Patents by Inventor Akira Ebisui

Akira Ebisui 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: 9395573
    Abstract: Provided is an edge light illumination device, in which a light modulation layer includes: a first region having optical anisotropy and a relatively high responsiveness to an electrical field; and a second region having optical anisotropy and a relatively low responsiveness to the electrical field. When denoting dispersal, the light modulation layer satisfies the formulae A>B>C and A1/C1<A2/C2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Ebisui, Harumi Sato, Kentaro Okuyama, Shogo Shinkai
  • Publication number: 20160202507
    Abstract: A display device includes a first electrode layer electrically connected to a second electrode layer, and a display layer formed between the first and second electrode layers, the display layer including a plurality of magnetic particles and nonmagnetic particles. At least one particle type of the magnetic particles and the nonmagnetic particles is electrically modified to enable movement of said particle type within the display layer in response to an electric field applied between the first and second electrode layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2014
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Ebisui, Hiroto Kawaguchi, Hidehiko Takanashi
  • Patent number: 9318058
    Abstract: A display unit includes: an image display panel; a backlight section disposed on a back surface of the image display panel, and including a light guide member and a polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel; a light source emitting light, the light being allowed to enter the light guide member of the backlight section; a polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel drive section driving the polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel of the backlight section in synchronization with writing of an image displayed on the image display panel to control a location that scatters light incident on the light guide member on the polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel; and a light source drive section allowing the light source to blink in synchronization with a period in which light is scattered by the polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Naoki Ikawa, Ichiro Murakami, Kentaro Okuyama, Akira Ebisui
  • Patent number: 9316845
    Abstract: There are provided an illumination unit capable of reducing formation of a double image in three-dimensional display and a display unit including the same. An illumination optical system configured to generate linear illumination light formed by two-dimensionally arranging a plurality of linear illumination light beams or a plurality of point-like illumination light beams, and a reflective plate configured to reflect the linear illumination light are included. The reflective plate reflects the linear illumination light to or close to a plane passing through a part that generates the linear illumination light and being perpendicular to a plane including the reflective plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shogo Shinkai, Akira Ebisui, Kentaro Okuyama, Harumi Sato
  • Patent number: 9250468
    Abstract: A display panel and a display unit are provided that allow a high-contrast and a bright image to be obtained. A display panel is composed of a light modulation device. The light modulation device includes: an electrode capable of generating a main electric field in a direction parallel to a plane intersecting with a normal line of a transparent substrate; and a light modulation layer including a bulk and a particulate each having an optical anisotropy. Optical axes AX1 and AX2 of the bulk and the particulate are parallel or substantially parallel to a top surface of the transparent substrate, and may be faced in different directions from each other and may be faced in same or substantially same directions with each other within the plane parallel or substantially parallel to the top surface of the transparent substrate depending on a magnitude of the electric field generated by the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shogo Shinkai, Kentaro Okuyama, Tomoaki Suzuki, Akira Ebisui, Yuji Takahashi, Taizo Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20150293402
    Abstract: An illumination unit of an embodiment of the present technology includes: an illumination optical system configured to generate illumination light; and a plurality of lenses configured to reduce a divergence angle of the illumination light. The illumination optical system includes: a light source (20) configured to apply light onto an end surface of one of a first substrate and a second substrate; and a light modulation layer (30) provided in a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate. The illumination optical system includes an electrode configured to generate an electric filed that generates, in the light modulation layer (30), a plurality of linear scattering regions (30B) in a three-dimensional mode, and to generate an electric field that generates, in the light modulation layer, a planar scattering region in a two-dimensional display mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shogo Shinkai, Akira Ebisui
  • Publication number: 20150280708
    Abstract: There is provided an information processing device including a temperature compensation unit configured to correct an operation input value indicating an operation input to each of a plurality of key regions provided on a sheet-like operation member based on ambient temperature of an input device in which the operation input to each of the key regions is detected as a capacitance variation amount of a capacitive element depending on a change in a distance between the key region and the capacitive element, the capacitive element being provided in a manner that the capacitive element corresponds to each of the key regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuro Goto, Hiroto Kawaguchi, Takashi Itaya, Toshio Kano, Akira Ebisui
  • Publication number: 20150270076
    Abstract: There is provided a keyboard cover including a first sheet material having a surface including a plurality of key tops configured of roughened surfaces and a base configured of a smooth surface connecting a plurality of the key tops, a plurality of the key tops being projected from the base viewed from the surface; and a second sheet material covering a rear surface of the first sheet material and having concave parts corresponding to a plurality of the key tops viewed from the rear surface. Also provided is an electronic apparatus, including a keyboard body and the keyboard cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Publication date: September 24, 2015
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoko Katsuhara, Hiroto Kawaguchi, Akira Ebisui
  • Publication number: 20150261309
    Abstract: There is provided an information processing device including a capacitance variation detection unit configured to detect an operation input to each of a plurality of key regions as a capacitance variation amount of a capacitive element, the key region being provided on a sheet-like operation member, the capacitive element being provided in association with each of the key regions, the capacitance variation amount being dependent on a change in a distance between the key region and the capacitive element, and an input state determination unit configured to determine whether an input state of the key region is an ON state based on the detected capacitance variation amount, the ON state being a state in which the operation input to the key region is decided to be valid. The input state determination unit determines an end of the ON state based on a differential value of the capacitance variation amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuro Goto, Hiroto Kawaguchi, Takashi Itaya, Toshio Kano, Akira Ebisui
  • Patent number: 9069208
    Abstract: An illumination device includes a light guide plate, a light source, and a light modulation element. The light guide plate has convex portions extending in a direction parallel to a normal to a face opposed to the light source among side faces of the light guide plate, and the light source is configured of light source blocks. The light modulation element includes a pair of transparent substrates disposed separately and oppositely to each other, a plurality of first electrodes provided on a surface of one of the transparent substrates, and extending in a direction crossing an extending direction of the convex portions, a second electrode provided on a surface of the other transparent substrate, and a light modulation layer provided in a gap between the transparent substrates, and exhibiting a scattering property or a transparent property to light from the light source depending on magnitude of an electric field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shogo Shinkai, Kentaro Okuyama, Tomoaki Suzuki, Akira Ebisui, Yuji Takahashi, Taizo Nishimura, Shinpei Nagatani
  • Patent number: 9052520
    Abstract: An illumination device capable of suppressing formation of a double image in three-dimensional display, and a display unit including the illumination device are provided. In a light modulation device bonded to a light guide plate, a scattering region that scatters light propagating within the light guide plate, and a transmissive region that allows light propagating within the light guide plate to pass therethrough are formed through control of an electric field. The scattering region scatters light to generate linear illumination light. A reflector is provided directly below the light modulation device. The reflector reflects light, which is part of the scattered light generated in the scattering region and is emitted to a reflector side, to generate reflected light to be focused directly below the scattering region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shogo Shinkai, Akira Ebisui, Harumi Sato, Kentaro Okuyama
  • Patent number: 9052546
    Abstract: There are provided an illumination unit and a display which are capable of further uniformizing chromaticity of illumination light in a plane while suppressing a reduction in light extraction efficiency. A light modulation device bonded to a light guide plate includes a light modulation layer exhibiting a scattering property or transparency with respect to light propagating through the light guide plate. The light modulation layer is sandwiched between a pair of transparent substrates. While alignment films controlling alignment of the light modulation layer are disposed on surfaces of the transparent substrates, an electrode generating an electric field which changes the alignment of the light modulation layer is disposed on only the surface of the transparent substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shogo Shinkai, Kentaro Okuyama, Tomoaki Suzuki, Akira Ebisui, Yuji Takahashi, Taizo Nishimura
  • Patent number: 9052427
    Abstract: A light modulation layer disposed between a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate generates a plurality of first strip-like illumination light beams extending in a direction intersecting with a first end surface of the first or second transparent substrate at a first angle with use of light from a light source, when an electric field for a first mode is applied from an electrode to the light modulation layer. The light modulation layer generates a plurality of second strip-like illumination light beams extending in a direction intersecting with the first end surface at an angle different from the first angle or a direction parallel to the first end surface with use of light from the light source, when an electric field for a second mode is applied from the electrode to the light modulation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shogo Shinkai, Kentaro Okuyama, Akira Ebisui, Harumi Sato
  • Publication number: 20150109763
    Abstract: An illumination apparatus includes a pair of substrates arranged oppositely to each other with a distance, and a light source disposed on a side surface of one of the pair of substrates. The illumination apparatus further includes an electrode that is provided on a surface of each of the pair of substrates and generates an electric field in a direction intersecting perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate. The illumination apparatus further includes a light modulation layer that is disposed at a clearance between the pair of substrates and is configured to exhibit scattering property or transparency to light from the light source, based on magnitude of the electric field generated by the electrode. The electrode includes a plurality of first electrode blocks on a surface of one of the pair of substrates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Shogo Shinkai, Akira Ebisui
  • Publication number: 20150055055
    Abstract: Provided is an edge light illumination device, in which a light modulation layer includes: a first region having optical anisotropy and a relatively high responsiveness to an electrical field; and a second region having optical anisotropy and a relatively low responsiveness to the electrical field. When denoting dispersal, the light modulation layer satisfies the formulae A>B>C and A1/C1<A2/C2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Akira Ebisui, Harumi Sato, Kentaro Okuyama, Shogo Shinaki
  • Publication number: 20140300528
    Abstract: An illumination unit capable of obtaining high luminance and a display apparatus including it are provided. The illumination unit includes an illumination optical system generating the illumination light, and a lens sheet narrowing a divergence angle of the illumination light. The illumination optical system includes a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate that are separated from each other and are arranged to face each other, and a light source applying light to an end face of the first transparent substrate or of the second transparent substrate. The illumination optical system is provided in a gap between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate, and includes a light modulation layer exhibiting scattering characteristics or transparent characteristics with respect to the light from the light source in accordance with a magnitude of an electric field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Ebisui, Shogo Shinkai, Kentaro Okuyama, Harumi Sato
  • Publication number: 20140192285
    Abstract: There are provided an illumination unit capable of reducing formation of a double image in three-dimensional display and a display unit including the same. An illumination optical system configured to generate linear illumination light formed by two-dimensionally arranging a plurality of linear illumination light beams or a plurality of point-like illumination light beams, and a reflective plate configured to reflect the linear illumination light are included. The reflective plate reflects the linear illumination light to or close to a plane passing through a part that generates the linear illumination light and being perpendicular to a plane including the reflective plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shogo Shinkai, Akira Ebisui, Kentaro Okuyama, Harumi Sato
  • Publication number: 20140139461
    Abstract: A display unit includes: an image display panel; a backlight section disposed on a back surface of the image display panel, and including a light guide member and a polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel; a light source emitting light, the light being allowed to enter the light guide member of the backlight section; a polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel drive section driving the polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel of the backlight section in synchronization with writing of an image displayed on the image display panel to control a location that scatters light incident on the light guide member on the polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel; and a light source drive section allowing the light source to blink in synchronization with a period in which light is scattered by the polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Naoki Ikawa, Ichiro Murakami, Kentaro Okuyama, Akira Ebisui
  • Publication number: 20140055835
    Abstract: An illumination device capable of suppressing formation of a double image in three-dimensional display, and a display unit including the illumination device are provided. In a light modulation device bonded to a light guide plate, a scattering region that scatters light propagating within the light guide plate, and a transmissive region that allows light propagating within the light guide plate to pass therethrough are formed through control of an electric field. The scattering region scatters light to generate linear illumination light. A reflector is provided directly below the light modulation device. The reflector reflects light, which is part of the scattered light generated in the scattering region and is emitted to a reflector side, to generate reflected light to be focused directly below the scattering region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shogo Shinkai, Akira Ebisui, Harumi Sato, Kentaro Okuyama
  • Publication number: 20140036176
    Abstract: Provided is a display unit capable of improving both display luminance and display quality in three-dimensional display. A light modulation layer containing a bulk and microparticles is provided in a light modulation device (30) that is bonded to a light guide plate (10). The bulk and the microparticle each have optical anisotropy, and have respective response speeds to the electric field, that are different from each other. When the electric field is applied to the light modulation layer, an optical axis (AX1) of the bulk and an optical axis (AX2) of the microparticle are orthogonal to each other in a light modulation cell (30-1, 30-2). At this time, the optical axis (AX1) of the bulk is parallel to a transmission axis (AX10) of a polarization plate (210B) on a backlight side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shogo Shinkai, Harumi Sato, Akira Ebisui, Kentaro Okuyama, Yuji Takahashi