Patents by Inventor Toshihiko Sakai

Toshihiko Sakai 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: 20190044018
    Abstract: A photovoltaic device and a photovoltaic module are provided that suppressing diffusion of boron and thereby improving conversion efficiency. A photovoltaic device 10 includes: a semiconductor substrate 1; an intrinsic amorphous semiconductor layer 3 provided on the semiconductor substrate 1; n-type amorphous semiconductor strips 4 containing phosphorus as a dopant; and p-type amorphous semiconductor strips 5 containing boron as a dopant, the n- and p-type amorphous semiconductor strips 4 and 5 being provided alternately on the intrinsic amorphous semiconductor layer 3 as viewed along an in-plane direction. Each n-type amorphous semiconductor strip 4 includes a reduced-thickness region TD(n) on a face thereof adjacent to one of the p-type amorphous semiconductor strips 5. Each p-type amorphous semiconductor strip 5 includes a reduced-thickness region TD(p) on a face thereof adjacent to one of the n-type amorphous semiconductor strips 4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tokuaki KUNIYOSHI, Kenichi HIGASHI, Takeshi KAMIKAWA, Masatomi HARADA, Toshihiko SAKAI, Kazuya TSUJINO, Liumin ZOU
  • Patent number: 10132464
    Abstract: A light output apparatus includes a light source that emits light shoving different light orientation distributions in a first direction and a second direction and having a high optical intensity area larger in the first direction than in the second direction, a collimator lens that parallelizes the light emitted from the light source, and a Powell lens that spreads the parallelized light from the collimator lens in the first direction, maintains the parallelized direction provided by the collimator lens in the second direction, and outputs the resultant light along a third direction that is perpendicular to the first and second directions and serves as a central axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko Sakai, Noriyuki Hirano
  • Publication number: 20180190840
    Abstract: In a photovoltaic device (1), first amorphous semiconductor portions (102n) and second amorphous semiconductor portions (102p) are provided alternately on one of faces of a semiconductor substrate (101). Each first amorphous semiconductor portion (102n) has at least one first amorphous semiconductor strip (1020n), and each second amorphous semiconductor portion (102p) has at least one second amorphous semiconductor strip (1020p). A plurality of first electrodes (103n) are provided spaced apart from each other on each first amorphous semiconductor strip (1020n), and a plurality of second electrodes (103p) are provided spaced apart from each other on each second amorphous semiconductor strip (1020p).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: MASATOMI HARADA, KENICHI HIGASHI, TAKESHI KAMIKAWA, TOSHIHIKO SAKAI, TOKUAKI KUNIYOSHI, KAZUYA TSUJINO, LIUMIN ZOU
  • Publication number: 20180161808
    Abstract: A film-forming method for forming a thin film on a substrate includes a contact step, an external force removal step, and a film-forming step. At the contact step (step B), the substrate 30 and a member 31 in contact with one surface of the substrate is stacked, and the substrate 30 and the member 31 in contact with one surface of the substrate are placed under vacuum while an external force is applied in a direction in which the substrate 30 and the member 31 in contact with one surface of the substrate are stacked. At the external force removal step (step C), the external force is removed at atmospheric pressure or under vacuum. At a film-forming step (step E), a thin film is formed on the one surface or the other surface of the substrate 30.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Inventors: TOSHIHIKO SAKAI, TAKESHI KAMIKAWA, MASATOMI HARADA, TOKUAKI KUNIYOSHI, LIUMIN ZOU
  • Publication number: 20180138323
    Abstract: A photovoltaic device (1) includes: an i-type amorphous semiconductor layer (102i) formed in contact with one of the surfaces of a semiconductor substrate (101); p-type amorphous semiconductor strips (102p) spaced apart from each other and provided on the i-type amorphous semiconductor layer (102i); and n-type amorphous semiconductor strips (102n) spaced apart from each other and provided on the i amorphous semiconductor layer (102i), each n-type amorphous semiconductor strip (102n) being adjacent to at least one of the p-type amorphous semiconductor strips (102p) as traced along an in-plane direction of the semiconductor substrate (101). The photovoltaic device (1) further includes electrodes (103) as a protection layer formed in contact with the i-type amorphous semiconductor layer (102) between adjacent p-type amorphous semiconductor strips (102) and between adjacent n-type amorphous semiconductor strips (102n).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventors: MASATOMI HARADA, KENICHI HIGASHI, TAKESHI KAMIKAWA, TOSHIHIKO SAKAI, TOKUAKI KUNIYOSHI, KAZUYA TSUJINO, LIUMIN ZOU
  • Publication number: 20180069139
    Abstract: A photovoltaic device includes: a semiconductor substrate stretching in a first direction and a second direction that intersects the first direction; and a first amorphous semiconductor film and a second amorphous semiconductor film both provided on the semiconductor substrate. The second amorphous semiconductor film has a differ conductivity type from the first amorphous semiconductor The first amorphous semiconductor film and the second amorphous semiconductor film are divided into a plurality of sections in the first direction and the second direction. Therefore, the photovoltaic device has an improved heat resistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Inventors: TERUAKI HIGO, CHIKAO OKAMOTO, NAOKI ASANO, MASAMICHI KOBAYASHI, NATSUKO FUJIWARA, RIHITO SUGANUMA, TOSHIHIKO SAKAI, KAZUYA TSUJINO, LIUMIN ZOU
  • Publication number: 20170338365
    Abstract: n-type amorphous semiconductor layers (4) and p-type amorphous semiconductor layers (5) are alternately disposed on the back surface of a semiconductor substrate (1) so as to be separated from each other at a desired interval paralleled with the direction of the surface of the semiconductor substrate (1). An electrode (6) is disposed on the n-type amorphous semiconductor layer (4), and an electrode (7) is disposed on the p-type amorphous semiconductor layer (5). A protective film (8) includes an insulating film, and is disposed on a passivation film (3), the n-type amorphous semiconductor layer (4), the p-type amorphous semiconductor layer (5), and the electrodes (6, 7), so as to be in contact with the passivation film (3), the n-type amorphous semiconductor layer (4), the p-type amorphous semiconductor layer (5), and the electrodes (6, 7).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: TAKESHI KAMIKAWA, MASATOMI HARADA, TOSHIHIKO SAKAI, TOKUAKI KUNIYOSHI, LIUMIN ZOU
  • Publication number: 20170237311
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to reduce an inductance of a power circuit, reduce a switching loss and a noise level and improve a voltage-use ratio of a battery power in a redundant-type electronic control device. An electronic control device that controls a motor has power modules 11a, 11b to drive the motor. Power terminals 32pua, 32pva and 32pwa of the power module 11a are arranged in positions that are close to and face power terminals 32nub, 32nvb and 32nwb of the power module 11b, which are opposite to the power terminals 32pua, 32pva and 32pwa of the power module 11a in polarity. Power terminals 32nua, 32nva and 32nwa drawn from a longitudinal end portion 311 of the power module 11a are arranged in positions that are close to and face power terminals 32pub, 32pvb and 32pwb drawn from a longitudinal end portion 311 of the power module 11b which are opposite to the power terminals 32nua, 32nva and 32nwa of the power module 11a in polarity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshihiko SAKAI, Takuro KANAZAWA, Ryoichi KOBAYASHI
  • Patent number: 9703184
    Abstract: A dimmer includes a pair of pivoting sections provided across an optical axis of a light beam and having pivot axes and a pair of light blocking sections held by the pair of pivoting sections and configured to pivot following pivoting of the pivoting sections to block the light beam. In a maximum light blocking state, positions in the optical axis direction of opposed ends on the optical axis side of the pair of light blocking sections are different from each other. In the maximum light blocking state, the opposed ends on the optical axis side of the pair of light blocking sections are arranged to overlap each other in a direction along the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenshi Sakai, Toshihiko Nagumo, Toshihiko Sakai, Nobuyuki Otsuki, Takuro Onota
  • Patent number: 9696614
    Abstract: A projection optical system includes: a plurality of lenses; a lens frame that holds at least one lens of the plurality of lenses; a first diaphragm provided on the light incident side of the lens frame; and a second diaphragm provided on the light exiting side of the lens frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshihiko Sakai
  • Publication number: 20170033252
    Abstract: Provided is a photoelectric conversion device capable of suppressing diffusion of a dopant in a p layer or n layer into an adjacent layer. A photoelectric conversion device is provided with a silicon substrate, a substantially intrinsic amorphous layer formed on one surface of the silicon substrate, and a first conductive amorphous layer that is formed on the intrinsic amorphous layer. The first conductive amorphous layer includes a first concentration layer and a second concentration layer that is stacked on the first concentration layer. The dopant concentration of the second concentration layer is 8×1017 cm?3 or more, and is lower than the dopant concentration of the first concentration layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2015
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Inventors: Masatomi HARADA, Toshihiko SAKAI, Rihito SUGANUMA, Kazuya TSUJINO, Tokuaki KUNIYOSHI, Takeshi KAMIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20160268462
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion element 100 includes an n-type monocrystalline silicon substrate 1, an non-crystalline thin film 2, i-type non-crystalline thin films 11 to 1m and 21 to 2m?1, p-type non-crystalline thin films 31 to 3m, and n-type non-crystalline thin films 41 to 4m?1. The non-crystalline thin film 2 is configured of non-crystalline thin films 201 and 202 and is disposed in contact with the surface on the light incident side of the n-type monocrystalline silicon substrate 1. The non-crystalline thin film 201 is configured of a-Si, and the non-crystalline thin film 202 is configured of a-SiNx (0.78?x?1.03). The i-type non-crystalline thin films 11 to 1m and 21 to 2m?1 are disposed in contact with the rear surface of the n-type monocrystalline silicon substrate 1. The p-type non-crystalline thin films 31 to 3m are disposed in contact with the i-type non-crystalline thin films 11 to 1m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: Kenji KIMOTO, Naoki KOIDE, Toshihiko SAKAI, Tokuaki KUNIYOSHI
  • Publication number: 20160163898
    Abstract: A photovoltaic device is provided that prevents a short circuit in an p-n junction even if the distance between the electrodes on the n-type semiconductor strips and the electrodes on the p-type semiconductor strips is reduced. A photovoltaic device includes n-type amorphous semiconductor strips 102 and p-type amorphous semiconductor strips 102p provided on the back face of a semiconductor substrate 101. Separate electrodes 103 spaced apart from each other are provided on each semiconductor strip of at least one of the group of n-type amorphous semiconductor strips 102n and the group of p-type amorphous semiconductor strips 102p. A conductive part 302 is provided on the surfaces of the electrodes 103 and electrically connects the electrodes 103.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventors: Masatomi HARADA, Takeshi KAMIKAWA, Toshihiko SAKAI, Tokuaki KUNIYOSHI, Liumin ZOU
  • Patent number: 9262911
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus (1) includes a processing execution unit (19) that, if a positional-relationship specification unit (18) detects that a positional relationship between an electronic device (2) and the own apparatus is held continuously for a predetermined time or longer, references a processing specification table (17), specifies processing, and executes the specified processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshihiko Sakai, Yasuhiro Harada, Noboru Iwata, Hideharu Tajima
  • Publication number: 20160025954
    Abstract: A projection optical system includes: a plurality of lenses; a lens frame that holds at least one lens of the plurality of lenses; a first diaphragm provided on the light incident side of the lens frame; and a second diaphragm provided on the light exiting side of the lens frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventor: Toshihiko SAKAI
  • Publication number: 20160019926
    Abstract: The reliability of a super-resolution optical information recording medium whose capacity can be increased is increased. On an optical information recording medium (11) according to the present invention, a content is recorded as a pit group formed such that an average length Tm [nm] of a minimum mark length and a minimum space length becomes shorter than an optical system resolution limit, and reading speed information designating a reading speed in a range from 2×(4.92×Tm/149) [m/s] to less than (10000/60)×2×?×(24/1000) [m/s] is recorded as a reading speed for reproducing the content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2015
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Hideharu TAJIMA, Atsushi ETOH, Go MORI, Masaki YAMAMOTO, Tetsuya HAYASHI, Toshihiko SAKAI, Hirohisa YAMADA, Takayuki NAKA
  • Patent number: 9236507
    Abstract: The photoelectric conversion element includes a semiconductor substrate, a first amorphous film of a first conductivity type disposed on an entire surface of one surface of the semiconductor substrate, a first conductive oxide layer disposed on the first amorphous film, a second amorphous film of the first conductivity type disposed on a part of the other surface of the semiconductor substrate, a second conductive oxide layer disposed on the second amorphous film, a third amorphous film of a second conductivity type disposed on the other part of the other surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a third conductive oxide layer disposed on the third amorphous film. Electric conductivity of the first conductive oxide layer is lower than electric conductivities of the second and the third conductive oxide layer. Transmittance of the first conductive oxide layer is higher than transmittances of the second and the third conductive oxide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiko Sakai, Kenji Kimoto, Naoki Koide, Yoshitaka Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9131230
    Abstract: A three-dimensional image output device of the present invention includes a display control section for, in a case where a plurality of three-dimensional effects are set for initial sub-image data for displaying a three-dimensional image to be displayed in the sub-window, supplying, to the display device, a plurality of sub-image data, which are the initial sub-image data for which the respective plurality of three-dimensional effects are set, so that a plurality of three-dimensional images which use the respective plurality of sub-image data are displayed on the display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiko Sakai, Takayuki Naka, Tetsuya Hayashi, Noboru Iwata, Takashi Arimoto, Hideharu Tajima
  • Publication number: 20150249169
    Abstract: The photoelectric conversion element includes a semiconductor substrate, a first amorphous film of a first conductivity type disposed on an entire surface of one surface of the semiconductor substrate, a first conductive oxide layer disposed on the first amorphous film, a second amorphous film of the first conductivity type disposed on a part of the other surface of the semiconductor substrate, a second conductive oxide layer disposed on the second amorphous film, a third amorphous film of a second conductivity type disposed on the other part of the other surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a third conductive oxide layer disposed on the third amorphous film. Electric conductivity of the first conductive oxide layer is lower than electric conductivities of the second and the third conductive oxide layer. Transmittance of the first conductive oxide layer is higher than transmittances of the second and the third conductive oxide layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Publication date: September 3, 2015
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiko Sakai, Kenji Kimoto, Naoki Koide, Yoshitaka Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9111553
    Abstract: The reliability of a super-resolution optical information recording medium whose capacity can be increased is increased. On an optical information recording medium (11) according to the present invention, a content is recorded as a pit group formed such that an average length Tm [nm] of a minimum mark length and a minimum space length becomes shorter than an optical system resolution limit, and reading speed information designating a reading speed in a range from 2×(4.92×Tm/149) [m/s] to less than (10000/60)×2×?×(24/1000) [m/s] is recorded as a reading speed for reproducing the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideharu Tajima, Atsushi Etoh, Go Mori, Masaki Yamamoto, Tetsuya Hayashi, Toshihiko Sakai, Hirohisa Yamada, Takayuki Naka