Patents by Inventor Akihide Haruyama

Akihide Haruyama 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: 11994774
    Abstract: In an electro-optical device, a first polarizing element, a first phase difference element, a transmissive liquid crystal panel, a second phase difference element, and a second polarizing element are sequentially arranged. Here, when a phase difference of the first phase difference element and the second phase difference element is ?/4, an influence of orientation disorder of liquid crystal molecules can be alleviated, but a contrast ratio is reduced. Therefore, when a wavelength of incident light is ?, a phase difference R of the first phase difference element and the second phase difference element satisfies the following condition that 0<R<?/4, preferably ?/12<R<?/6. For example, it is assumed that the phase difference R is ?/8.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihide Haruyama, Toru Aoki
  • Patent number: 11947201
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device includes a liquid crystal panel including a liquid crystal layer as a first liquid crystal layer, a first polarizing element, a second polarizing element, a first phase difference adjusting element arranged between the first polarizing element and the liquid crystal panel and including a liquid crystal layer as a second liquid crystal layer, a second phase difference adjusting element arranged between the liquid crystal panel and the second polarizing element and including a liquid crystal layer as a third liquid crystal layer, and a first phase difference controlling element driving unit and a second phase difference controlling element driving unit as control units configured to control a value of a voltage applied to the first phase difference adjusting element and the second phase difference adjusting element, based on image data input to the liquid crystal panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Hosaka, Akihide Haruyama
  • Publication number: 20230273493
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device includes a liquid crystal panel including a first liquid crystal layer, a first polarizing plate provided on a light incidence side of the liquid crystal panel, a second polarizing plate provided on a light emission side of the liquid crystal panel, a first phase difference adjusting element arranged between the first polarizing plate and the liquid crystal panel and including a second liquid crystal layer, a second phase difference adjusting element arranged between the liquid crystal panel and the second polarizing plate and including a third liquid crystal layer, and a control unit configured to control a phase difference of the second liquid crystal layer and a phase difference of the third liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihide HARUYAMA, Yusuke KOMURO
  • Publication number: 20230273466
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device includes a liquid crystal panel including a liquid crystal layer as a first liquid crystal layer, a first polarizing element, a second polarizing element, a first phase difference adjusting element arranged between the first polarizing element and the liquid crystal panel and including a liquid crystal layer as a second liquid crystal layer, a second phase difference adjusting element arranged between the liquid crystal panel and the second polarizing element and including a liquid crystal layer as a third liquid crystal layer, and a first phase difference controlling element driving unit and a second phase difference controlling element driving unit as control units configured to control a value of a voltage applied to the first phase difference adjusting element and the second phase difference adjusting element, based on image data input to the liquid crystal panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Hosaka, Akihide Haruyama
  • Publication number: 20220382109
    Abstract: In an electro-optical device, a first polarizing element, a first phase difference element, a transmissive liquid crystal panel, a second phase difference element, and a second polarizing element are sequentially arranged. Here, when a phase difference of the first phase difference element and the second phase difference element is ?/4, an influence of orientation disorder of liquid crystal molecules can be alleviated, but a contrast ratio is reduced. Therefore, when a wavelength of incident light is ?, a phase difference R of the first phase difference element and the second phase difference element satisfies the following condition that 0<R<?/4, preferably ?/12<R<?/6. For example, it is assumed that the phase difference R is ?/8.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihide HARUYAMA, Toru AOKI
  • Patent number: 11506942
    Abstract: An electro-optical device includes a first substrate including a plurality of pixel electrodes, a second substrate having translucency, an electro-optical layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, the electro-optical layer having an optical property that varies in accordance with an electric field generated by the plurality of pixel electrodes, and a spacer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, the spacer including a high refractive index portion having a refractive index greater than a refractive index of the electro-optical layer, the spacer being configured to define a distance between the first substrate and the second substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihide Haruyama
  • Patent number: 11402731
    Abstract: A microlens array substrate includes a substrate having a first surface and a plurality of recesses corresponding to a plurality of pixels, and a microlens array including a plurality of microlenses corresponding to the plurality of recesses. The microlenses each have a refractive index different from a refractive index of the substrate, and each have a light incident surface and a light exiting surface. The light incident surface has a first curvature region and a second curvature region. The second curvature region surrounds the first curvature region when viewed along the optical axis of one microlens and has a curvature greater than the curvature of the first curvature region. The light exiting surface includes a light collecting structure configured to converge the light incident via the light incident surface. The light collecting structure overlaps with part of the first curvature region when viewed along the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Junichi Wakabayashi, Akihide Haruyama
  • Publication number: 20220100018
    Abstract: An electro-optical device includes a first substrate including a plurality of pixel electrodes, a second substrate having translucency, an electro-optical layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, the electro-optical layer having an optical property that varies in accordance with an electric field generated by the plurality of pixel electrodes, and a spacer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, the spacer including a high refractive index portion having a refractive index greater than a refractive index of the electro-optical layer, the spacer being configured to define a distance between the first substrate and the second substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihide HARUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20210173289
    Abstract: A microlens array substrate includes a substrate having a first surface and a plurality of recesses corresponding to a plurality of pixels, and a microlens array including a plurality of microlenses corresponding to the plurality of recesses. The microlenses each have a refractive index different from a refractive index of the substrate, and each have a light incident surface and a light exiting surface. The light incident surface has a first curvature region and a second curvature region. The second curvature region surrounds the first curvature region when viewed along the optical axis of one microlens and has a curvature greater than the curvature of the first curvature region. The light exiting surface includes a light collecting structure configured to converge the light incident via the light incident surface. The light collecting structure overlaps with part of the first curvature region when viewed along the optical axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventors: Junichi WAKABAYASHI, Akihide HARUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20210141268
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device includes a first substrate arranged on a light incident side and a second substrate that faces the first substrate through intermediation of a liquid crystal layer. A light shielding member is not provided in a display region of the second substrate. In a display region of the first substrate, a light shielding member in a lattice shape is provided between a substrate body and a pixel electrode. The first substrate includes a first lens member provided between the substrate body and the light shielding member and a second lens member provided between the light shielding member and the pixel electrode. The liquid crystal device includes an optical compensation member on a light emission side with respect to the second lens member, and a lens or a light shielding member is not interposed between the optical compensation member and the liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2020
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihide HARUYAMA
  • Patent number: 10942388
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device includes a first substrate arranged on a light incident side and a second substrate that faces the first substrate through intermediation of a liquid crystal layer. A light shielding member is not provided in a display region of the first substrate. In a display region of the second substrate, a light shielding member in a lattice shape is provided between a substrate body and a pixel electrode. The second substrate includes a first lens member provided between the substrate body and the light shielding member, a second lens member provided between the light shielding member and the pixel electrode, and a third lens member provided between the second lens member and the pixel electrode. The liquid crystal device includes an optical compensation member on a light incident side of the third lens member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihide Haruyama
  • Patent number: 10527889
    Abstract: The invention provides a new technique for improving the contrast in a liquid-crystal display device having a liquid crystal layer that is formed of pretilted liquid crystal molecules having a negative dielectric constant anisotropy. A liquid-crystal display device according to an aspect of the invention includes a liquid crystal panel in which a phase-difference compensation layer including a C plate is formed, and a phase-difference compensation member disposed on the outside of the liquid crystal panel and including an O plate or an A plate. The liquid crystal panel includes an opposing substrate, a liquid crystal layer formed of pretilted liquid crystal molecules having a negative dielectric constant anisotropy, and an element substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihide Haruyama
  • Patent number: 10488724
    Abstract: A first substrate includes a base material having transmissivity, a light-shielding body having a grid pattern in a plan view seen from a thickness direction of the base material, a pixel electrode, a first insulator having transmissivity that overlaps the light-shielding body in the plan view and is disposed between the base material and the pixel electrode, and a second insulator having transmissivity that overlaps the pixel electrode in the plan view and is disposed in contact with the first insulator between the base material and the pixel electrode. The second insulator has a refractive index greater than a refractive index of the first insulator. An interface between the second insulator and the first insulator has an inclined portion inclined away from a central axis along a thickness direction of the second insulator from the incident side of light toward an emitting side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihide Haruyama
  • Patent number: 10444569
    Abstract: Provided is a technique to suppress a decrease in the effect of optical compensation caused by diffraction at the element substrate in a liquid crystal display device. One aspect of a liquid crystal device includes a counter substrate that includes a common electrode, an element substrate that includes a pixel electrode, a lens, and a light-shielding member, the light-shielding member defining an opening area of a pixel, a liquid crystal layer interposed between the counter substrate and the element substrate, and an optical compensation member arranged on a counter substrate side with respect to the liquid crystal layer. Incident light is incident from the counter substrate side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihide Haruyama
  • Publication number: 20190250472
    Abstract: A first substrate includes a base material having transmissivity, a light-shielding body having a grid pattern in a plan view seen from a thickness direction of the base material, a pixel electrode, a first insulator having transmissivity that overlaps the light-shielding body in the plan view and is disposed between the base material and the pixel electrode, and a second insulator having transmissivity that overlaps the pixel electrode in the plan view and is disposed in contact with the first insulator between the base material and the pixel electrode. The second insulator has a refractive index greater than a refractive index of the first insulator. An interface between the second insulator and the first insulator has an inclined portion inclined away from a central axis along a thickness direction of the second insulator from the incident side of light toward an emitting side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihide HARUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20190033642
    Abstract: Provided is a technique to suppress a decrease in the effect of optical compensation caused by diffraction at the element substrate in a liquid crystal display device. One aspect of a liquid crystal device includes a counter substrate that includes a common electrode, an element substrate that includes a pixel electrode, a lens, and a light-shielding member, the light-shielding member defining an opening area of a pixel, a liquid crystal layer interposed between the counter substrate and the element substrate, and an optical compensation member arranged on a counter substrate side with respect to the liquid crystal layer. Incident light is incident from the counter substrate side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihide HARUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20190004344
    Abstract: The invention provides a new technique for improving the contrast in a liquid-crystal display device having a liquid crystal layer that is formed of pretilted liquid crystal molecules having a negative dielectric constant anisotropy. A liquid-crystal display device according to an aspect of the invention includes a liquid crystal panel in which a phase-difference compensation layer including a C plate is formed, and a phase-difference compensation member disposed on the outside of the liquid crystal panel and including an O plate or an A plate. The liquid crystal panel includes an opposing substrate, a liquid crystal layer formed of pretilted liquid crystal molecules having a negative dielectric constant anisotropy, and an element substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihide HARUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20170212378
    Abstract: A liquid crystal panel has an element substrate which emits light transmitted through a microlens, a liquid crystal which transmits light incident from the element substrate, a counter substrate which transmits light emitted from the liquid crystal, and an optical compensation plate provided on a light emission side of the element substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventors: Akihide Haruyama, Yoshitake Tateno
  • Patent number: 9229273
    Abstract: A reflection type liquid crystal device has: a liquid crystal cell held between a pair of substrates and an optical compensation plate disposed outside the pair of substrates. The optical compensation plate has a first optical axis along the thickness direction thereof. The liquid crystal cell has a pretilt at which a second optical axis of a liquid crystal molecule of the liquid crystal cell is inclined with respect to a plate surface of the liquid crystal cell. The optical compensation plate is tiltable in a first direction in which a standard angle becomes larger, wherein the standard angle is defined as an acute angle between the first optical axis and the second optical axis when the optical compensation plate is located parallel to the plate surface of the liquid crystal cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihide Haruyama, Osamu Okumura
  • Patent number: 8896901
    Abstract: An electro-optic device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, an electro-optic layer which is interposed between the second substrate and the first substrate, and a first translucent film, a second translucent film, and a third translucent film which are disposed between the second substrate and the electro-optic layer and are sequentially formed from the second substrate, in which the refractive index of the second translucent film is larger than the refractive index of the second substrate, is smaller than the refractive index of the first translucent film, and is smaller than the third translucent film. A transmittance of incident light of the electro-optic device is intensified using refractive index matching, interference dimming, and anti-scattering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yohei Sugimoto, Atsushi Ito, Ryosuke Yamasaki, Akihide Haruyama