Patents by Inventor Tokihiko Shinomiya

Tokihiko Shinomiya 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: 6400429
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes: a pair of substrates; polymer walls; and a display medium interposed between the pair of substrates, including a liquid crystal region partially provided with or completely surrounded by the polymer walls. The liquid crystal region includes a liquid crystal material having a helical pitch, the helical pitch being either unchanged or reduced upon rise in temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kohichi Fujimori, Tokihiko Shinomiya, Shuichi Kozaki
  • Patent number: 6304306
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes substrates opposed to each other, a polymeric layer patterned into a predetermined pattern, and a liquid crystal layer at least partially surrounded by the polymeric layer. The polymeric layer and the liquid crystal layer are interposed between the substrates. The polymeric layer is at least partially formed by polymerizing a liquid crystalline polymerization precursor in a state where the molecules of the liquid crystalline polymerization precursor are aligned in a predetermined direction by an alignment regulating force of at least one of the substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Shiomi, Shinji Yamagishi, Tokihiko Shinomiya, Shuichi Kozaki, Kohichi Fujimori
  • Patent number: 6262408
    Abstract: A two-dimensional image detector of the present invention includes: an active matrix substrate equipped with charge storage capacitors and TFTs; and an opposing substrate equipped with a semiconductor substrate. The two-dimensional image detector is formed by adhering the active matrix substrate and the opposing substrate to each other with an anisotropic conductive adhesive agent. With this structure, since a semiconductor layer is not required to be deposited on the active matrix substrate where the TFTs are already formed, it is possible to use CdTe, CdZnTe, etc. The use of CdTe, CdZnTe, etc. as a material of the semiconductor layer having photoconductivity allows the two-dimensional image detector to show good response and to deal with the dynamic images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Izumi, Osamu Teranuma, Tokihiko Shinomiya, Toshiyuki Sato, Satoshi Tokuda
  • Patent number: 6256004
    Abstract: A large-area liquid crystal display device of the present invention is fabricated by arranging liquid crystal panels to form a plane surface and connecting the panels at their edges parallel to a first direction corresponding to an up-and-down direction of a displayed image to be obtained. Each liquid crystal panel has pixels which are arranged in a matrix form and include color filters and pixel electrodes arranged in the first direction to correspond to the color filters, scanning lines arranged in the first direction, and signal lines arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction. When driving the liquid crystal display device, the arrangement of image data for performing line sequential scanning in the first direction is changed into an arrangement for performing line sequential scanning in the second direction using a memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Izumi, Tokihiko Shinomiya, Manabu Matsuura
  • Patent number: 6242746
    Abstract: In a two-dimensional image detecting device, an active-matrix substrate which is provided with an electrical charge storage capacity and TFT(thin-film transistor) and an opposing substrate which is provided with a semiconductive substrate are bonded to each other by using connecting members with conductivity and bonding property that are patterned in accordance with pixel electrodes of the electrical charge storage capacity. With this arrangement, it is not necessary to form a semiconductive layer onto the active-matrix substrate, the TFT having been already formed on the active-matrix substrate; thus, it is possible to form the semiconductive substrate of the opposing substrate that is made of a material selected from the group consisting of CdTe and CdZnTe, etc. Consequently, the two-dimensional image detecting device is superior in response and is capable of dealing with moving image as well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Osamu Teranuma, Yoshihiro Izumi, Akiyoshi Fujii, Tokihiko Shinomiya
  • Patent number: 6133972
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes: a pair of substrates; polymer walls; and a display medium interposed between the pair of substrates, including a liquid crystal region partially provided with or completely surrounded by the polymer walls. The liquid crystal region includes a liquid crystal material having a helical pitch, the helical pitch being either unchanged or reduced upon rise in temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kohichi Fujimori, Tokihiko Shinomiya, Shuichi Kozaki
  • Patent number: 5956112
    Abstract: This invention provides a liquid crystal display device including a display medium layer containing at least a liquid crystal material sandwiched between a pair of substrates. In this liquid crystal display device, at least one of the pair of substrates is a plastic substrate having first irregularities on a surface facing the display medium layer, and a polymer wall of a photocurable resin is formed in the display medium layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kohichi Fujimori, Tokihiko Shinomiya, Shuichi Kohzaki, Yutaka Ishii
  • Patent number: 5956108
    Abstract: Liquid crystal panels are connected to one another with at least one thermoplastic bonding agent. The thermoplastic bonding agent has the same refractive index as the refractive index of two glass substrates respectively serving as a TFT substrate and a CF substrate forming each liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal panels are heat-pressed to a reinforced substrate through the thermoplastic bonding film which is made of, for example, a thermoplastic polymer. According to this arrangement, the thermoplastic bonding film does not lose its volume when the liquid crystal panels are heat-pressed to the reinforced substrate. Thus, unlike a conventional method where the CF substrate forming the liquid crystal panel is pulled toward the reinforced substrate side, a uniform cell gap can be secured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Izumi, Tokihiko Shinomiya
  • Patent number: 5905559
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus has a junction panel obtained by joining a plurality of liquid crystal display panels so that display surfaces of the liquid crystal display panels become flush. The liquid crystal display panels each have picture elements for displaying images by transmitting and shielding a transmitting light, a black matrix for shielding a light which enters a position where the picture elements do not exist and a zonal sealing member for sealing liquid crystal into each picture element. A width of the sealing member on the junction surface where the liquid crystal display panels are joined is set so as to be narrower than a width of the black matrix. Joints of displayed images on a border of the liquid crystal display panels of the junction panel can be made inconspicuous, and quality of displayed images on the junction panel which is a big screen can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1999
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Sayuri Fujiwara, Yoshihiro Izumi, Tokihiko Shinomiya, Kenji Majima
  • Patent number: 5870162
    Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid crystal display device which includes a pair of substrates interposing a display medium including a polymer and liquid crystal therebetween and transparent-electrode portions formed on at least one of the pair of substrates, the transparent-electrode portions not easily transmitting light within a certain wavelength range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Fujimori, Tokihiko Shinomiya
  • Patent number: 5852487
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus having an input function includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and a third substrate; a display medium provided between the first substrate and the second substrate; a first electrode provided between the first substrate and the display medium; a second electrode provided between the second substrate and the display medium; spacers for supporting the second substrate and the third substrate with respect to each other; and at least two electrodes provided between the second substrate and the third substrate. The display medium includes a polymer projection and a liquid crystal region at least partially surrounded by the polymer projection, and the first, second and third substrates are each formed of a polymer material, at least one of the first, second and third substrates has a polarizing function, and at least one of the first, second and third substrates has a phase contrasting function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kohichi Fujimori, Tokihiko Shinomiya, Ippei Inou, Shuichi Kozaki
  • Patent number: 5838405
    Abstract: A display device provided with a set of display panels aligned adjacently to each other placed between a large-scaled substrate and a flexible coat layer opposing each other, and the space between the display panels and the space between each display panel and the large-scaled substrate and flexible coat layer are filled with an adhesive agent. The adhesive agent bonds each display panel to another, and also the set of display panels and the large-scaled substrate and coat layer. A force acting on each display panel caused by volumetric shrinkage of the adhesive agent as it sets is absorbed by the flexible coat layer, and thus the cell gap in each display panel remains intact. As a result, a display device with a large-scaled screen of a multi-display method which can eliminate inconsistencies in color and make the connections of the display panels less noticeable can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Izumi, Tokihiko Shinomiya
  • Patent number: 5831703
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a pair of substrates provided with a plurality of pixels and a liquid crystal region formed of liquid crystal as a display medium, the liquid crystal region being interposed between the pair of substrates. A photosensitive film having birefringence is provided on at least one face on the liquid crystal region side of the substrates so as to surround at least one pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Nishiguchi, Tokihiko Shinomiya
  • Patent number: 5812226
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display comprising a plurality of liquid crystal panels placed on a single plane of a large substrate, and a black matrix made of a photo-absorbing film that shows black when having absorbed light. Two polarizing plates are respectively placed to cover the front and rear surface of a set of liquid crystal panels almost entirely in such a manner that their polarizing axes intersect at right angles. The resulting multi-screen liquid crystal display consumes less power, retains excellent display quality, and makes the joints between the liquid crystal panels difficult to see.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Izumi, Sayuri Fujiwara, Tokihiko Shinomiya
  • Patent number: 5808719
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus has a junction panel obtained by joining a plurality of liquid crystal display panels so that display surfaces of the liquid crystal display panels become flush. The liquid crystal display panels each have picture elements for displaying images by transmitting and shielding a transmitting light, a black matrix for shielding a light which enters a position where the picture elements do not exist and a zonal sealing member for sealing liquid crystal into each picture element. A width of the sealing member on the junction surface where the liquid crystal display panels are joined is set so as to be narrower than a width of the black matrix. Joints of displayed images on a border of the liquid crystal display panels of the junction panel can be made inconspicuous, and quality of displayed images on the junction panel which is a big screen can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Sayuri Fujiwara, Yoshihiro Izumi, Tokihiko Shinomiya, Kenji Majima
  • Patent number: 5784137
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes substrates opposed to each other, a polymeric layer patterned into a predetermined pattern, and a liquid crystal layer at least partially surrounded by the polymeric layer. The polymeric layer and the liquid crystal layer are interposed between the substrates. The polymeric layer is at least partially formed by polymerizing a liquid crystalline polymerization precursor in a state where the molecules of the liquid crystalline polymerization precursor are aligned in a predetermined direction by an alignment regulating force of at least one of the substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Shiomi, Shinji Yamagishi, Tokihiko Shinomiya, Shuichi Kozaki, Kohichi Fujimori
  • Patent number: 5784134
    Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid crystal display device which includes a pair of substrates interposing a display medium including a polymer and liquid crystal therebetween and transparent-electrode portions formed on at least one of the pair of substrates, the transparent-electrode portions not easily transmitting light within a certain wavelength range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Fujimori, Tokihiko Shinomiya
  • Patent number: 5781259
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus comprising a pair of transparent substrates which consists of a driving side substrate and an opposite side substrate; transparent pixels formed in matrix on said driving side substrate; a first orientation film formed on said pixels; a transparent electrode formed on said opposite side substrate; a shielding layer provided at least on the periphery of each of said transparent pixels and at either between said driving side substrate and said transparent pixels or between said transparent pixels and said orientation film; said pair of transparent substrates being located opposite to each other to form a cell in which a mixture comprising a liquid crystal, a photosetting polymer precursor and its polymerization initiator is put and irradiated with a light outside said cell thereby curing said photosetting polymer precursor selectively at a region free from said transparent pixels and enrich the resulting cured resin at said region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tokihiko Shinomiya, Kohichi Fujimori, Tomoaki Kuratate
  • Patent number: 5771084
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes: a pair of substrates at least one of which is transparent; a liquid crystal layer interposed between the substrates and including a plurality of liquid crystal regions substantially surrounded by polymer walls; a sealing agent surrounding a periphery of the liquid crystal layer except for a portion where an injection hole is formed to seal the liquid crystal layer and secure the substrates together; and a sealant for sealing the injection hole, wherein the polymer walls include an ultraviolet light curable resin, and the sealant includes a visible light curable resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kohichi Fujimori, Tokihiko Shinomiya, Shinji Yamagishi, Shuichi Kozaki
  • Patent number: 5729312
    Abstract: The liquid crystal display device of the invention includes; a pair of substrates disposed so as to be opposed to each other; and a display medium interposed between the pair of substrates, the display medium having liquid crystal regions comprising one or a plurality of pixels, and the liquid crystal regions being surrounded by polymer walls, wherein a number of substrate gap control materials which are disposed in a gap between the pair of substrates is larger in the polymer walls rather than in the liquid crystal regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Yamagishi, Tokihiko Shinomiya, Kohichi Fujimori, Kenji Nishiguchi