Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Dike, Bronstein, Roberts & Cushman, IP Group of Edwards & Angell, LLP
  • Patent number: 6577357
    Abstract: In the display device (10), at least one of a scanning line (2) and a signal line (3) is a multi-layer wiring including first and second conductive layers (3a, 3b), and the multi-layer wiring (3) includes a low-stacked region (3′) where the second conductive layer (3b) is not formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazutoshi Kida
  • Patent number: 6567199
    Abstract: A digital optical transmission apparatus includes a modulation portion for modulating data to be transmitted in an ASK modulation method, and an E/O modulation portion for converting an electrical signal output from the modulation portion into an optical signal having a base band component with a constant DC level. DC-biased or FSK-biased may be employed as a method of making constant the DC level of the base band component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nakaoka, Hiroshi Uno, Yoshihiro Ohtani
  • Patent number: 6566917
    Abstract: A sampling circuit includes a first sample hold means having a sample hold switch whose one terminal receives an input signal and a sample hold capacitor whose one terminal is connected to the other terminal of the sample hold switch, an amplifier circuit whose input terminal is connected to the other terminal of the sample hold switch and a horizontal selection switch whose one terminal is connected to an output terminal of the amplifier circuit and the other terminal of which is connected to a horizontal signal line. The output terminal of the amplifier circuit is connected to one terminal of a conduction control switch, and a first constant current load is connected to the other terminal of the conduction control switch. The conduction control switch is turned on when the sample hold switch is on and the horizontal selection switch is off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6535191
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes: a main substrate having a main electrode; a counter substrate having a counter electrode; a liquid crystal material interposed between the main substrate and the counter substrate; and a control section for controlling a response start time of the liquid crystal material by a potential difference between a main electrode voltage that is applied to the main electrode during one frame and a counter electrode voltage that changes in a substantially continuous manner during the one frame, and for changing a transmissivity of the liquid crystal display device based on a magnitude of the main electrode voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Miyachi
  • Patent number: 6515774
    Abstract: A document-image reading device that can analyze a speed fluctuation state of a scanner when scanning an image in the feed direction by separately extracting speed fluctuation components by reading a change in density of reference scale lines and, on the basis of the analysis result, prevents the occurrence of an image blur that may be resulting from unstable factors of a driving mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takao Horiuchi, Shigeru Watase, Jun Morimoto
  • Patent number: 6507415
    Abstract: An image processing device includes a scanner, which reads a plurality of images and inputs them as multivalue digital image data; a matching data producing section which, based on the inputted multivalue image data, produces matching data for joining the respective inputted images; a post-processing section, which binarizes the image data of each image inputted by the scanner; a joining section, which synthesizes the respective inputted images into a single image by joining the binary data produced by the post-processing section, which corresponds to the image data of the respective inputted images, on the basis of the matching data produced by the matching data producing section; and a printer for outputting the image joined by the joining section. Thus an image processing device can be provided which is capable of joining any type of image, whether from written characters, halftone dot, or photographic originals, and of performing this joining processing at high speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masanori Toyoda, Akihiko Iwasaki, Atsushi Narukawa, Yoshiyuki Nakai, Masakiyo Okuda, Takeshi Murakami, Takashi Nishimachi
  • Patent number: 6498713
    Abstract: A low-voltage, low-inductance device for storing electrical charge in a snubber circuit and a method of minimizing inductance in the snubber circuit using the device, wherein the device includes a plurality of extended electrodes, in parallel or series, that are joined to a positive conductor terminal at one end spray and at a negative conductor terminal at the other end spray so that end sprays of adjacent extended electrodes are alternately joined to the positive and negative conductor terminals. Accordingly, current flowing though adjacent extended electrodes is of substantially equal intensity but different in direction. As a result, inductance produced effectively cancels out that of adjacent extended electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: SatCon Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Phillip A. Sanger, Lyon Mandelcorn, Leban E. Lesster, Frank A. Lindberg
  • Patent number: 6497240
    Abstract: To provide an ultrasonic cleaning device (1) that ensures stable operation of a vibrating element for generating ultrasonic without a complex structure and distribution of a great quantity of a cleaning liquid and (2) that is capable of cleaning upper and lower surfaces of a cleaning target easily, an ultrasonic cleaning section of the device is provided with an upper cleaning-liquid-supply nozzle and a lower cleaning-liquid-supply nozzle for projection of ultrasonic. The upper cleaning-liquid-supply nozzle supplies an upper surface cleaning liquid to an upper surface of a glass substrate. The lower cleaning-liquid-supply nozzle supplies the lower surface cleaning liquid to a lower surface of the substrate in a form of shower to which ultrasonic has been projected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuki Kobayashi, Toshiaki Muratani, Hiroto Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 6488170
    Abstract: A container and a lid for closing it are disclosed. The container has an open end, a closed end and a peripheral sidewall therebetween. The peripheral sidewall has a rolled rim at the edge thereof adjacent the open end of the container. The lid has a dome-shaped structure. A peripheral rim curl is provided for locking the lid to the rolled rim of the container to close the open end. The lid also has a central region and a plurality of arched struts extending radially between the central region and the peripheral rim curl. At least one tabular hinged drinking region is provided in the lid. The tabular hinged drinking region is structured and arranged to be depressed into the container, thereby providing at least one flow-through opening in the tabular hinged drinking region of the lid. Preferably, the depressed tabular hinged drinking region is self-locking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: Tim Johnson Design, Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy C. Johnson
  • Patent number: 6481902
    Abstract: A light transmission device includes an optical fiber cable having a plug and a holder having a plug insertion hole into which the plug of the optical fiber cable is inserted, wherein an engaging projection is provided on an outer surface of the plug, an engaging groove corresponding with the projection is provided on a wall of the plug insertion hole, and a shutter for closing the plug insertion hole is provided, the shutter being opened and closed in the inside of the plug insertion hole by turning about a pivot extending substantially vertically or parallel to a line composed of an optional point in the groove and a point on a wall of the plug insertion hole rightly opposite to the optional point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Takaoka, Mitsuhisa Ikuta
  • Patent number: 6483598
    Abstract: An image processing portion for conducting the specified processing of an image to be reproduced by an image forming portion based on the processed image data is constructed as a single control portion. Consequently, the development of a variety of digital copying machines requires preparation of specially designated control boards according to levels of the products. This makes machines expensive and requires users to pay a considerable initial cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Narukawa, Fuminori Miyoshi, Kenichi Maeda, Hidenori Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 6476786
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal display device capable of displaying every frame an image that is not influenced by the previous frame at all by removing an afterimage attributed to a change in dielectric constant at the time of response of liquid crystals. A scanning line GL1 is made to have a voltage of +15 V so as to turn on first and third TFT elements 1 and 3 constructed of an n-type MOS transistor and turn off a second TFT element 2 constructed of a p-type MOS transistor. A signal voltage Vs is applied to a memory capacitance Cm via the first TFT element 1, charging the memory capacitance Cm up to the signal. voltage Vs. Simultaneously with this operation, electric charges of a pixel capacitance Cp are discharged via the third TFT element 3. The other scanning lines GL2, GL3, . . .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Miyachi
  • Patent number: 6477282
    Abstract: The image forming device according to the present invention performs resolution conversion processing or scaling processing of a binary image and outputs a processed image. The present image forming device is provided with an edge detecting section, which, during resolution conversion or scaling of the binary image, detects edges of the image and detects lengths and shapes of the edges, and with an interpolated/skipped line producing section, which performs resolution conversion processing or scaling processing based on the lengths and shapes of edges detected by the edge detecting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaaki Ohtsuki, Mitsuru Tokuyama, Mihoko Tanimura, Masatsugu Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6472761
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a solid-state image pickup apparatus capable of reducing man-hours for bonding, improving bonding quality, and being readily integrated into peripheral devices, and a manufacturing method thereof. The solid-state image pickup apparatus of the present invention includes a transparent substrate having a projecting electrode connection electrode terminal, and a solid-state image pickup device in which each first projecting electrode corresponding to the projecting electrode connection electrode terminal is formed on each electric signal I/O terminal, the transparent substrate and the solid-state image pickup device being bonded by face-down packaging. The projecting electrode connection electrode terminal and each first projecting electrode are connected by ultrasonic bonding. On electrode terminals of the transparent substrate are respectively formed second projecting electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masao Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6469292
    Abstract: A photodetector includes a photoelectric conversion layer for performing an insulator-metal transition by receiving light, and a pair of electrodes provided opposite to each other in contact with the photoelectric conversion layer, between which a voltage is applied. In the photodetector, the pair of electrodes are arranged on the photoelectric conversion layer such that a region of the photoelectric conversion layer which performs the insulator-metal transition and a region to which the voltage is applied through the pair of electrodes are substantially coincident with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasushi Ogimoto, Kenji Nakanishi, Kunio Kojima
  • Patent number: 6466242
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus having a schedule management function includes a display section for displaying temporal axes of at least two different cities on a schedule display screen in accordance with a time difference therebetween; a pointing section for pointing to each of the temporal axes of the different cities displayed by the display section; and an input section for inputting a time and a city of the temporal axis, which are pointed to by the pointing section, as a schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabuhsiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akihiro Kumata, Kiyoshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6456359
    Abstract: A PBS for guiding light from a light source to a DMD as light modulating means as well as for guiding light modulated by the DMD to photographic paper is provided on an optical path between the light source and the DMD. The DMD is arranged so that light from the PBS perpendicularly enters itself, and is equipped with a plurality of micromirrors which swing in accordance with image data. This arrangement allows optical components to be disposed so that an angle of incidence of light with respect to the DMD is 0°, thereby enabling tight layout of the light source section. In other words, there is no need to spread the optical components around the light modulating means like in the conventional cases where an angle of incidence with respect to the light modulating means is more or less required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Noritsu Koki Co, LTD
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Nishikawa, Kazuya Tsukamoto
  • Patent number: 6456667
    Abstract: A method of coding a signal for digital optical communication using a symbol formed of N slots [s1, s2, s3, . . . sN], wherein si is either 0 or 1 where i is an integer and l≦i ≦N is provided. The method includes the steps of determining a plurality of symbols which satisfy the following expression, wherein k is an arbitrary positive integer, and p1, q1, p2, q2, . . . , pk and qk are integers which satisfy 1≦p1<q1, 1≦p2<q2, . . . , 1≦pk<qk, and p1/q1<p2/q2<. . .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Ohtani, Hiroshi Uno, Yutaka Ikeda
  • Patent number: 6452651
    Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal display having high reliability, which is excellent in terms of optical characteristics, heat resistance, and shock resistance, wherein a liquid crystal display consisting of a cholesteric liquid crystal, a chiral nematic liquid crystal or a liquid crystal 1 layer, being a combination thereof, which is roughly pillar-like and polygonal in section or has a roughly pillar-like form enclosed by a closed curve, and divided by said polymer network into areas whose minimum diameter measured by vernier calipers is 5 &mgr;m and whose maximum diameter measured by vernier calipers is 100 &mgr;m, is obtained by polymer networks 4 formed by polymerization of monomer, so that sufficient reflection can be obtained from the liquid crystal 1 without being optical scattering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Nanox Corporation
    Inventors: Manabu Takami, Masaki Kitaoka, Ayumi Sasaki, Tomio Wada
  • Patent number: 6453132
    Abstract: Icons (displayed in the pictorial outline display area and in the finished output style display area) for displaying the conditions in accordance with the input of conditions through setting keys(keys displayed in setting key display area) integrally display multiple number of conditions input through setting keys in a multiple number of setting frames. A condition pictorially represented corresponding to the setting key arranged in the input-active setting frame is made visually distinguishable from that pictorially represented corresponding to the setting key arranged in an input-inactive setting frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kaoru Ishikura