Patents by Inventor Shogo Shinkai

Shogo Shinkai 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: 9513487
    Abstract: A display unit is provided including: a display panel having a plurality of pixels two-dimensionally arranged; a first polarization plate and a second polarization plate that face each other with the display panel in between; and an illumination device configured to illuminate the display panel through the first polarization plate. The illumination device includes a light modulation layer provided in a clearance between first and second transparent substrates, the light modulation layer being configured to exhibit scattering property or transparency of the light from the light source depending on a magnitude of an electric field. The light modulation layer includes a first portion having optical anisotropy, and relatively high responsiveness to the electric field, and a second portion having optical anisotropy, and relatively low responsiveness to the electric field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shogo Shinkai, Harumi Sato, Akira Ebisui, Kentaro Okuyama, Yuji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9494803
    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: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Ebisui, Shogo Shinkai, Kentaro Okuyama, Harumi Sato
  • Publication number: 20160294388
    Abstract: An input apparatus according to an embodiment of the present technology includes an operation member, an electrode substrate, and a first support. The operation member includes a plurality of key regions and is configured to be deformable. The electrode substrate includes a first capacitive element arranged opposed to each of the plurality of key regions and a second capacitive element arranged around the first capacitive element. The electrode substrate is capable of electrostatically detecting a change of a distance from each of the plurality of key regions. The first support includes a plurality of first structures and a first space. The plurality of first structures connect between the electrode substrate and the operation member. The first space is formed between the plurality of first structures and capable of changing the distance between each of the plurality of key regions and the electrode substrate according to an input operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroto Kawaguchi, Shogo Shinkai, Tetsuro Goto, Toshio Kano
  • 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: 20160202800
    Abstract: There is provided a sensor device that includes a flexible first conductor layer and an electrode substrate. The electrode substrate includes a plurality of first electrode wires, a plurality of second electrode wires, capacity sensors being formed at capacitively coupled portions of the first and second electrode wires, and a flexible substrate that supports the first and second electrode wires. The sensor device also includes a first supporting body including a plurality of first structures that connect the first conductor layer and the electrode substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Itaya, Shogo Shinkai, Hiroto Kawaguchi, Fumihiko Iida, Hayato Hasegawa, Kei Tsukamoto, Takayuki Tanaka, Tomoko Katsuhara, Tomoaki Suzuki, Taizo Nishimura, Hiroshi Mizuno, Yasuyuki Abe
  • Publication number: 20160179248
    Abstract: A sensor device includes: a sensor layer provided at a position facing a surface, of a substrate having an operation surface, opposite to the operation surface, and configured to detect a contacted position or a pressed position on the operation surface; and a gap layer located in a gap between the substrate and the sensor layer. The gap layer includes a bonding region bonding the substrate to the sensor layer, and a relaxation region relaxing stress applied from the substrate to the sensor layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Taizo Nishimura, Fumihiko Iida, Hiroshi Mizuno, Yasuyuki Abe, Takayuki Tanaka, Hayato Hasegawa, Shogo Shinkai
  • 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: 9299298
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a three dimensional image display device capable of preventing the generation of crosstalk. The three dimensional image display device according to the present invention includes a display panel having a plurality of pixels, a backlight capable of partially illuminating the display panel, and a drive circuit for driving the display panel and the backlight. The drive circuit causes the display panel to display a three dimensional image by synchronizing the scanning of the display panel with the scanning of the partial illumination light (Lz) of the backlight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Sato, Shogo Shinkai, Kentaro Okuyama
  • 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: 20160026297
    Abstract: [Object] To provide a sensor device capable of detecting an operation position and a pressing force with high accuracy. [Solution] A sensor device includes a first conductor layer, an electrode substrate, and a plurality of first structural bodies configured to separate the first conductor layer from the electrode substrate. At least one of the first conductor layer and the electrode substrate has flexibility. The electrode substrate includes a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes intersecting the plurality of first electrodes. At least one of the first and second electrodes includes a plurality of sub-electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shogo Shinkai, Kei Tsukamoto, Tomoko Katsuhara, Hiroto Kawaguchi, Hayato Hasegawa, Fumihiko lida, Takayuki Tanaka, Tomoaki Suzuki, Taizo Nishimura, Hiroshi Mizuno, Yasuyuki Abe
  • Publication number: 20160011691
    Abstract: [Object] To provide a sensor device capable of detecting an operation position and pressing force with high accuracy. [Solution] A sensor device includes a first conductor layer having flexibility, a second conductor layer, an electrode substrate that is provided between the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer and has flexibility, a plurality of first structural bodies that separate the first conductor layer and the electrode substrate, and a plurality of second structural bodies that separate the electrode substrate and the second conductor layer. The electrode substrate includes a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes that intersect the plurality of first electrodes. A plurality of unit regions are provided to correspond to respective intersections between the first electrodes and the second electrodes. At least two of the first structural bodies and/or at least two of the second structural bodies are included in each unit region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shogo Shinkai, Kei Tsukamoto, Tomoko Katsuhara, Hiroto Kawaguchi, Hayato Hasegawa, Fumihiko lida, Takayuki Tanaka, Tomoaki Suzuki, Taizo Nishimura, Hiroshi Mizuno, Yasuyuki Abe
  • Publication number: 20150363023
    Abstract: The sensor device includes a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, an electrode substrate, a first support, and a second support. The first conductive layer is formed to be deformable sheet-shaped. The second conductive layer is disposed to be opposed to the first conductive layer. The electrode substrate includes multiple first electrode wires and multiple second electrode wires and is disposed to be deformable between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, the multiple second electrode wires being disposed to be opposed to the multiple first electrode wires and intersecting with the multiple first electrode wires. The first support includes multiple first structures, the multiple first structures connecting the first conductive layer and the electrode substrate. The second support includes multiple second structures, the multiple second structures connecting the second conductive layer and the electrode substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroto Kawaguchi, Shogo Shinkai, Kei Tsukamoto, Tomoko Katsuhara, Hayato Hasegawa, Fumihiko Iida, Takayuki Tanaka, Tomoaki Suzuki, Taizo Nishimura, Hiroshi Mizuno, Yasuyuki Abe
  • Publication number: 20150346839
    Abstract: There is provided an input apparatus including a deformable sheet-like operational member having a plurality of key areas; an electrode substrate having a plurality of first electrode lines and a plurality of second electrode lines disposed facing to a plurality of the first electrode lines and crossing with a plurality of the first electrode lines, being capable of electrostatically detecting a change in a distance to each of a plurality of the key areas; and a support having a plurality of structures connecting the electrode substrate and the operational member, first spaces formed between a plurality of the structures corresponding to each of a plurality of the key areas, and second spaces formed between a plurality of the structures common to a predetermined plurality of the key areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroto Kawaguchi, Tetsuro Goto, Toshio Kano, Hideo Tanaka, Hayato Hasegawa, Takashi Itaya, Takayuki Tanaka, Fumihiko lida, Tomoaki Suzuki, Taizo Nishimura, Yuji Takahashi, Yasushi Itoshiro, Shogo Shinkai
  • 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: 20150277626
    Abstract: Provided is a sensor device, including: a deformable first surface; a second surface facing the first surface; an electrode board between the first surface and the second surface, the electrode board including a plurality of capacitive elements arranged in a matrix; a support including a first support layer and a second support layer, the first support layer including a plurality of first columns, the second support layer being layered on the first support layer, the support being deformable following deformation of the first surface, the support connecting at least one of the first surface and the second surface to the electrode board; and a conductor layer supported by the support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shogo Shinkai, Hiroto Kawaguchi, Hiroshi Mizuno, Taizo Nishimura, Fumihiko Iida, Kei Tsukamoto, Hayato Hasegawa, Tomoko Katsuhara
  • 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