Patents by Inventor Tatsuo Itoh

Tatsuo Itoh 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: 20130093861
    Abstract: A display device that displays an image, includes: a light source; an aperture stop array including a plurality of aperture stops; a lens array including a plurality of lenses which are disposed corresponding to the plurality of aperture stops respectively, and focus the light transmitted through the plurality of aperture stops respectively; a deflecting unit deflecting a travelling direction of the focused light respectively; a spatial light modulator that is illuminated by the deflected light, and modulates the illumination light; a detector that detects an observer; and a controller that calculates a position of a pupil of the observer based on a detection result by the detector, calculates a relative position of the display device and the pupil of the observer based on the calculation result, and controls an aperture amount of the plurality of aperture stops and a deflecting amount of the deflecting unit based on this calculation result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Tatsuo Itoh
  • Patent number: 8416363
    Abstract: It is aimed to provide an LCD backlight device and liquid crystal display that can suppress light quantity loss and ensure uniform brightness. An LCD backlight device 101 has a laser light source 1 that emits laser light, and a light guiding plate 3 that transforms the laser light from the laser light source 1 into linear laser light, and transforms the linear laser light into a planar laser light, and emits the planar laser light, and the light guiding plate 3 has a third side face 6 that transforms the linear laser light into the planar laser light by reflecting the linear laser light by a plurality of reflection surfaces that are formed along the entrance direction of the linear laser light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Shikii, Tetsuro Mizushima, Tatsuo Itoh, Akira Kurozuka, Takayuki Nagata, Kazuhisa Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8416033
    Abstract: A compact multi-band hybrid ring (rat-race) coupler utilizing a ring of composite right-handed and left-handed (CRLH) transmission lines (TLs) and multiple ports, provides miniaturization and the ability to operate at arbitrary frequency bands unlike conventional couplers. The hybrid ring is made compact, such as by constraining phase delay contributions |?1|, |?2|?270°. The coupler can be used in many applications, for example as a mode decoupling network in a dual-band front-end MIMO system. The inclusion of a CRLH delay line is also described which alters the phase relationship of the signals and is particularly well suited for extending pattern diversity in response to frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Tatsuo Itoh, Pei-Ling Chi, Cheng-Jung Lee
  • Patent number: 8405469
    Abstract: High-frequency couplers and coupling techniques are described utilizing artificial composite right/left-handed transmission line (CRLH-TL). Three specific forms of couplers are described; (1) a coupled-line backward coupler is described with arbitrary tight/loose coupling and broad bandwidth; (2) a compact enhanced-bandwidth hybrid ring coupler is described with increased bandwidth and decreased size; and (3) a dual-band branch-line coupler that is not limited to a harmonic relation between the bands. These variations are preferably implemented in a microstrip fabrication process and may use lumped-element components. The couplers and coupling techniques are directed at increasing the utility while decreasing the size of high-frequency couplers, and are suitable for use with separate coupler or couplers integrated within integrated devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Tatsuo Itoh, Christophe Caloz, I-Hsiang Lin, Hiroshi Okabe
  • Patent number: 8405470
    Abstract: A diplexing apparatus and method which utilizes composite right/left-handed (CRLH) phase-advance/delay lines combined with a coupler. By engineering CRLH-based transmission lines with desired phase responses at two arbitrary frequencies of interest, the connected CRLH delay line and/or CRLH coupler are excited in a manner such that signals at designated frequencies are separated to the corresponding output ports of the hybrid coupler. Benefits of the apparatus include elimination of design complexities such as optimization of the interconnection junctions and the harmonic spurious suppression involved in conventional filter-based diplexers. In addition, channel isolation is beneficially achieved from the isolation property of directional couplers. Measured insertion loss on the implementations was found to be less than 1 dB, with isolation greater than 20 dB in the dual bands. A high level of agreement was observed between simulated and measured results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: The Regents of The University of California
    Inventors: Tatsuo Itoh, Pei-Ling Chi
  • Patent number: 8403490
    Abstract: A beam scanning-type display device used as a head-mounted display (HMD) or a head-up display (HUD) includes a light source which emits a beam, a scanning unit which performs scanning using the beam emitted from the light source, a deflecting unit which deflects the beam used for the scanning by the scanning unit in the direction toward an eye of a user, and a wavefront shape changing unit which changes the wavefront shape of the beam from the light source so that the beam spot size falls within the predetermined allowable range, and emits the beam to the wavefront shape changing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Sugiyama, Kakuya Yamamoto, Kenichi Kasazumi, Tatsuo Itoh, Akira Kurozuka
  • Patent number: 8398242
    Abstract: A display apparatus that displays an image on a retina of a user, the display apparatus comprising: an image output unit (100) which includes a light source (101, 110), a wavefront shape change unit (102, 109), and a scan unit (103, 108) and is configured to output display light for displaying the image; and a deflection unit (104, 107) configured to deflect, toward an eye of the user, the display light outputted by the image output unit (100). The deflection unit (104, 107) has a deflection characteristic of suppressing image distortion caused by a change in relative position of the deflection unit (104, 107) with respect to a pupil of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kakuya Yamamoto, Kenichi Kasazumi, Tatsuo Itoh, Akira Kurozuka, Keiji Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 8390765
    Abstract: A wavelength selection substrate 23 is configured with a wavelength selection section 23R which transmits only red laser light and reflects other light components, a wavelength selection section 23G which transmits only a green laser light and reflects other light components, and a wavelength selection section 23B which transmits only a blue laser light and reflects other light components. Of laser light 12 outputted from a light guide plate 14, a laser light component that corresponds to a color passing through one of the wavelength selection sections passes through the wavelength selection substrate 23 and enters a liquid crystal panel 22, whereas a laser light component that does not correspond to the color is reflected from the wavelength selection substrate 23 and returns the light guide plate 14. The laser light having returned the light guide plate 14 is reflected from the reflection plate 21 and again enters the wavelength selection substrate 23.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Shikii, Takayuki Nagata, Tatsuo Itoh, Kazuhisa Yamamoto, Shinichi Kadowaki
  • Patent number: 8382296
    Abstract: An information processor includes a housing, a projector attached to the housing, and a screen attached to the housing, wherein the projector projects light onto the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuo Itoh, Tetsuro Mizushima, Kenji Nakayama, Tomoya Sugita, Hiroyuki Furuya, Shinichi Kadowaki, Yoshitaka Kitaoka, Kazumi Ohtsubo, Hirofumi Enomoto, Yuichi Hatase
  • Patent number: 8379172
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device has: a light source, a light guide plate for causing light from the light source to enter from a side surface of the light guide plate and exit as illuminating light from one principal surface thereof; a liquid crystal panel which includes a reflective color filter having wavelength selectivity in transmittance and reflectance and a polarizing plate disposed on a side that is closer to the light guide plate than the reflective color filter, and which is disposed on a light path of the illuminating light; and a recycle part for reflecting the illuminating light that has been reflected by the reflective color filter toward the reflective color filter once again, wherein the light from the light source is configured to enter the light guide plate as approximately linear polarization, and the polarizing plate of the liquid crystal panel is configured so exhibit transmittance of 90% or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Nagata, Hiroyuki Furuya, Tatsuo Itoh
  • Patent number: 8351108
    Abstract: A wavelength conversion laser has: an exciting LD1, a solid state laser including a resonator, and a wavelength conversion element 7 disposed in the resonator. The solid state laser includes a first laser medium and a second laser medium as at least two types of laser media, and is configured to oscillate the solid state laser beams of the first emission wavelength and the second emission wavelength in the resonator as a result of the excitation light entering a region 3 configured from the first laser medium, thereafter entering a region 4 configured from the second laser medium, and subsequently entering a region 5 configured from the first laser medium. The wavelength conversion element 7 simultaneously generates a second harmonic and a sum frequency of the first emission wavelength and the second emission wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuro Mizushima, Tatsuo Itoh, Kenji Nakayama, Koichi Kusukame, Tomoya Sugita
  • Patent number: 8350789
    Abstract: A 2D image display apparatus using a laser light source. By controlling the timing of a scan by a beam scan portion in response to the characteristic of a laser light source and by setting a light emitting time of the laser light source to an integral multiple of a scan cycle of the beam scan portion, it is possible to illuminate a spatial light modulator homogeneously with a laser beam. It is thus possible to display an image at high accuracy without causing a bright line, irregularities in brightness, and contrast deterioration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Furuya, Kiminori Mizuuchi, Toshifumi Yokoyama, Tatsuo Itoh, Akira Kurozuka, Kazuhisa Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8325406
    Abstract: Provided is a planar lighting apparatus performing a display (i) without luminance nonuniformity, (ii) with a specified luminance distribution in a scanning direction and (iii) having a high luminance and a large area. Also provided is a liquid crystal display device using the planar lighting apparatus. In the plan lighting apparatus, a scanning light quantity of a scanning light 13 to a light guide section 15 is controlled by a controller 20, so at to emit an outgoing light 16 from a principal surface 17 with a specified luminance distribution in a scanning direction 21 of the scanning light 13.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Nagata, Tatsuo Itoh, Kazuhisa Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8317338
    Abstract: An image display apparatus and method constantly maintain a desired image formation state on a retina. The apparatus includes a laser light source for emitting laser light, a focus position adjustment section for adjusting a focus position of the laser light, and a scanning section for scanning an area by using the adjusted laser light as scanning light. The apparatus also includes a light deflection section for leading the scanning light to a user's cornea, a light detection section having an optically conjugate relation with the cornea surface through the light deflection section, for detecting a part the scanning light reflected on the cornea surface and generating a detection signal, and a control section. The control section controls the focus position adjustment section to adjust the focus position of the laser light such that the detection signal agrees with an initial setting signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuo Itoh, Kenichi Kasazumi
  • Patent number: 8317386
    Abstract: A planar illumination device includes an optical element outputting a diffusing light from a laser light source into an incident edge surface of a light guide plate. The optical element provides an output substantially parallel to a thickness direction of the light guide plate. A light deflecting unit, including a plurality of deflectors, is provided on a principal surface of the light guide plate for deflecting incident laser light towards an output surface of the light guide. The light deflecting unit is arranged such that a degree of deflection of the light incident on the light guide plate differs according to positions in the light guide plate, to make an amount of light outputted from the output surface uniform across such output surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Nagata, Shinichi Kadowaki, Kazuhisa Yamamoto, Tatsuo Itoh
  • Publication number: 20120280956
    Abstract: A display apparatus that displays an image on a retina of a user, the display apparatus comprising: an image output unit (100) which includes a light source (101, 110), a wavefront shape change unit (102, 109), and a scan unit (103, 108) and is configured to output display light for displaying the image; and a deflection unit (104, 107) configured to deflect, toward an eye of the user, the display light outputted by the image output unit (100). The deflection unit (104, 107) has a deflection characteristic of suppressing image distortion caused by a change in relative position of the deflection unit (104, 107) with respect to a pupil of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Inventors: Kakuya YAMAMOTO, Kenichi Kasazumi, Tatsuo Itoh, Akira Kurozuka, Keiji Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 8300291
    Abstract: An optical scanning device includes at least one laser light source for emitting a laser light; a deflection section for deflecting and scanning the laser light emitted from the at least one laser light source; and a light guide plate of which a side surface is irradiated with the laser light deflected and scanned by the deflection section. The at least one laser light source includes a multi-mode fiber light source, or a broad-stripe semiconductor laser light source arranged such that a vertical direction of a stripe structure is parallel to a scanning direction. An exit pupil in a thickness direction, which is perpendicular to the scanning direction, is formed at least in one area on the side surface of the light guide plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Shikii, Tatsuo Itoh, Kazuhisa Yamamoto, Shinichi Kadowaki
  • Patent number: 8287131
    Abstract: A wavelength conversion laser is provided with a solid-state laser having a cavity, and a wavelength converting element arranged within the cavity. The solid-state laser includes two or more types of laser crystals and oscillates solid-state laser light of multiple wavelengths. The wavelength converting element converts the solid-state laser light of multiple wavelengths into light of second harmonic waves and sum-frequency wave of multiple wavelengths and simultaneously generates the second harmonic waves and sum-frequency wave of multiple wavelengths. The wavelength conversion laser outputs converted wavelength light having a broad spectral width and low coherency, thereby enabling it to carry out highly efficient and stable high-output oscillation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuro Mizushima, Toshifumi Yokoyama, Tatsuo Itoh, Kenji Nakayama, Kiminori Mizuuchi, Kazuhisa Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20120250306
    Abstract: A transmissive display device includes: a light source which outputs light; a display part which receives the light from the light source and generates display light representing an image; a deflecting element which changes a direction of the display light emitted from the display part; and a transmissive reflector which reflects, towards a user, light of a wavelength included in the display light emitted from the display part, and transmits light of other wavelengths. An angle formed by a straight line, which extends between an upper edge of an incident area of the display light on the transmissive reflector and a lower portion of an eyebox which is defined as a visible range of the reflected light from the transmissive reflector, with respect to a horizontal line is smaller than a difference between an emission angle and an incident angle of the display light at the transmissive reflector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Inventors: Keiji Sugiyama, Kenichi Kasazumi, Kakuya Yamamoto, Akira Kurozuka, Tatsuo Itoh, Shinichi Shikii
  • Publication number: 20120236212
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an optical multiplexing apparatus and a projector that keep an optical system small, and easily adjust a number of light source units. The optical multiplexing apparatus has: a light source section that uses light source units to emit collimated beams; a first lens portion that converges the collimated beams which enter at different incident angles from each other to define converging positions; and a second lens portion that has focal points that correspond to the converging positions, respectively, wherein the first and second lens portions form an optical reduction system, and an optical axis of the second lens portion, which is directed to the corresponding focal point to one of the converging positions, extends along anther optical axis of the second lens position, which is directed to the corresponding focal point to another of the converging positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Inventors: Tatsuo Itoh, Tetsuro Mizushima