Patents by Inventor Toshihiro Ohba

Toshihiro Ohba 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: 20130027374
    Abstract: In a pixel circuit 100, a switching TFT 114, a driving TFT 110, and an organic EL element 130 are provided between a power supply wiring line Vp and a common cathode Vcom and a capacitor 121 and a switching TFT 111 are provided between a gate terminal of the driving TFT 110 and a data line Sj. A switching TFT 112 is provided between a connection point A between the capacitor 121 and the switching TFT 111 and a power supply wiring line Vr, a switching TFT 113 is provided between the gate and drain terminals of the driving TFT 110, and a capacitor 122 is provided between the gate terminal of the driving TFT 110 and the power supply wiring line Vr. Thus, a display device is provided that can freely set a period during which variations in the threshold voltage of a drive element are compensated for, and performs high-quality display by holding a control terminal potential of the drive element during light emission from an electro-optical element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventors: Seiji Ohhashi, Takahiro Senda, Toshihiro Ohba
  • Patent number: 8289246
    Abstract: In a pixel circuit 100, a switching TFT 114, a driving TFT 110, and an organic EL element 130 are provided between a power supply wiring line Vp and a common cathode Vcom and a capacitor 121 and a switching TFT 111 are provided between a gate terminal of the driving TFT 110 and a data line Sj. A switching TFT 112 is provided between a connection point A between the capacitor 121 and the switching TFT 111 and a power supply wiring line Vr, a switching TFT 113 is provided between the gate and drain terminals of the driving TFT 110, and a capacitor 122 is provided between the gate terminal of the driving TFT 110 and the power supply wiring line Vr. Thus, a display device is provided that can freely set a period during which variations in the threshold voltage of a drive element are compensated for, and performs high-quality display by holding a control terminal potential of the drive element during light emission from an electro-optical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Ohhashi, Takahiro Senda, Toshihiro Ohba
  • Publication number: 20100225623
    Abstract: In a pixel circuit 100, a switching TFT 114, a driving TFT 110, and an organic EL element 130 are provided between a power supply wiring line Vp and a common cathode Vcom and a capacitor 121 and a switching TFT 111 are provided between a gate terminal of the driving TFT 110 and a data line Sj. A switching TFT 112 is provided between a connection point A between the capacitor 121 and the switching TFT 111 and a power supply wiring line Vr, a switching TFT 113 is provided between the gate and drain terminals of the driving TFT 110, and a capacitor 122 is provided between the gate terminal of the driving TFT 110 and the power supply wiring line Vr. Thus, a display device is provided that can freely set a period during which variations in the threshold voltage of a drive element are compensated for, and performs high-quality display by holding a control terminal potential of the drive element during light emission from an electro-optical element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Inventors: Seiji Ohhashi, Takahiro Senda, Toshihiro Ohba
  • Patent number: 6127993
    Abstract: In a display device such as a thin-film EL display device, etc. formed with a dielectric layer disposed between a plurality of scanning side electrodes and a plurality of data side electrodes in the direction for them intersecting to each other, a modulation voltage, varied according to gradation display data is applied to the data side electrodes, and a positive or negative writing voltage is applied to the scanning side electrodes in a line order for a gradation display different in brightness. Binary coded signals corresponding to each gradation of a gradation display are used as the gradation display data. The logical value of the binary coded signal is inverted according to the polarity of the writing voltage. Thus, a common gradation display can be performed from one binary coded signal for both the negative driving that applies a negative writing voltage and the positive driving that applies a positive writing voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiro Ohba, Atsushi Sakamoto, Yoshiyuki Kokuhata, Hiroshi Kishishita, Hisashi Uede
  • Patent number: 5818411
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel having a plurality of scanning electrodes including first and second scanning electrodes, a plurality of signal electrodes including a first signal electrode, and a liquid crystal layer. A display is generated based on display data including first and second display data. The liquid crystal display device further includes a scanning electrode driver which outputs a scanning voltage to the first scanning electrode in a first scanning period and outputs a scanning voltage to the second scanning electrode in a second scanning period following the first scanning period. A signal electrode driver outputs a first voltage corresponding to the first display data to the first signal electrode in the first scanning period and outputs a second voltage corresponding to the second display data to the first signal electrode in the second scanning period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Sakamoto, Hiromasa Asada, Toshihiro Ohba
  • Patent number: 5786799
    Abstract: A driving method for a liquid crystal display is provided with the steps of (a) applying a row select voltage to each of the row electrodes simultaneously, the row select voltage corresponding to an element of an orthogonal matrix and being either +1 or -1 ; (b) conducting an exclusive-or operation with respect to each element of a row select vector and a display vector, the row select vector indicating the row select voltages by vector notation and the display vector indicating a display data by the vector notation, and conducting a summation of each exclusive-or operation; (c) applying to the column electrode a voltage of a level which varies depending on the summation so as to simultaneously drive the plurality of rows; and (d) in a case where all the display data correspond to ON display or OFF display in the step (c), assigning the row select voltage, applied to either the selected row electrode having the lowest select voltage among driving voltages within one frame period for the ON display or the sele
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyohisa Matsui, Norio Yasunishi, Hiromasa Asada, Koki Taniguchi, Toshihiro Ohba
  • Patent number: 5668945
    Abstract: A data security apparatus and method permits programmed data stored in a replaceable external storage medium to be processed by the data processor when it is determined that a security code is stored on the external storage medium and a replacement second external storage medium is available. The data can then be transferred under a controlled process without performing a security check on the second external storage medium. A hardware security apparatus can therefore be disabled to permit authorized game developers to test their games on an actual game system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Ohba, Toshinori Asai
  • Patent number: 5325107
    Abstract: A display device, such as thin film EL display device, is formed by interposing a dielectric layer between a plurality of scanning electrodes and a plurality of data electrodes which are arranged at right angles. Modulation voltage is varied in accordance to the display data, and is applied to the data electrodes. Further, a writing voltage is applied to the scanning electrodes in sequential line order, to thereby perform gradation display. Further, the writing voltage includes a ramp voltage, which varies with time. Thus, the peak of the current flowing through the luminescent layer of the picture element, as a current contributing to the luminescence, is suppressed to a low level. contributing to the luminescence, is suppressed to a low level. Accordingly, the energization period of the current is also elongated. Thus gradation display over multiple levels is made possible and a stable display of different gradation levels is enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1994
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ikuo Ogawa, Akio Inohara, Toshihiro Ohba, Hiroshi Kishishita, Hisashi Uede
  • Patent number: 5311169
    Abstract: This invention relates to gradation display by a pulse width control method (PWM method) in every pixel in a capacitive display apparatus such as a liquid crystal display apparatus. The driving voltage applied to the electrodes is varied slowly, and the number of gradations of gradation display by the PWM method is increased. Since the capacitive display apparatus is used, for each electrode further from the drive circuit, the driving pulse is more influenced and its persisting duration is extended. As a result, even in identical gradation data, uneven colors may occur. The pulse width applied to the electrodes is gradually decreased as scanning of the electrodes sequentially occurs. Therefore, the brightness of the capacitive display apparatus may be made uniform over the entire screen surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1994
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuji Inada, Ikuo Ogawa, Toshihiro Ohba, Hiroshi Kishishita, Hisashi Uede
  • Patent number: 5309150
    Abstract: In accordance with the invention, gradation display is performed for each picture element in capacitive display apparatuses such as EL display apparatus by means of pulse width modulation. In doing so, pulse duration of the voltage applied to one group of electrodes among the a plurality of electrodes arranged in matrix is so set as to span over two scanning periods, during which another group of electrodes which are grouped into pairs each of two adjacent lines are scanned successively. This reduces the number of drive voltage charge and discharge cycles. Consequently power consumption of the display apparatus of PWM system can be controlled to a low level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1994
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiro Ohba, Atsushi Sakamoto, Yoshiyuki Kokuhata, Hiroshi Kishishita, Hisashi Uede
  • Patent number: 5262766
    Abstract: A display unit includes a thin film EL display panel, a scanning side switching circuit connected to a scanning side electrode, a data side switching circuit connected to a data side electrode, a scanning side drive circuit which outputs a high voltage pulse to the scanning side switching circuit and a data side drive circuit which outputs a signal voltage to the data side switching circuit. It further includes a device for decreasing a pulse width of a high voltage pulse supplied from the scanning side drive circuit to the scanning side switching circuit in accordance with an increase of the level of a high voltage generated by a high voltage power supply in the scanning side drive circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1993
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Sakamoto, Shigeyuki Harada, Kyoichi Yamamoto, Toshihiro Ohba, Hiroshi Kishishita
  • Patent number: 5233340
    Abstract: A method of driving a display device with a plurality of scanning side electrodes and a plurality of data side electrodes which are disposed in directions intersecting each other, and a dielectric layer interposed between the scanning side electrodes and the data side electrodes, and including steps of applying modulation voltages corresponding to display data to the data side electrodes, and also applying writing voltages of positive or negative polarity to the scanning side electrodes through line sequence, so as to cause picture elements composed of the dielectric layer to emit light. The driving method further includes steps of thinning out the display data, and applying a plurality of kinds of modulation voltages different in amplitude according to each frame, so as to cause the picture elements to effect gradation display of different brightness in multi-stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1993
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hisashi Yamaguchi, Atsushi Sakamoto, Kazuo Shoji, Kioichi Yamamoto, Toshihiro Ohba, Hisashi Uede
  • Patent number: 5206631
    Abstract: In a display device having a plurality of scanning-side electrodes arranged in one direction, a plurality of data-side electrodes arranged in a second direction intersection the first direction, and dielectric layers interposed therebetween, a modulated voltage the magnitude of which is varied according to the emission or non-emission of light is applied to the data-side electrodes, while applying a write voltage in line sequential fashion to the scanning-side electrodes, thereby performing the display control. In such a display device, the polarity of the voltage applied between the data-side electrode and the scanning-side electrode corresponding to the picture element to be driven for light emission is reversed one or more times during the period in which the write voltage is being applied to the scanning-side electrode. This serves to reduce the modulated voltage and the write voltage, thus contributing to the reduction in power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1993
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kyoichi Yamamoto, Shigeyuki Harada, Atsushi Sakamoto, Toshihiro Ohba, Hiroshi Kishishita
  • Patent number: 5032829
    Abstract: A thin film EL display device is described which comprises a group of parallel scanning electrodes, a group of parallel data electrodes laid so as to extend perpendicular to the group of the scanning electrodes, and an EL layer disposed between the respective groups of the scanning and data electrodes. Each of the electrodes of at least one of the groups of the scanning and data electrodes which apply a writing voltage to the EL layer is connected with a driver circuit of high voltage breakdown characteristic having only a push-pull function or a pull-up and pull-down function. This driver circuit employs thyristors as switching elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1991
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuo Shoji, Toshihiro Ohba, Akio Inohara, Hiroshi Kishishita, Hisashi Ueda
  • Patent number: 5006838
    Abstract: A thin film EL display panel is composed of an EL layer placed between scanning electrodes and data side electrodes which are arranged at right angles to the scanning electrodes. A thin film EL display panel drive circuit includes a first and a second switching circuits connected to each of the scanning electrodes to apply voltages of negative and positive polarities, respectively, with respect to the voltage of the data side electrodes; and third and a fourth switching circuits connected to each of the data side electrodes to respectively charge and discharge the EL layer corresponding to the scanning electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1991
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yosihide Fujioka, Toshihiro Ohba, Yoshiharu Kanatani, Hisashi Uede
  • Patent number: 4999618
    Abstract: A driving method of a thin film EL display unit and a driving circuit thereof comprising a thin film EL panel constituted by installing an EL layer between scanning-side electrodes and data-side electrodes and driver ICs which are connected respectively to the scanning-side electrodes and the data-side electrodes, wherein, on a drive which applies a write voltage positive to the data-side electrodes to the scanning-side electrodes, the scanning-side electrodes are raised once to a predetermined potential or higher, and thereafter the positive write voltage is applied thereto, and on a drive which applies a write voltage negative to the data-side electrodes to the scanning-side electrodes, the scanning-side electrodes are reduced once to a predetermined potential or lower, and thereafter the negative write voltage is applied thereto, which can reduce a maximum voltage applied to the scanning-side driver ICs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1991
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuji Inada, Toshihiro Ohba, Hiroshi Kishishita, Hisashi Uede
  • Patent number: 4983885
    Abstract: A thin-film EL display panel drive circuit capable of varying the drive voltage according to changes in the number of emitting picture elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 8, 1991
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihide Fujioka, Shigeyuki Harada, Toshihiro Ohba, Yoshiharu Kanatani, Hisashi Uede
  • Patent number: 4962374
    Abstract: A thin film electroluminescent (EL) display panel drive circuit includes first and second switching circuits for driving scanning electrodes of the panel in two fields, wherein odd numbered scanning electrodes are applied with a negative voltage polarity and even numbered scanning electrodes are provided with a positive voltage polarity in a first field, and the voltage polarities are reversed during the second field. Data signals are applied to data electrodes by a data electrode driver circuit which includes third and fourth switching circuits for providing selected data electrodes with a modulate voltage of a stepwise nature or ground, depending upon whether the selected data electrodes intersect with selected scanning electrodes having a negative or positive voltage polarity respectively. The stepwise modulation voltage is supplied by a control switching circuit which selectively supplies the third switching circuit with voltages of a first level, a second level and a floating level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 9, 1990
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yosihide Fujioka, Yoshiharu Kanatani, Toshihiro Ohba, Hisashi Uede
  • Patent number: 4951041
    Abstract: A driving method is described for thin film EL display devices having an EL layer interposed between scanning side electrodes and data side electrodes which are intersected to each other. The method comprises displaying frames formed by a line sequential drive in which voltage corresponding to display data is applied to the data side electrodes. Concurrently, write pulses which are negative and positive with respect to the data side electrodes are applied to the scanning side electrodes. Further the write pulses which are positive or negative with respect to the data side electrodes are applied to the scanning electrodes. The number of light emitting picture elements of the scanning side electrodes is previously detected from display data and the width of the write pulses, which are at least one of positive or negative is controlled in proportion to the number of the light emitting picture elements. Thus, the brightness of the light emitting picture elements is uniform due to the driving circuit thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuji Inada, Toshihiro Ohba, Hiroshi Kishishita, Hisashi Uede
  • Patent number: 4949019
    Abstract: An aging drive method for a thin film EL panel includes the performing a preparatory step of short-circuiting all transparent electrodes by a first connecting line, short-circuiting every other metal electrodes by a second connecting line and short-circuiting the other metal electrodes by a third connecting line. Thereafter four fields are repeatedly periodically executed for a specified period of time to thereby cause all picture elements of the panel to luminesce for aging. Each of the four fields includes a first step of applying a first voltage across the first and second connecting lines and across the first and third connecting lines to charge all the picture elements. Further a second step is included of applying a second voltage across the second and third connecting lines while holding the transparent electrodes in a floating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1990
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kinichi Isaka, Hiroyuki Shimoyama, Toshihiro Ohba, Hiroshi Kishishita, Hisashi Uede