Patents by Inventor Seiji Tanuma

Seiji Tanuma 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: 8570477
    Abstract: A substrate for a liquid crystal display device, including a pixel electrode formed on the substrate, wherein the pixel electrode includes a micro-cutout pattern defined by a plurality of micro-cutouts extending in four different directions with respect to an extension direction of a rough structural pattern. The substrate also includes a first electrode extending in a first direction, a second electrode extending in a second direction that is approximately perpendicular to the first direction, and a contact hole that electrically connects the pixel electrode and the first electrode. A portion of the rough structural pattern and/or a portion of the micro-cutout pattern overlap the first electrode. Also disclosed is a liquid crystal display device including such a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shingo Kataoka, Arihiro Takeda, Takahiro Sasaki, Tsutomu Seino, Yoshio Koike, Hidefumi Yoshida, Yuichi Inoue, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Seiji Tanuma, Takatoshi Mayama, Kimiaki Nakamura, Hideo Chida, Seiji Doi, Tetsuya Fujikawa, Takashi Takagi, Hiroyasu Inoue
  • Patent number: 8553188
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal layer including liquid crystal molecules provided between a first substrate and a second substrate; pixels forming a display area; electrodes for applying a voltage across the liquid crystal layer within each of the pixels; a plurality of domain regulating structures for dividing orientations of the liquid crystal molecules and forming multiple domains within each of the pixels, when a predetermined voltage is applied across the liquid crystal layer within each of the pixels. The device also includes a structure which is formed in an outer area located next to the display area, but that does not overlap the display area, and is substantially the same as at least one of the plurality of domain regulating structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Arihiro Takeda, Katsufumi Ohmuro, Yoshio Koike, Shingo Kataoka, Takahiro Sasaki, Takashi Sasabayashi, Hideaki Tsuda, Hideo Chida, Makoto Ohashi, Kenji Okamoto, Hisashi Yamaguchi, Minoru Otani, Makoto Morishige, Noriaki Furukawa, Tsuyoshi Kamada, Yoshinori Tanaka, Atuyuki Hoshino, Shougo Hayashi, Hideaki Takizawa, Takeshi Kinjou, Makoto Tachibanaki, Keiji Imoto, Tadashi Hasegawa, Hidefumi Yoshida, Hiroyasu Inoue, Yoji Taniguchi, Tetsuya Fujikawa, Satoshi Murata, Manabu Sawasaki, Tomonori Tanose, Siro Hirota, Masahiro Ikeda, Kunihiro Tashiro, Kouji Tsukao, Yasutoshi Tasaka, Takatoshi Mayama, Seiji Tanuma, Yohei Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 8531634
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display including a pair of substrates arranged opposite to each other to form a gap; spaced vertical alignment films formed on the substrate in the gap; a cured material formed on at least one of the alignment films in the gap; and a liquid crystal layer of liquid crystal molecules. The display also includes a pixel electrode formed on one of the substrates in a pixel region and having either a plurality of elongated members arranged with spaces therebetween and connected by a connecting member or a plurality of elongated openings arranged in patterns. Finally, the cured material is at least formed on the vertical alignment films so that an alignment direction of at least the liquid crystal molecules adjacent the alignment films is regulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazutaka Hanaoka, Seiji Tanuma, Yohei Nakanishi, Kazuya Ueda, Shingo Kataoka, Takahiro Sasaki, Arihiro Takeda, Hideaki Tsuda, Takatoshi Mayama, Yuichi Inoue, Norio Sugiura
  • Publication number: 20130162921
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device, liquid crystal molecules are oriented in a vertical direction to the first substrate and the second substrate by the first molecule orientation film and the second molecule orientation film, respectively, in a non-driving state. A structural pattern is formed so as to extend in a first direction parallel to a surface of the liquid crystal layer and so as to form, in a driving state, an electric field periodically changing in a second direction that is parallel to the liquid crystal layer and vertical to the first direction. The liquid crystal molecules substantially tilt in the first direction in the driving state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shingo Kataoka, Arihiro Takeda, Takahiro Sasaki, Tsutomu Seino, Yoshio Koike, Hidefumi Yoshida, Yuichi Inoue, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Seiji Tanuma, Takatoshi Mayama, Kimiaki Nakamura, Hideo Chida, Seiji Doi, Tetsuya Fujikawa, Takashi Takagi, Hiroyasu Inoue
  • Patent number: 8471994
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including first and second substrates, with a liquid crystal layer sealed therebetween; and first and second electrodes formed, respectively, on the first and second substrates. A first molecule orientation film is formed on the first substrate so as to cover the first electrode and a second molecule orientation film formed on the second substrate so as to cover the second electrode. A polarizer with a light absorption axis P is provided outside of the first substrate, and an analyzer with a light absorption axis A is provided outside of the second substrate. The light absorption axis A crosses the light absorption axis P. A plurality of micro structures are associated with at least one of the first and second electrodes, wherein the micro structures are obliquely arranged with respect to the light absorption axis P and the light absorption axis A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shingo Kataoka, Arihiro Takeda, Takahiro Sasaki, Tsutomu Seino, Yoshio Koike, Hidefumi Yoshida, Yuichi Inoue, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Seiji Tanuma, Takatoshi Mayama, Kimiaki Nakamura, Hideo Chida, Seiji Doi, Tetsuya Fujikawa, Takashi Takagi, Hiroyasu Inoue
  • Patent number: 8427610
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a pair of substrates provided opposite to each other, a common electrode provided on one of the pair of substrates, and a pixel electrode provided on the other of the pair of substrates. A vertical alignment type liquid crystal is sealed between the pair of substrates. An alignment film is polymerizable upon irradiation of UV, and is obtained by polymerizing substantially the entire alignment film with a voltage applied between the electrodes after the liquid crystal is sealed between the substrates. A pixel region has areas whose electro-optical characteristics are different from each other because of a difference between applied voltages at the time of polymerization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuya Ueda, Tsuyoshi Kamada, Hidefumi Yoshida, Yoshio Koike, Kenji Okamoto, Yuichi Inoue, Seiji Tanuma
  • Patent number: 8421742
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a panel having pixel electrodes arranged at intersections of a plurality of signal lines via switching elements for transmitting display data and a plurality of scanning lines for transmitting control signals, and a control circuit for controlling the panel. The liquid crystal panel is divided into first pixel regions and second pixel regions adjacent to the first pixel regions. The control circuit carries out impulse driving in which the control signals transmitted to each of the scanning lines are activated two times in one frame period for displaying an image. The control circuit writes the display data in either one of the pixel regions and writes reset data in the other pixel regions when the control signals are activated once of the two times. By writing the reset data in the pixel regions, the display data written in an immediately preceding frame are reset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidefumi Yoshida, Seiji Tanuma, Takatoshi Mayama, Yuichi Inoue, Toshiaki Suzuki, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Takeshi Gotoh, Tetsuya Kobayashi, Makoto Ohashi, Hisashi Yamaguchi, Katsunori Tanaka, Koichi Katagawa
  • Patent number: 8361570
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes an alignment sustaining layer formed of a photopolymerized material on each of surfaces of a pair of alignment films which are closer to a liquid crystal layer. The alignment sustaining layer is configured to regulate a pretilt azimuth of a liquid crystal molecule of the liquid crystal layer during absence of an applied voltage. A nematic liquid crystal material of the liquid crystal layer comprise a liquid crystal compound having a terphenyl ring system as an indispensable component, and the liquid crystal layer further comprises part of a photopolymerizable compound. A content of the photopolymerizable compound relative to the nematic liquid crystal material is less than 0.015 mol %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Kentaro Usui, Seiji Tanuma, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Kimiaki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8279165
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a panel having pixel electrodes arranged at intersections of a plurality of signal lines via switching elements for transmitting display data and a plurality of scanning lines for transmitting control signals, and a control circuit for controlling the panel. The liquid crystal panel is divided into first pixel regions and second pixel regions adjacent to the first pixel regions. The control circuit carries out impulse driving in which the control signals transmitted to each of the scanning lines are activated two times in one frame period for displaying an image. The control circuit writes the display data in either one of the pixel regions and writes reset data in the other pixel regions when the control signals are activated once of the two times. By writing the reset data in the pixel regions, the display data written in an immediately preceding frame are reset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidefumi Yoshida, Seiji Tanuma, Takatoshi Mayama, Yuichi Inoue, Toshiaki Suzuki, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Takeshi Gotoh, Tetsuya Kobayashi, Makoto Ohashi, Hisashi Yamaguchi, Katsunori Tanaka, Koichi Katagawa
  • Publication number: 20120219729
    Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid crystal display utilizing a vertically aligned state of liquid crystal molecules when no voltage is applied and to a method of manufacturing the same. The liquid crystal display includes a monofunctional monomer having a structure expressed by X—R (where X represents an acrylate group or a methacrylate group, and R represents an organic group having a steroid skeleton). A liquid crystal material is sandwiched between substrates which is then irradiated with ultraviolet rays to cure the monofunctional monomer, thereby forming a polymer film at an interface of a substrate. The monofunctional monomer has a hydrophobic skeleton such as an alkyl chain and a photoreactive group on one side of the skeleton.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shingo Kataoka, Hideaki Tsuda, Katsufumi Ohmuro, Jin Hirosawa, Seiji Tanuma, Yoshio Koike
  • Publication number: 20120133864
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal sealed between two substrates, and a polymer layer for regulating a pretilt angle of liquid crystal molecules and/or tilt directions at a time of driving. One of the substrates has a color filter layer formed on a side of the one substrate. A plurality of stripe-like electrode patterns are provided on the color filter layer. The patterns are periodically arranged so that when polymerizable components mixed in the liquid crystal layer are polymerized to form the polymer layer while a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer between the electrode patterns and a second electrode on the other substrate, liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer are aligned in the extending directions of stripe-like electrode patterns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro Sasaki, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Tsutomu Seino, Yohei Nakanishi, Seiji Tanuma, Kimiaki Nakamura, Yuichi Inoue, Masakazu Shibasaki, Hideaki Tsuda, Yoshio Koike, Yasutoshi Tasaka, Hidefumi Yoshida, Kunihiro Tashiro
  • Publication number: 20120127407
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes an alignment sustaining layer formed of a photopolymerized material on each of surfaces of a pair of alignment films which are closer to a liquid crystal layer. The alignment sustaining layer is configured to regulate a pretilt azimuth of a liquid crystal molecule of the liquid crystal layer during absence of an applied voltage. A nematic liquid crystal material of the liquid crystal layer comprise a liquid crystal compound having a terphenyl ring system as an indispensable component, and the liquid crystal layer further comprises part of a photopolymerizable compound. A content of the photopolymerizable compound relative to the nematic liquid crystal material is less than 0.015 mol %.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicants: Merck Patent GmbH, Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kentaro USUI, Seiji TANUMA, Kazutaka HANAOKA, Kimiaki NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20120120338
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal layer including liquid crystal molecules provided between a first substrate and a second substrate; pixels forming a display area; electrodes for applying a voltage across the liquid crystal layer within each of the pixels; a plurality of domain regulating structures for dividing orientations of the liquid crystal molecules and forming multiple domains within each of the pixels, when a predetermined voltage is applied across the liquid crystal layer within each of the pixels; and a structure which is formed in an outer area located next to the display area and is substantially the same as at least one of the plurality of domain regulating structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Arihiro Takeda, Katsufumi Ohmuro, Yoshio Koike, Shingo Kataoka, Takahiro Sasaki, Takashi Sasabayashi, Hideaki Tsuda, Hideo Chida, Makoto Ohashi, Kenji Okamoto, Hisashi Yamaguchi, Minoru Otani, Makoto Morishige, Noriaki Furukawa, Tsuyoshi Kamada, Yoshinori Tanaka, Atuyuki Hoshino, Shougo Hayashi, Hideaki Takizawa, Takeshi Kinjou, Makoto Tachibanaki, Keiji Imoto, Tadashi Hasegawa, Hidefumi Yoshida, Hiroyasu Inoue, Yoji Taniguchi, Tetsuya Fujikawa, Satoshi Murata, Manabu Sawasaki, Tomonori Tanose, Siro Hirota, Masahiro Ikeda, Kunihiro Tashiro, Kouji Tsukao, Yasutoshi Tasaka, Takatoshi Mayama, Seiji Tanuma, Yohei Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 8178171
    Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid crystal display utilizing a vertically aligned state of liquid crystal molecules when no voltage is applied and to a method of manufacturing the same. The invention is aimed at providing a liquid crystal display and a method of manufacturing the same in which the existing step for forming vertical alignment films can be omitted to achieve a cost reduction. The liquid crystal display includes a monofunctional monomer having a structure expressed by X—R (where X represents an acrylate group or a methacrylate group, and R represents an organic group having a steroid skeleton). A liquid crystal material is sandwiched between substrates which is then irradiated with ultraviolet rays to cure the monofunctional monomer, thereby forming a polymer film at an interface of a substrate. The monofunctional monomer has a hydrophobic skeleton such as an alkyl chain and a photoreactive group on one side of the skeleton.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shingo Kataoka, Hideaki Tsuda, Katsufumi Ohmuro, Jin Hirosawa, Seiji Tanuma, Yoshio Koike
  • Publication number: 20120075567
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display in which a wide angle of view is obtained and a response time at a halftone can be shortened by regulating an alignment orientation of a liquid crystal by the use of a polymer fixation system in which a liquid crystal layer containing a polymerizable component is scaled between substrates. The polymerizable component is polymerized while a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer to fix a liquid crystal alignment. A plurality of stripe-like electrode patterns, in which a pattern width is formed to be wider than a width of a space, are arranged so that the liquid crystal molecules are aligned in a longitudinal direction of the pattern when the polymer is formed by solidifying a polymerizable component mixed in the liquid crystal layer while a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro Sasaki, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Tsutomu Seino, Yohei Nakanishi, Seiji Tanuma, Kimiaki Nakamura, Yuichi Inoue, Masakazu Shibasaki, Hideaki Tsuda, Yoshio Koike, Yasutoshi Tasaka, Hidefumi Yoshida, Kunihiro Tashiro
  • Patent number: 8134671
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including a pair of substrates sandwiching liquid crystal molecules, a plurality of gate bus lines, and a plurality of data bus lines, with each of the data bus lines extending to intersect the gate bus lines and bending in a zigzag manner. A plurality of pixels are formed in areas enclosed by the data and gate bus lines, with a plurality of pixel electrodes, each covering a substantial area of one of the pixels. A plurality of domain regulating structures for regulating orientation directions of the liquid crystal molecules and for forming multiple domains are formed in each of the pixels. At least one of the domain regulating structures bends along a first side edge of the pixel electrode and domains are divided in accordance with the bending of the domain regulating structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Arihiro Takeda, Katsufumi Ohmuro, Yoshio Koike, Shingo Kataoka, Takahiro Sasaki, Takashi Sasabayashi, Hideaki Tsuda, Hideo Chida, Makoto Ohashi, Kenji Okamoto, Hisashi Yamaguchi, Minoru Otani, Makoto Morishige, Noriaki Furukawa, Tsuyoshi Kamada, Yoshinori Tanaka, Atuyuki Hoshino, Shougo Hayashi, Hideaki Takizawa, Takeshi Kinjou, Makoto Tachibanaki, Keiji Imoto, Tadashi Hasegawa, Hidefumi Yoshida, Hiroyasu Inoue, Yoji Taniguchi, Tetsuya Fujikawa, Satoshi Murata, Manabu Sawasaki, Tomonori Tanose, Siro Hirota, Masahiro Ikeda, Kunihiro Tashiro, Kouji Tsukao, Yasutoshi Tasaka, Takatoshi Mayama, Seiji Tanuma, Yohei Nakanishi
  • Publication number: 20120056915
    Abstract: An overshooting process is carried out, in an LCD device (1) whose LC layer thicknesses meet pixel R>pixel G>pixel B, so as to respectively set first through third output gray scales of current frame based on (i) first through third input gray scales of the current frame (current frame data) and (ii) first through third gray scales of frame which is one frame before the current frame (previous frame data). The first through third output gray scales are respectively set for the first through third pixels based on the thicknesses of the respective first through third liquid crystal layers so as to meet pixel R>pixel G>pixel B. This equalizes liquid crystal response speeds of the respective pixels R, G, and B, and therefore allows an improvement in display quality of the LCD device (1) having a multi gap structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Inventors: Akira Shibazaki, Seiji Tanuma, Kenji Okamoto
  • Patent number: 8092871
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes: a liquid crystal layer containing a nematic liquid crystal material; a pair of electrodes opposing each other via the liquid crystal layer; a pair of alignment films respectively provided between the pair of electrodes and the liquid crystal layer; and an alignment sustaining layer formed of a photopolymerized material on each of surfaces of the pair of alignment films which are closer to the liquid crystal layer, the alignment sustaining layer being configured to regulate a pretilt azimuth of a liquid crystal molecule of the liquid crystal layer during the absence of an applied voltage across the liquid crystal layer, wherein the pretilt azimuth of the liquid crystal molecule of the liquid crystal layer is regulated by the alignment sustaining layer during the absence of an applied voltage across the liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kentaro Usui, Seiji Tanuma, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Kimiaki Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20120001840
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device providing a high image quality with good viewing angle characteristics and being produced at a high efficiency is provided. A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a TFT substrate including a plurality of pixel electrodes in correspondence with a plurality of pixels, respectively; a counter substrate including a counter electrode facing the plurality of pixel electrodes; and a liquid crystal layer located between the TFT substrate and the counter substrate. The plurality of pixel electrodes each include a first trunk portion, a plurality of first branch portions extending from the first trunk portion in a first direction, and a plurality of second branch portions extending from the first trunk portion in a direction opposite to the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ohgami, Yoshito Hashimoto, Ken Kuboki, Seiji Tanuma
  • Patent number: 8054429
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including first and second substrates, with a liquid crystal layer including liquid crystal molecules between the first and second substrates. A first electrode formed on the first substrate and a second electrode formed on the second substrate. An alignment layer is formed on at least one of the substrates, and a polymer is formed on the alignment layer. The liquid crystal molecules are tilted when no voltage is applied to the liquid crystal molecules. The first electrode has a plurality of stripe-like electrode patterns, and the stripe-like electrode patterns have a width that is wider than a width of a space between adjacent strip-like electrode patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazutaka Hanaoka, Takahiro Sasaki, Tsutomu Seino, Yohei Nakanishi, Seiji Tanuma, Kimiaki Nakamura, Yuichi Inoue, Masakazu Shibasaki, Hideaki Tsuda, Yoshio Koike, Yasutoshi Tasaka, Hidefumi Yoshida, Kunihiro Tashiro