8400600
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display device includes in a first mask process, forming a first mask pattern group including a gate line, a gate electrode connected to the gate line and a common line parallel to the gate line that have a first conductive layer group structure having at least double conductive layers. A second mask process forms a gate insulating film on the first mask pattern group and a semiconductor pattern thereon. A third mask process forms a third mask pattern group including a data line, a source electrode connected to the data line and a drain electrode opposite the source electrode that have a second conductive layer group structure having at least double conductive layers, and a protective film interfacing with the third mask pattern group on the gate insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: LG Display, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byung Chul Ahn, Joo Soo Lim, Byung Ho Park
  • Patent number: 8380034
    Abstract: A splice tray (100) to hold a splice holder device (180) configured hold both a mechanical splice and a fusion splice, each having a different shape. A splice holder device (180) includes a first splice channel and second splice channel. Each splice channel includes one or more flexible arms spaced along a length of the splice channel to provide a resistance against a housing of the splice. Also, each channel includes one or more base supports and one or more upper stops. The flexible arms extend from a channel wall at an angle to provide force components in orthogonal directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Patrick Fleouter, Samuel Prou
  • Patent number: 8373732
    Abstract: A liquid droplet flight device is provided that moves an ink or the like using a comparatively low voltage and stably causes flight of even a high viscosity ink or the like. When causing droplets of a liquid inside a liquid retaining section to fly onto a medium transported between liquid droplet discharge means and an opposing electrode in the liquid droplet flight device, a high voltage is applied to the flight electrode from a bias power source to generate an electric field between the flight electrode and the opposing electrode. On/off control of flight control means is performed in this state to apply a drive voltage of a low voltage to an EW drive electrode from a drive power source such that the liquid inside a slit moves to a leading end portion of the flight electrode due to an electrowetting phenomenon, and the liquid that has moved to the leading end portion of the flight electrode flies toward the opposing electrode through the electric field such that a liquid droplet lands on the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Takahashi, Ichiro Kadota, Toshihiro Kanematsu, Masaaki Yamada
  • Patent number: 8373809
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display apparatus realizing a dual view display by bonding a liquid crystal panel and a parallax barrier, the parallax barrier separates display images by treating three pixels including R, G, and B pixels as one unit (one picture element). At this time, luminance variation due to crosstalk concentrates on a right-end pixel among the three pixels constituting the one picture element (in a case where each pixel receives data from a source line immediately on the left of the pixel). Accordingly, the right-end pixel is arranged to be a B pixel that has a low correlation with luminance information and in which influence of crosstalk is hard to be viewed. Further, an applied voltage to be supplied to the display pixel of the B (blue) color and an input gradation are set to have a relationship along a ? curve that makes luminance variation difficult to occur in a low luminance area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Shiomi
  • Patent number: 8373817
    Abstract: A backlight unit includes a rectangular light guide plate including a first edge and a second edge orthogonally crossing each other. A light source arranged on a flexible substrate emits light to the first edge of the light guide plate and then the light emitted from the light source is emitted to outside from an upper surface of the light guide plate. A connection flexible substrate is connected to the flexible substrate and arranged along the second edge of the light guide plate to outside of the backlight unit. The second edge of the light guide plate facing the connection flexible substrate is cut out at an acute angle to the first edge of the light guide plate to pass around the connection flexible substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Japan Display Central Inc.
    Inventor: Tsutomu Arihara
  • Patent number: 8373810
    Abstract: A micro-array of optical vortex retarders is provided by forming an alignment layer having a plurality of discrete alignment patches with different orientations. A layer of birefringent material, including one of a liquid crystal and a liquid crystal polymer precursor material, is provided adjacent to the alignment layer. The aligning orientation and position of each discrete alignment patch in the plurality of discrete alignment patches is selected to induce the layer of birefringent material to form at least one optical vortex retarder adjacent to a substantially non-oriented region of the alignment layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: JDS Uniphase Corporation
    Inventors: David M. Shemo, Scott McEldowney
  • Patent number: 8373835
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display module includes: a liquid crystal display panel; a backlight light source; a casing enclosing the liquid crystal display panel and the backlight light source; a first flexible printed wiring board electrically connected to the liquid crystal display panel and a second flexible printed wiring board connected to the backlight light source, the first flexible printed wiring board and the second flexible printed wiring board being led out from an exit formed in an identical side of the casing to an outside of the casing in a state of being superposed on each other and being bent to a rear surface side of the casing; and a connecting part for electrically connecting the second flexible printed wiring board to the first flexible printed wiring board, the connecting part being formed on the outside of the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kensuke Nobeoka, Seiji Yamane, Kazuteru Asai
  • Patent number: 8368859
    Abstract: An optical film is provided and has retardations satisfying relations (1) to (3): 0?Re(550)?10; ??(1) ?25 ?Rth(550)?25; and ??(2) |I|+|II|+|III|+|IV|>0.5 (nm), ??(3) with definitions: I=Re(450)?Re(550); II=Re(650)?Re(550); III=Rth(450)?Rth(550); and IV=Rth(650)?Rth(550), wherein Re(450), Re(550) and Re(650) are in-plane retardations measured with lights of wavelength of 450, 550 and 650 nm, respectively; and Rth(450), Rth(550) and Rth(650) are retardations in a thickness direction of the optical film, which are measured with lights of wavelength of 450, 550 and 650 nm, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Hajime Nakayama, Hirofumi Toyama, Yuta Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8368861
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device comprises a plurality of pixels arrayed in a first direction and a second direction, each of the pixels having a reflective area in at least a portion thereof. The reflective area comprises a surface-irregularity film that is a film having a plurality of surface irregularities, a light reflecting film disposed as an upper layer over the surface-irregularity film, and an electrode group disposed as an upper layer over the light reflecting film. The electrode group in each of the pixels that are arrayed in at least the first direction comprises at least two types of electrode patterns having different layouts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: NLT Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Niioka, Ken Sumiyoshi
  • Patent number: 8368866
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates, liquid crystal molecules positioned between the first and second substrates, a heat generating electrode for generating heat in response to a direct current being supplied to the heating electrode, and a backlight unit for irradiating light onto the first and second substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sun-Hwa Lee, Kyo-Seop Choo
  • Patent number: 8368830
    Abstract: To form a sufficiently large storage capacitor, a liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel having a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal held between the first substrate and the second substrate, the liquid crystal display panel having multiple pixels arranged in matrix. The first substrate has, in a transmissive display area provided in each of the pixels, a laminated structure containing a first transparent electrode, a first insulating film, a second transparent electrode, a second insulating film, and a third transparent electrode which are laminated in this order. The first transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode are electrically insulated from each other and together form a first storage capacitor through the first insulating film, and the second transparent electrode and the third transparent electrode are electrically insulated from each other and together form a second storage capacitor through the second insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignees: Hitachi Displays, Ltd., Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tohru Sasaki, Takahiro Ochiai
  • Patent number: 8368855
    Abstract: An LCD device adapted to implement a higher aperture ratio and to reduce its power consumption is disclosed. The LCD device includes: gate lines and data lines crossing each other to define pixel regions; a thin film transistor formed in each intersecting region of the gate lines and the data lines; a reflection electrode of plane shape, electrically connected to a drain electrode of the thin film transistor; a pixel electrode disposed in each of the pixel regions; and a common electrode having a slit structure, over the pixel electrode and the reflection electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: LG Display Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Ku Hyun Park, Jong Hwae Lee
  • Patent number: 8363184
    Abstract: In an LCD device, a circular polarizer is provided to each of two substrates that hold a liquid crystal layer. The circular polarizer on the display surface side includes a polarizer, ?/2 plate in which Rth>0, and a ?/4 plate in which Rth<0; and the circular polarizer on the backlight side includes a polarizer, a ?/2 plate in which Rth<0, and a ?/4 plate in which Rth>0. Rth is a retardation in the thickness direction of a ?/2 plate or a ?/4 plate. The absolute value of the sum of the Rth between the ?/2 plate for which Rth>0 and the ?/2 plate for which Rth<0 is reduced, and in the absolute value of the sum of the Rth between the ?/4 plate for which Rth<0 and the ?/4 plate for which Rth>0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignees: NEC Corporation, NLT Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin Matsushima, Ken Sumiyoshi, Shin-ichi Uehara
  • Patent number: 8358390
    Abstract: A polarizer of a liquid crystal display device and a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device using the same is disclosed. The polarizer includes a main body, a protection film on the main body, and a cutting line formed on the protection film. A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device includes providing a liquid crystal panel and a protection film having an active region and a dummy region, the protection film including at least a cutting line in the dummy region or a boundary area between the active region and the dummy region; attaching the protection film to a polarizer; attaching the polarizer to a liquid crystal panel; and, removing the dummy region of the protection film along the cutting line from the liquid crystal panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hong-Suk Kim
  • Patent number: 8356883
    Abstract: A printing method includes applying at least one of a plurality of pigmented colored inks to a receiving surface. A colorless ink is applied to the receiving surface. A majority of the colorless ink is ejected from of first nozzles on a printhead used for ejecting the colorless ink. At least 30% of an area on the receiving surface, which is passed over by the first nozzles, is covered with the colorless ink during a single pass of the printhead over the area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Steven A. Billow, Douglas W. Couwenhoven, James A. Mott, Yang Shi, Richard C. Reem