Patents by Inventor Kuniaki Okada

Kuniaki Okada 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).

  • Publication number: 20080192590
    Abstract: An information recording apparatus recording information on a recording medium by causing interference of a signal light beam and a reference light beam in said recording medium includes a movable optical deflector deflecting said reference light beam in a direction different from said signal light beam, and a lens collecting said signal light beam and said deflected reference light beam into said recording medium to form interference fringes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2008
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Tanaka, Kuniaki Okada
  • Patent number: 7338754
    Abstract: In a micro-lens array substrate (12) that includes first and second micro-lens arrays (6, 7) respectively having a plurality of lenses, the first micro-lens array (6) is sandwiched between two inorganic dielectric substrates (21, 24), and the second micro-lens array (7) is formed on one of the two inorganic dielectric substrates (21, 24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kuniaki Okada, Yukiko Nagasaka, Kazuya Kitamura, Yoshihiro Sekimoto, Yukio Kurata, Hiroshi Nakanishi
  • Publication number: 20070216827
    Abstract: A microlens array 1? constituted of a plurality of microlenses 1 each having a flat section 1a at a top portion is arranged on one side of a liquid crystal display panel 11 from which side light from a backlight enters. Each microlens 1 is so formed that its width is equal to the pixel pitch. Consequently, the viewing angle can be widened without deteriorating front luminance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2005
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kuniaki Okada, Hiroshi Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 7251076
    Abstract: An optical component according to the present invention comprises a substrate, and at least one optical element obtained by processing at least one thick optical film provided on the substrate. The optical component has a plurality of surfaces substantially not parallel to a surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kuniaki Okada, Hiroyuki Yamamoto, Shinya Yoshida, Yukio Kurata
  • Publication number: 20070097293
    Abstract: A production method for a display panel according to the present invention is production method for a display panel 100 including a display panel 101 and a plurality of microlenses 107 provided on a light-incident side of the display panel 101, including: (a) a step of providing a display panel having a plurality of pixels in a matrix arrangement, wherein each of the plurality of pixels has a plurality of picture elements, including a first picture element 104B transmitting first color light and a second picture element 104R (104G) transmitting second color light which is different from the first color light; (b) a step of forming a photocurable material layer 105 on one of a pair of principal faces, being opposite to each other, of the display panel; (c) a step of exposing the photocurable material layer to light via the display panel, wherein the photocurable material layer is at least partially cured with light which has been transmitted through at least the first picture element; and (d) a step of removin
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2004
    Publication date: May 3, 2007
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakanishi, Kuniaki Okada
  • Patent number: 7142366
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a microlens substrate capable of facilitating optical axis alignment and simplifying manufacturing processes by patterning a lens shape of a second microlens array using a first microlens array. The lens shape of the cylindrical second microlens array is patterned by irradiating the first microlens array with ultraviolet rays. Light emitted from a linear light source which is variable in its position is imaged on a focal surface of the first microlens array by a collimator lens and the first microlens array, and a resist layer formed by being coated on the focal surface is exposed. By performing exposure while changing the position of the linear light source, a resist pattern of a desired cylindrical shape can be obtained. Thereafter, etching is performed to transfer the shape of the resist pattern onto an intermediate glass layer, and recesses are buried with a high refractive index UV curable resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kuniaki Okada, Minoru Ueda
  • Publication number: 20060262701
    Abstract: A holographic recording/reproducing apparatus controls a position and an area size of a signal light and/or a reference light in a holographic recording medium by a spatial light amplitude modulator. Thus, the holographic recording/reproducing apparatus can set the position and the area size of the signal light and/or the reference light arbitrarily by using a spatial light amplitude modulator of high resolution as the spatial light amplitude modulator. Further, by controlling the position of the reference light by the spatial light amplitude modulator, the holographic recording/reproducing apparatus can change the incident angle on the holographic recording medium. Angle multiplex recording can thus be realized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2006
    Publication date: November 23, 2006
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kuniaki Okada, Yukio Kurata, Tetsuo Saeki
  • Patent number: 7031064
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a microlens array and a projection-type liquid crystal display apparatus which can increase the efficiency of use of light, facilitate a method of manufacturing a microlens array and reduce the cost of equipment. By an operation of only irradiating a first lens with parallel light which has an intensity distribution corresponding to the shape of a second lens and irradiating an ultraviolet curing resin layer with transmission light, the first and second lenses are placed with a high alignment accuracy in a mutual positional relation thereof. By irradiating the first lens with the parallel light, it becomes possible to uniformly expose a broad area, and it becomes possible to expose by the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuya Kitamura, Yukio Kurata, Yoshihiro Sekimoto, Kuniaki Okada, Noboru Fujita, Yukiko Nagasaka, Hiroshi Nakanishi
  • Publication number: 20060038939
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a reflective electrode, i.e. a first periodical structure which is a layer of light shielding material having periodical apertures, and a prism sheet, i.e. a second periodical structure, where An determined by An=2WL/PL·sin(n?WL/PL)/(n?WL/PL) (n is a natural number) is not more than 0.05 and (2n?1)/(2·PL)<1/PP<(2n+1)/(2 ·PL) is satisfied, where PL and WL are the pitch and width of the apertures, respectively, and PP is the pitch of the second periodical structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2005
    Publication date: February 23, 2006
    Inventor: Kuniaki Okada
  • Publication number: 20050174649
    Abstract: In a micro-lens array substrate (12) that includes first and second micro-lens arrays (6, 7) respectively having a plurality of lenses, the first micro-lens array (6) is sandwiched between two inorganic dielectric substrates (21, 24), and the second micro-lens array (7) is formed on one of the two inorganic dielectric substrates (21, 24).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Publication date: August 11, 2005
    Inventors: Kuniaki Okada, Yukiko Nagasaka, Kazuya Kitamura, Yoshihiro Sekimoto, Yukio Kurata, Hiroshi Nakanishi
  • Publication number: 20050106517
    Abstract: A tubular flame burner, a combustion method, and combustion controller, are disclosed. Here, the tubular flame burner comprises: a tubular combustion chamber whose h one end is open; fuel-spraying nozzles and oxygen-containing-gas spraying nozzles. The respective nozzle orifices are formed in the inner face of the combustion chamber so that each spraying direction is in a neighborhood of a tangential direction of the inner circumferential wall of the combustion chamber. And an ignition device is disposed at a position r/2 from the tube axis of the combustion chamber (r: the radius of the combustion chamber). The length of the combustion chamber can be adjusted, the tubular flame burner is a multi-stage burner formed of multiple tubular flame burners, and a gap between the inner tube and the outer tube serves as a gas-flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2003
    Publication date: May 19, 2005
    Inventors: Kuniaki Okada, Munehiro Ishioka, Hitoshi Oishi, Tatsuya Shimada, Koichi Takashi, Yutaka Suzukawa, Yoshiki Fujii, Takamitsu Kusada
  • Patent number: 6822799
    Abstract: An exposing apparatus for a microlens array allows for easy alignment and attains high accuracy. An exposing method for a microlens array attains high accuracy and high light efficiency. The exposing apparatus for a microlens array includes a micro fly-eye lens for converting a light beam from a light source into a secondary point light source, a transmittance distribution mask for adjusting the luminance of the light of the secondary point light source, and a collimator lens for converting the light of adjusted luminance into a parallel light beam and for guiding the parallel light beam, via a first microlens array which is formed in advance, to a photosensitive resin layer to be a second microlens array. The light emitted from the light source is transmitted through the micro fly-eye lens, the transmittance distribution mask, and the collimator lens. The light is then adjusted to a desired luminance to expose the photosensitive resin of a microlens substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuya Kitamura, Kuniaki Okada, Yoshihiro Sekimoto, Yukio Kurata, Hiroshi Nakanishi
  • Publication number: 20040099633
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a microlens substrate capable of facilitating optical axis alignment and simplifying manufacturing processes by patterning a lens shape of a second microlens array using a first microlens array. The lens shape of the cylindrical second microlens array is patterned by irradiating the first microlens array with ultraviolet rays. Light emitted from a linear light source which is variable in its position is imaged on a focal surface of the first microlens array by a collimator lens and the first microlens array, and a resist layer formed by being coated on the focal surface is exposed. By performing exposure while changing the position of the linear light source, a resist pattern of a desired cylindrical shape can be obtained. Thereafter, etching is performed to transfer the shape of the resist pattern onto an intermediate glass layer, and recesses are buried with a high refractive index UV curable resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2003
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventors: Kuniaki Okada, Minoru Ueda
  • Publication number: 20040100700
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a microlens array and a projection-type liquid crystal display apparatus which can increase the efficiency of use of light, facilitate a method of manufacturing a microlens array and reduce the cost of equipment. By an operation of only irradiating a first lens with parallel light which has an intensity distribution corresponding to the shape of a second lens and irradiating an ultraviolet curing resin layer with transmission light, the first and second lenses are placed with a high alignment accuracy in a mutual positional relation thereof. By irradiating the first lens with the parallel light, it becomes possible to uniformly expose a broad area, and it becomes possible to expose by the wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2003
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventors: Kazuya Kitamura, Yukio Kurata, Yoshihiro Sekimoto, Kuniaki Okada, Noboru Fujita, Yukiko Nagasaka, Hiroshi Nakanishi
  • Publication number: 20040051977
    Abstract: An exposing apparatus for a microlens array allows for easy alignment and attains high accuracy. An exposing method for a microlens array attains high accuracy and high light efficiency. The exposing apparatus for a microlens array includes a micro fly-eye lens for converting a light beam from a light source into a secondary point light source, a transmittance distribution mask for adjusting the luminance of the light of the secondary point light source, and a collimator lens for converting the light of adjusted luminance into a parallel light beam and for guiding the parallel light beam, via a first microlens array which is formed in advance, to a photosensitive resin layer to be a second microlens array. The light emitted from the light source is transmitted through the micro fly-eye lens, the transmittance distribution mask, and the collimator lens. The light is then adjusted to a desired luminance to expose the photosensitive resin of a microlens substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2003
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuya Kitamura, Kuniaki Okada, Yoshihiro Sekimoto, Yukio Kurata, Hiroshi Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 6570124
    Abstract: A laser processing method includes the steps of irradiating a projection mask having a light transmitting area, for allowing a laser beam to be transmitted therethrough, with the laser beam; and irradiating a processing target with the laser beam transmitted through the light transmitting area. A spot of the laser beam on the projection mask is shaped so as to irradiate a portion in the vicinity of first edges of the light transmitting area, the first edges extending in one direction, and so as not to irradiate a portion in the vicinity of second edges of the light transmitting area, the second edges extending in a second direction which is different from the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Inventor: Kuniaki Okada
  • Patent number: 6525296
    Abstract: There is featured a processing method for processing a target body that includes setting a beam area formed by a laser beam on the organic insulating film so as to be larger than an area formed by projecting a target part of an organic insulating film onto a horizontal plane. The method also includes, subsequently moving the organic insulating film toward the irardiated region of the laser beam, and terminating the irradiation with the laser beam when the end part of the target part coincides with the moving end part of the laser beam. This enables the resultant processed target surface to be smooth and free from reaction product including decomposed segments of the target body. Also featured is an optical component including an optical element having a surface that is processed according to the processing methods of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Matsushima, Yorishige Ishii, Kuniaki Okada, Hideaki Fujita, Yukio Kurata, Toshihiro Tamura
  • Patent number: 6501876
    Abstract: Bidirectional optical communication devices are attached to both ends of an optical fiber, and each of them has a transmitting light wave guide coupled to a semiconductor laser and a received light wave guide which is coupled to a photodiode, and optically separated from the transmitting light wave guide. On the end face of the light-incident area of the optical fiber on which transmitting light coupled to the optical fiber from the transmitting light wave guide is directed, the light axis of the transmitting light is set so as to tilt with respect to the normal to the end face of the light-incident area so as to prevent reflected light on the end face of the light-incident area caused by the transmitting light from entering the photodiode installed on the same side as the semiconductor laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kuniaki Okada, Yorishige Ishii, Toshiyuki Matsushima, Hideaki Fujita, Yukio Kurata
  • Publication number: 20020033388
    Abstract: A laser processing method includes the steps of irradiating a projection mask having a light transmitting area, for allowing a laser beam to be transmitted therethrough, with the laser beam; and irradiating a processing target with the laser beam transmitted through the light transmitting area. A spot of the laser beam on the projection mask is shaped so as to irradiate a portion in the vicinity of first edges of the light transmitting area, the first edges extending in one direction, and so as not to irradiate a portion in the vicinity of second edges of the light transmitting area, the second edges extending in a second direction which is different from the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2001
    Publication date: March 21, 2002
    Inventor: Kuniaki Okada
  • Publication number: 20010050271
    Abstract: According to the method of processing in accordance with the present invention, first, a beam area formed by a laser beam on the organic insulating film is set to be larger than an area formed by projecting a target part of an organic insulating film onto a horizontal plane, subsequently, the organic insulating film is moved toward the irradiated region of the laser beam, and the irradiation with the laser beam is terminated when the end part of the target part coincides with the moving end part of the laser beam. This enables the resultant processed target surface to be smooth and free from reaction product including decomposed segments of the target body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Publication date: December 13, 2001
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Matsushima, Yorishige Ishii, Kuniaki Okada, Hideaki Fujita, Yukio Kurata, Toshihiro Tamura