Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm David C. Conlin
  • Patent number: 6831620
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a liquid crystal display device capable of attaining smooth gray scale display and greatly improved display quality, free from the display problems of flicker and the like. The resistance division ratios for gray scale voltage generating resistors provided in the source driver of a source line drive circuit for applying gray scale voltages to pixels via source lines are optimized in accordance with a gray scale display characteristic, and the positive-side voltage resistance division ratios and the negative-side voltage resistance division ratios are set so as to be asymmetrical with one another in consideration of a level shift characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keishi Nishikubo, Toshihiro Yanagi
  • Patent number: 6794491
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the ligand polypeptide for the human pituitary- and mouse pancreas-derived G protein-coupled receptor proteins. The ligand polypeptide or the DNA which codes for the ligand polypeptide can be used for (1) development of medicines such as pituitary function modulators, central nervious system function modulators, and pancreatic function modulators, and (2) development of receptor binding assay systems using the expression of recombinant receptor proteins and screening of pharmaceutical candidate compounds. In particular, by the receptor binding assay systems utilizing the expression of recombinant G protein-coupled receptor proteins in accordance with the invention, agonists and antagonists of G protein-coupled receptors which are specific to human and other warm-blooded animals can be screened and the agonists or antagonists obtained can be used as therapeutic and prophylactic agents for various diseases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuji Hinuma, Yugo Habata, Yuji Kawamata, Masaki Hosoya, Ryo Fujii, Shoji Fukusumi, Chieko Kitada
  • Patent number: 6778477
    Abstract: A reproduction power control device includes: an adapter/equalizer for adapt and equalizing a digital reproduction signal to a predetermined frequency characteristic so a post-equalization reproduction signal; and a reproduction power control unit for, based on an equalization amount in the adaptation and equalization by the adapter/equalizer, detecting an error between a current reproduction power and an optimal reproduction power and controlling a reproduction power of laser light so as to bring the error closer to 0. In this manner, it becomes possible to offer a reproduction power control method, a reproduction power control device, and a record reproducing device incorporating the same, capable of reproduction power control without reducing the user area on a recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tsuneo Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 6771282
    Abstract: In a matrix display device, when cells of first to third colors composing one pixel are first to third cells, the second cell is disposed on one side of the first cell in a signal line alignment direction while disposing the third cell on the other side of the first cell in a scanning line alignment direction, and the first to third cells form the shape of a letter L. One pixel and another pixel adjacent to either side of the former pixel in the scanning line alignment direction are a first pixel in the shape of the letter L and a second pixel in the shape of the letter L and in a state rotating by 180° with respect to the first pixel, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiro Yanagi, Takafumi Kawaguchi, Taketoshi Nakano
  • Patent number: 6765551
    Abstract: A column electrode driving circuit for an image display device for selecting, from among a plurality of reference voltage levels, reference voltage levels respectively corresponding to gray scale levels in input data, and outputting the respective selected voltage levels to at least one data line. The input data includes data of a first color, a second color, and a third color. The reference voltage levels are independently selected corresponding to the gray scale levels in the input data of the first, second, and third colors. Among the reference voltage levels independently selected corresponding to a given gray scale level in the input data of the first, second, and third colors, the reference voltage level selected corresponding to at least one color is different from the reference voltage level or levels selected corresponding to the other color or colors, the given gray scale level being within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taketoshi Nakano, Takafumi Kawaguchi, Toshihiro Yanagi
  • Patent number: 6750878
    Abstract: An operation panel includes a mode which can selectively set the display form, whether new image information is formed by a dynamic image forming section, and a plurality of static image information are sequentially displayed in a display section together with static image information controlled in a guidance information control section, to thereby display for guidance to a user as continuous guidance image information, or the static image information controlled in the guidance information control section is displayed for guidance to a user as guidance image information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nomura Tatsuo, Fukuda Kohki, Yoshiura Syoichiro, Itoh Akihiko, Hasegawa Keiichi
  • Patent number: 6671918
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus of the present invention includes one sheet roll wound with one end of a polishing sheet that is arranged to be in contact with the surface of a liquid crystal panel, and the other sheet roll for rolling up the polishing sheet from the other end. The substrate cleaning apparatus further includes a rotating unit provided with a motor, a belt, and a rotation shaft for rotating the polishing sheet and the pair of sheet rolls with respect to the liquid crystal panel. Thus, the substrate cleaning apparatus can be provided which is capable of reducing an operation time required for removing foreign matters, enhancing operation efficiency, stably and reliably removing foreign matters, and restraining operation time even if the size of the substrate increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomofumi Matsuno, Mitsuo Uemura, Kazuya Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 6643477
    Abstract: When the paper size signal indicates small-sized paper, after the final sheet of a consecutive sheet feed operation of that size has passed through the heating device, paired rollers consisting of heat and pressing rollers are actuated to rotate for a predetermined period (rotational mode) while no sheet passes therethrough. After completion of the rotational mode, the paired rollers are stopped from rotating for a predetermined period (stationary mode).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsunori Mitsuoka, Toshiaki Kagawa
  • Patent number: 6639645
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a liquid crystal display device using plastic substrates in which deformation such as warpage and distortion hardly occurs. The reflection type liquid crystal display device includes a light transmitting plastic substrate and a plastic substrate provided with a reflecting layer. The substrates are positioned facing each other to be kept fixed relative to each other with a predetermined space therebetween defined by spacers or the like. A liquid crystal layer is formed in the space between the substrates and sealed with a sealing agent. A polarizing plate along with an adhesive is attached to the outer surface of the light transmitting plastic substrate, and a polycarbonate substrate along with an adhesive is attached to the outer surface of the reflector-attached plastic substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tohru Sakuwa
  • Patent number: 6622000
    Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a developer carrier carrying a developer on its surface, a developer regulating member regulating layer thickness of the developer, a charge amount control member controlling the charge amount of the developer and a charge supplying apparatus downstream of the charge amount control member. The charge amount control member controls the amount of charges of the developer, by causing the developer fly over the developer carrier, using an AC voltage applied between the developer carrier and the charge amount control member, and by applying the electric charges generated by gas electrolytic dissociation caused by the AC voltage. By this structure, a developing apparatus can be provided which can improve stability of development and image quality, without necessitating delicate arrangement of the component materials of the developer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Furukawa, Hiroyuki Hirakawa, Shigeru Nishio
  • Patent number: 6620744
    Abstract: A method for forming an insulator film at a semiconductor temperature of 600° C. or less comprises the steps of forming a first insulator film by oxidizing a surface of a semiconductor in an atmosphere containing oxygen atom radicals, and forming a second insulator film on the first insulator film by deposition without exposing the first insulator film to outside air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukihiko Nakata, Takashi Itoga, Tetsuya Okamoto, Toshimasa Hamada
  • Patent number: 6606471
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus with a charging member which charges an image bearer with a photoconductive surface. Forming a layer containing ferroelectric as part on the charging member, and applying the electric field formed by dipoles of the ferroelectric, the photosensitive member surface is electrified, thereby downsizing a charger and reducing power consumption thereof are achieved for realizing low-cost and reducing the number of consumable parts sufficiently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukikazu Kamei, Tomohiro Oikawa, Shirou Wakahara, Hideki Onishi, Hiroshi Doshoda
  • Patent number: 6603937
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a display device of an image forming apparatus capable of displaying information that the user wants to obtain in a visually easy-to-recognize manner. In a complex image forming apparatus provided with: one of original reading means for reading image information from an original, image receiving means for receiving image information from a terminal connected to a network and a line image receiving means for receiving image information from a telephone line; image forming means for forming an image based on the image information obtained by the means; and a display portion for displaying the condition of the apparatus, a display condition control portion is provided that changes the display condition of the display portion to a visually easy-to-recognize condition when the condition of the complex image forming apparatus is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Sohichi Yoshimura, Hiroki Eto, Kouichi Eto, Michiyuki Suzuki, Takashi Ide, Koji Tsukamoto, Kenji Tani, Hirohito Morioka, Kimiko Watanabe, Kazuya Masuda, Yoshinori Nakahira, Masaaki Kawakami, Takashi Sugitoh, Yoshikazu Kondoh, Mariko Arai, Takahiro Kawakami, Toshinori Tsujii
  • Patent number: 6600715
    Abstract: In an optical reproducing device in accordance with the present invention, based on an error rate used in a test read for determining an optimal reproducing power, the value of an error rate corresponding to the maximum burst error which can be corrected by an error correction circuit is obtained. With this structure, an error caused when reproducing power deviates from the optimal reproducing power determined by the test read due to an control error can be corrected by the error detection circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Okumura, Shigemi Maeda
  • Patent number: 6560169
    Abstract: A magneto-optical recording and reproduction device includes an optical pickup for irradiating a magneto-optical disk with a laser beam for performing at least one of information recording to a magneto-optical disk, information reproduction from the magneto-optical disk, and information erasure from the magneto-optical disk; a magnetic head for providing a magnetic field to a position of the magneto-optical disk irradiated with the laser beam for performing at least one of the information recording and the information erasure, the magnetic head being located opposite to the optical pickup with respect to the magneto-optical disk where the magneto-optical disk is mounted on the magneto-optical recording and reproduction device; a housing for accommodating the optical pickup; a guide shaft for moving the housing; a suspension for supporting the magnetic head; and an arm for connecting the suspension and the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Miyake, Seiichi Nagatome, Toshiyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6537627
    Abstract: A precision product container of the present invention comprises a resin composition as a base material, which comprises a polycarbonate resin and an epoxy compound. Such precision product container can remarkably prevent products contained therein from being contaminated by chlorine and is suitable as a container for a precision product which is free from operational errors of the precision product contained therein when this product is subsequently assembled or processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
    Inventors: Sadao Kumai, Tsutomu Suzuki, Tatsuaki Hirohata, Takehito Ushiki, Masaaki Miyamoto, Hidemi Nakanishi, Yoshitaka Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 6521430
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for permeabilization of a cell structure consisting of a single cell, an intracellular structure or an organelle comprising the following steps: (a) microelectrodes, preferably two carbon fibre electrodes or hollow fibre electrodes, are provided, (b) the microelectrodes are connected to a power supply, (c) the electrodes, individually controlled by high-graduation micromanipulators, are placed close to the cell structure at an appropriate inter-electrode distance, and (d) a highly focused electric field of a strength sufficient to obtain electroporation is applied between the electrodes. The method may be used in order to transfer cell impermeant solutes, such as drugs or genes, into the cell structure or out of the cell structure, in biosensors, in the treatment of tumours and neurodegenerative diseases and in the study of biophysical processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Cellectricon AB
    Inventors: Owe Orwar, Anders Lundqvist, Peter Eriksson, Daniel Chiu
  • Patent number: 6512912
    Abstract: In an image forming portion, a grounded, drum-shaped photosensitive member rotating in a predetermined direction is provided. Arranged around the photosensitive member are a charger, an exposure unit, a developing unit, a cleaning unit, an erasing unit and a transfer roller with a ferroelectric layer formed on the surface thereof. The ferroelectric laminated transfer roller includes a grounded, metal core of aluminum, a conductive rubber layer of an elastomer having a volume resistivity of 105′&OHgr;•cm or below with a thickness of about 3 mm, molded in a roller shape formed on the metal core and a ferroelectric element having a film thickness of some &mgr;m to some tens of micrometers, coating the surface of the conductive rubber layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukikazu Kamei, Tomohiro Oikawa, Shiro Wakahara, Hideki Onishi, Hiroshi Doshoda
  • Patent number: 6507716
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an input portion for receiving different kinds of jobs; a storage portion for storing a job; an image forming portion for forming images of an input job; a control input portion for providing content display of input jobs and control display; a radiocommunication portion for reading the user identification ID recorded in an information recording medium; a controller for controlling these portions. With this configuration, the image forming apparatus determines the user identification ID of a user so as to provide a display of the operational state best for the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuo Nomura, Syoichiro Yoshiura
  • Patent number: 6504627
    Abstract: An image processing device includes: (1) an input device for inputting image data; (2) a setting device for setting a processing mode of inputted image data; (3) an image processing section for performing predetermined image processing in accordance with the processing mode set by the setting device; (4) an output device for outputting the image data that has undergone the image processing; (5) a management device for managing output conditions of each image data to be outputted by the output device; and (6) a control device for controlling each image to be outputted by the output device in accordance with the output conditions of the image data managed by the management device. It is thus possible to certainly output the inputted image data, and quickly and appropriately recover from various troubles. Thus, this image processing device can improve the reliability in outputting the image, while minimizing the increase in the cost of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Manabu Matsumoto