Patents by Inventor Michiaki Sakamoto

Michiaki Sakamoto 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: 20110157256
    Abstract: To display an image on an electronic paper display properly, even when image data is transmitted continuously from a host of the existing LCD display system, for example. A sampling section inputs a single image data by each prescribed period from a plurality of pieces of continuously transmitted image data corresponding to one screen of the electronic paper display. A difference detecting section detects a difference amount showing a difference between previous image data and latter image data of two pieces of consecutive image data inputted by the sampling section, and determines to perform screen update by using the latter image data when the difference value is equal to or larger than a threshold value. A driving section generates a driving signal of the latter image data and outputs the signal to the electronic paper display, when the screen update is determined by the difference detecting section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventor: Michiaki SAKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20110128484
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first and second substrates. The first substrate includes first to N-th 1st retardation plates arranged on the first transparent substrate, and the second substrate includes first to N-th 2nd retardation plates arranged on the second transparent substrate. Assuming that a retardation plate among the first to N-th 1st retardation plates has an optical axis arranged at a first angle relative to a reference direction and a retardation plate among the first to N-th 2nd retardation plates, corresponding to the retardation plate among the first to N-th 1st retardation plates, has an optical axis arranged at a second angle relative to the reference direction, the first and second angles are different from each other by about 90 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2011
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Applicant: NEC LCD TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
    Inventors: HIDENORI IKENO, MICHIAKI SAKAMOTO, TAKAHIKO WATANABE, TERUAKI SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 7924377
    Abstract: To provide a transflective liquid crystal display apparatus that employs in-plane switching mode (in-plane switching system), which exhibits a reflection property of wide view angles. Provided is a transflective liquid crystal display apparatus which comprises: a reflective area and a transmissive area; an uneven reflective plate provided in the reflective area; a flattening film laminated on the uneven reflective plate; and common electrodes and pixel electrodes arranged on the flattening film, wherein, the uneven reflective plate comprises a diffusive reflecting function that is capable of diffusely reflecting light making incident at an incident angle of 30 degrees towards directions at exit angles of 0-10 degrees, and a surface of the flattening film is set to be substantially flat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Mori, Michiaki Sakamoto, Daisuke Inoue, Kenichirou Naka, Hiroshi Nagai
  • Patent number: 7894028
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first and second substrates. The first substrate includes first to N-th 1st retardation plates arranged on the first transparent substrate, and the second substrate includes first to N-th 2nd retardation plates arranged on the second transparent substrate. Assuming that a retardation plate among the first to N-th 1st retardation plates has an optical axis arranged at a first angle relative to a reference direction and a retardation plate among the first to N-th 2nd retardation plates, corresponding to the retardation plate among the first to N-th 1st retardation plates, has an optical axis arranged at a second angle relative to the reference direction, the first and second angles are different from each other by about 90 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies
    Inventors: Hidenori Ikeno, Michiaki Sakamoto, Takahiko Watanabe, Teruaki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20110027460
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a transflective type LCD having a first substrate provided thereon with a plurality of scanning lines and a plurality of signal lines which are substantially perpendicular to each other and a switching element arranged near each of intersections between said scanning lines and said signal lines, includes forming a reflection region having a reflection electrode film and a transmission region having a transparent electrode film in each pixel surrounded by said scanning lines and said signal lines, a liquid crystal being sandwiched at a gap between said first substrate and a second substrate which is arranged opposite to said first substrate, and forming an organic film having irregularities thereon below said reflection electrode film and said transparent electrode film to substantially the same film thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Michiaki Sakamoto, Satoshi Ihida, Hidenori Ikeno, Masaki Shinohara, Shigeru Kimura, Kenji Morio, Kazurou Saeki
  • Patent number: 7876406
    Abstract: A transflective LCD includes a LC layer sandwiched between a pair of substrates, and a pair of polarizing films. The LCD device includes a reflection area and a transmission area in each pixel, the transmission area having a reflection film. A retardation film has a first portion in the refection area between the reflection film and the LC layer, and a second portion in the transmission area between the LC layer and the rear polarizing film. The retardation film has a slow axis perpendicular to an initial orientation direction of the LC molecules upon absence of an applied voltage and perpendicular or parallel to the optical axis of the front polarizing film. The orientation of the LC molecules upon display of a dark state has a direction different between the reflection area and the transmission area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nagai, Michiaki Sakamoto, Kenichirou Naka, Kenichi Mori
  • Publication number: 20110012907
    Abstract: In an image display device including: an electrophoretic display element having a memory property and a display/update controlling unit which outputs the first control signal and the data signal to the data line driving circuit, and the second control signal to the scanning line driving circuit, based on given image data, during the image updating period of time, and cuts off power supply to the data line driving circuit and the scanning line driving circuit, during an image holding period of time, the display/update controlling unit, during the image updating period of time, inputs sequentially a plurality of pieces of compressed image block data having a data configuration which one screen of the image data is divided into a plurality of blocks, and compressed for each block, expands the compressed image block data of a preceding screen and the compressed image block data of a corresponding updating screen sequentially inputted, and outputs the data signal for screen update to the data line driving circuit,
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: NEC LCD TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Michiaki SAKAMOTO, Kenichi TAKATORI
  • Publication number: 20110001690
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal panel, a reflective pixel electrode and a transmissive pixel electrode in a unit pixel are supplied with an image signal output from a data line drive circuit, the two mutually different scanning signals output from a scanning line drive circuit, and common signals output from a common line drive circuit. The phase of the image signal is set different from that of the common signal. Further, a period during which the two scanning signals are selected is set in one horizontal period, the ending of the selection period for one of the scanning signals is set to a point in time before an electrical potential of the common signal changes, and the ending of the selection period for the other scanning signal is set to a point in time after the electrical potential of the common signal changes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Mori, Michiaki Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 7864274
    Abstract: A LCD device has a LC layer sandwiched between a TFT substrate and a counter substrate, first and second polarizing films, a first ?/2 film between the first polarizing film and the counter substrate, and a second ?/2 film between the second polarizing film and the TFT substrate. Angle ?1 between the direction of the optical axis of the LC layer and the polarized direction of the light entering the LC layer satisfies the relationship: 0 degree<?1<45 degrees. The resultant LCD device has lower leakage light and coloring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nagai, Michiaki Sakamoto, Kenichi Mori, Kenichirou Naka, Hidenori Ikeno
  • Publication number: 20100328592
    Abstract: A LCD device has a LC layer sandwiched between a TFT substrate and a counter substrate, first and second polarizing films, a first ?/2 film between the first polarizing film and the counter substrate, and a second ?/2 film between the second polarizing film and the TFT substrate. Angle ?1 between the direction of the optical axis of the LC layer and the polarized direction of the light entering the LC layer satisfies the relationship: 0 degree<?1<45 degrees. The resultant LCD device has lower leakage light and coloring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nagai, Michiaki Sakamoto, Kenichi Mori, Kenichirou Naka, Hidenori Ikeno
  • Patent number: 7817229
    Abstract: In a transflective type LCD provided with a transparent region and a reflection region in each pixel, when an irregular film 11 is formed on an active matrix substrate 12 to form irregularities of a reflection electrode film 6, the irregular film 11 is specifically formed to almost the same film thickness in both the transparent region and the reflection region to provide substantially the same inter-substrate gap in these two regions so that they may have almost the same V-T characteristics and also the reflection electrode film 6 made of Al/Mo is formed so as to overlap with a transmission electrode film 5 made of ITO all around an outer periphery of the transmission electrode film 5 by a width of at least 2 ?m, thus suppressing electric erosion from occurring between the ITO and Al substances at the edge of the transmission electrode film 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Michiaki Sakamoto, Satoshi Ihida, Hidenori Ikeno, Masaki Shinohara, Shigeru Kimura, Kenji Morio, Kazurou Saeki
  • Publication number: 20100238105
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device provided herein can be switched between a display mode and a mirror mode, and can ensure a high image quality in the display mode. The liquid crystal display device comprises liquid crystal panel 200 including sub-pixels 254, 255, and back light 213 for irradiating light to the back surface of liquid crystal panel 200. Transmission sub-pixel 254 can be switched into an image display state which can allow irradiated light to exit, and a black display state which does not allow irradiated light to exit. Mirror sub-pixel 255 can be switched between a mirror state which can allow reflected light to exit and a non-mirror state which does not allow reflected light to exit, independently of transmission sub-pixel 254. A control unit places each transmission sub-pixel 254 into the image display state or black display state, and places each mirror sub-pixel 255 into the mirror state or non-mirror state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: NEC LCD Technologies, LTD.
    Inventors: Jin MATSUSHIMA, Michiaki SAKAMOTO, Ken SUMIYOSHI, Kenichi MORI
  • Patent number: 7755597
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device is provided which is capable of reducing a number of components and fabricating processes and of realizing a bright display even at time of a transmissive display and of simplifying configurations of a data signal. Transistors are controlled ON/OFF based on selecting signals input to selecting signal lines and a one kind of data signal input from data lines distributed and supplied, as a sub-pixel data, to a data electrode selected based on selecting signals corresponding to a successive additive color mixture or juxtapositional additive color mixture process. At time of the transmissive display operation, data electrodes corresponding to three sub-pixels making up each pixel are simultaneously selected and, at time of the reflective display operation, data electrodes selected based on selecting signal corresponding to the juxtapositional additive color mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken-Ichirou Naka, Michiaki Sakamoto
  • Publication number: 20100171775
    Abstract: An IPS-mode transflective LCD device includes an array of pixels each including a reflective region and a transmissive region juxtaposed. The reflective region operates in a normally-white mode, and the transmissive region operates in a normally-black mode. A common data signal is supplied to the reflective region and transmissive region, whereas the common electrode signal in the transmissive region is an inverted signal of the common electrode signal in the reflective region, to thereby obtain similar gray-scale levels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Inventors: Michiaki Sakamoto, Jin Matsushima, Hiroshi Nagai, Kenichi Mori, Hidenori Ikeno, Yasuki Kudo, Ken Sumiyoshi
  • Publication number: 20100173231
    Abstract: An LCD device includes a reflective area in each pixel. A reflection film having a convex-concave surface is provided in the reflective area, film in cross section configuration is formed. Each pixel includes a pixel electrode and a common electrode for applying a lateral electric field on a LC layer. The inclination angle of the reflection film has an inclination angle distribution, wherein the angle component in an area corresponding to the electrodes has a lower angle distribution than the angle components in an area corresponding to a gap between adjacent two of the electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicant: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichirou Naka, Michiaki Sakamoto, Hiroshi Nagai, Kenichi Mori
  • Publication number: 20100173556
    Abstract: An LCD device includes a reflective area in each pixel. A reflection film having a convex-concave surface is provided in the reflective area, film in cross section configuration is formed. Each pixel includes a pixel electrode and a common electrode for applying a lateral electric field on a LC layer. The inclination angle of the reflection film has an inclination angle distribution, wherein the angle component in an area corresponding to the electrodes has a lower angle distribution than the angle components in an area corresponding to a gap between adjacent two of the electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicant: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichirou NAKA, Michiaki SAKAMOTO, Hiroshi NAGAI, Kenichi MORI
  • Patent number: 7751022
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including a first substrate, a second substrate facing and spaced away from the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first and second substrates, a switching device formed on the first substrate, a first electrically insulating film randomly patterned on the first substrate, a second electrically insulating film covering the first electrically insulating film therewith, and having a wavy surface, and a reflection electrode formed on the second electrically insulating film, and electrically connected to an electrode of the switching device, wherein a light passing through the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer is reflected at the reflection electrode, and the second electrically insulating film extends outwardly from the first electrically insulating film by a certain length at an end of a display region in which images are to be displayed, such that a step formed by the first and second electrically insulating films in the vicinity of the en
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hironori Kikkawa, Michiaki Sakamoto, Yuichi Yamaguchi, Hidenori Ikeno, Fumihiko Matsuno
  • Publication number: 20100123863
    Abstract: To provide a transflective liquid crystal display apparatus that employs in-plane switching mode (in-plane switching system), which exhibits a reflection property of wide view angles. Provided is a transflective liquid crystal display apparatus which comprises: a reflective area and a transmissive area; an uneven reflective plate provided in the reflective area; a flattening film laminated on the uneven reflective plate; and common electrodes and pixel electrodes arranged on the flattening film, wherein, the uneven reflective plate comprises a diffusive reflecting function that is capable of diffusely reflecting light making incident at an incident angle of 30 degrees towards directions at exit angles of 0-10 degrees, and a surface of the flattening film is set to be substantially flat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Applicant: NEC LCD TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kenichi Mori, Michiaki Sakamoto, Daisuke Inoue, Kenichirou Naka, Hiroshi Nagai
  • Patent number: 7710521
    Abstract: An LCD device includes a reflective area in each pixel. A reflection film having a convex-concave surface is provided in the reflective area, film in cross section configuration is formed. Each pixel includes a pixel electrode and a common electrode for applying a lateral electric field on a LC layer. The inclination angle of the reflection film has an inclination angle distribution, wherein the angle component in an area corresponding to the electrodes has a lower angle distribution than the angle components in an area corresponding to a gap between adjacent two of the electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd
    Inventors: Kenichirou Naka, Michiaki Sakamoto, Hiroshi Nagai, Kenichi Mori
  • Patent number: 7705937
    Abstract: An IPS-mode transflective LCD device includes an array of pixels each including a reflective region and a transmissive region juxtaposed. The reflective region operates in a normally-white mode, and the transmissive region operates in a normally-black mode. A common data signal is supplied to the reflective region and transmissive region, whereas the common electrode signal in the transmissive region is an inverted signal of the common electrode signal in the reflective region, to thereby obtain similar gray-scale levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Michiaki Sakamoto, Jin Matsushima, Hiroshi Nagai, Kenichi Mori, Hidenori Ikeno, Yasuki Kudo, Ken Sumiyoshi