Patents Assigned to Sharp
  • Image forming apparatus having maintenance method setting function
    Patent number: 7949263
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus of which maintenance work can always be conducted appropriately independent of time-degradation of the apparatus is provided. In the image forming apparatus of which maintenance work is done in accordance with either a user mode or a service engineer mode, an image forming unit including an image forming station prints an image in accordance with image data, and a main CPU calculates duration of use of the apparatus as an index indicating time-degradation, and determines whether or not the calculated duration of use of the apparatus has reached one year as a predetermined threshold value. Based on the result of determination, a user mode or a service engineer mode is set as a maintenance method for conducting maintenance work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroaki Nakamura
  • Toner supply device, developing device and image forming apparatus with residual quantity of toner based control
    Patent number: 7949265
    Abstract: A toner supply device for supplying toner to a developing device includes: a first toner supply portion for supplying toner to a developing hopper; a second toner supply portion for supplying the stored toner to the first toner supply portion; a first toner supply driver for driving the first toner supply portion; a first residual toner quantity detector for detecting the residual toner quantity in the first toner supply portion; a second toner supply driver for driving the second toner supply portion; a second residual toner quantity detector for detecting the residual toner quantity in the second toner supply portion; and a controller for controlling the drives of the first and second toner supply drivers by switching on and off the drives of the first and second toner supply drivers in accordance with the residual toner quantities detected by the first and second residual toner quantity detectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirofumi Sakita, Takeshi Murata, Yoshinori Ohtsuka, Masaaki Ohtsuki
  • Liquid crystal display device and manufacturing method thereof
    Patent number: 7948586
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device, an array substrate and a CF substrate are arranged face to face with each other. A liquid crystal layer is provided between the array substrate and the CF substrate. The array substrate and the CF substrate are bonded together by a sealing member containing a photo curing material. The array substrate has a surface opposed to the CF substrate. Metal wires are provided in the circumferential portion of the opposed surface. A transparent film is disposed between the metal wires and the sealing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoshi Yamada, Toshihide Tsubata, Hidehiko Yamaguchi, Yoshinori Shimada
  • Base station device, mobile station device, control information transmission method, control information reception method and program
    Patent number: 7948935
    Abstract: In a radio system which allocates resources using as units resource blocks which are formed by frequency components and time components, control information for mobile station devices, and identification information which is used to identify a format for a control information transmission channel which transmits the control information is transmitted from the base station device to the mobile station devices by means of the control information transmission channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shohei Yamada, Daiichiro Nakashima, Keiichi Hibi
  • Radio wave receiving converter and satellite broadcast receiving antenna device
    Patent number: 7948442
    Abstract: A radio wave receiving converter includes a main body portion including a first waveguide having a male thread on an outer circumference of the first waveguide, a feedhorn including a second waveguide having a female thread on an inner circumference of the second waveguide, a ring-shaped member including a circumferential wall portion and an annular step portion such that a groove portion where a portion near a tip of the second waveguide is inserted between the ring-shaped member and the outer circumference of the first waveguide is formed, and a sealing agent injected into a groove portion “b”. By this configuration, there is provided a radio wave receiving converter that has a simple structure of a connecting portion, has improved productivity of the components and assemblability of the finished components, and can achieve a reduction in size and weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenji Hatazawa
  • Angiotensin II receptor antagonists
    Patent number: 7947664
    Abstract: A compound having the structure wherein R is an angiotensin receptor antagonist active group, Y is selected from the group consisting of and 2) —C(R1H)OC(O)X((CR12R13)—(CHR10)m—(CH2)n—Zp—(CH2)q—(CHR11)r—(CR16R17))—R5; Z is —O— or —(CR14R15)—; m, n, p, q, and r are independently selected from the group consisting of 0 and 1; X is —O— or —(CR18R19)—; R1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-4 alkyl, aryl and C1-4 alkylaryl; R5 is —O—N?N(O)—NR3R4; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or hydrate thereof, which is useful for treating hypertension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.
    Inventors: Amjad Ali, Michael Man-Chu Lo, Christopher Franklin, Brent R. Whitehead
  • Liquid crystal display
    Patent number: 7948580
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes a backlight (3), a liquid crystal display panel (1), and a viewing angle control panel (2) for controlling the viewing angle of the display panel (1), the liquid crystal display further including a lens sheet (41) provided between the backlight (3) and the liquid crystal display panel (1). This provides a display device system which is capable of providing better blocking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takehiko Sakai, Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Katsuhiko Morishita, Yoshiharu Kataoka, Chikanori Tsukamura, Dai Chiba
  • Multifunctional tape
    Patent number: 7947548
    Abstract: A method includes forming elongate structures (5) on a first substrate (3), such that the material composition of each elongate structure (7) varies along its length so as to define first and second physically different sections in the elongate structures. First and second physically different devices (1, 2) are then defined in the elongate structures. Alternatively, the first and second physically different sections may be defined in the elongate structures after they have been fabricated. The elongate structures may be encapsulated and transferred to a second substrate (7). The invention provides an improved method for the formation of a circuit structure that requires first and second physically different devices (1,2) to be provided on a common substrate. In particular, only one transfer step is necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Thomas Heinz-Helmut Altebaeumer, Stephen Day, Jonathan Heffernan
  • Liquid crystal display device
    Patent number: 7948463
    Abstract: The vertical scan period of the input video signal is divided into at least two sub-frames. In each of the sub-frames, a display signal voltage is written into each pixel. Two vertical scan periods in which the input video signals are continuous contain a sequence of two continuous sub-frames where a display signal voltage is written with the same polarity and a sub-frame where the polarity of the display signal voltage is inversed. The auxiliary capacity opposing voltage includes, in each of the sub-frames, a first waveform vibrating with a first cycle of the horizontal scan period multiplied by an integer not smaller than 2 and a second waveform in which an effective value of the auxiliary capacity opposing voltage is set to a predetermined constant value for each vertical scan period of a predetermined number of continuous input video signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masae Kitayama, Fumikazu Shimoshikiryoh, Makoto Shiomi
  • Development method and image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 7949270
    Abstract: In an embodiment in which an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of a photoreceptor is developed with a toner by applying an oscillating bias voltage in which a development-side electrical potential and an opposite development-side electrical potential alternate with each other, between a development sleeve of a development roller and the photoreceptor, the development-side electrical potential is applied in two stages, and, in the two-staged development-side electrical potential, the absolute value of a first electrical potential V1 that is initially applied is larger than the absolute value of a second electrical potential V2 that is subsequently applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshimasa Hamada
  • Image processing method, image processing apparatus, document reading apparatus, image forming apparatus, computer program and recording medium
    Patent number: 7948664
    Abstract: A similarity calculation process section registers the largest number of votes of the image of the first document, the index representing the document, and the category of the document into a category table. For the images of the documents being successively read after the document being read first, the similarity calculation process section determines the similarity of the documents based on the result of the voting inputted from a vote process section. When the similarity is lower than a threshold value, determining that the images are not similar to the image of the document registered in the category table, the similarity calculation process section registers the indices representing the documents, the largest numbers of votes of the documents and new categories into the category table, and outputs the result of the determination (classification signal).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsuhisa Morimoto, Masakazu Ohira
  • Multi-primary color display device
    Patent number: 7948507
    Abstract: A display device which exhibits functional effects in which color separation between sub-pixels constituting a pixel is hardly recognized and white line display is easily recognized as one line, in enlargement of the color reproduction range in image display using multi-primary colors, and thereby improves display quality, and provides a liquid crystal display device including such a display device. The display device displays an image constituted by pixels each including sub-pixels of four or more colors, wherein the pixels constituting the display device mainly include a pixel arranging a sub-pixel of a color having the highest brightness value in a central region of the pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Okada, Kazunari Tomizawa, Kenji Nakamura, Shoji Okazaki
  • Spirolactam tricyclic CGRP receptor antagonists
    Patent number: 7947677
    Abstract: Compounds of formula I: (wherein variables A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, B1, B2, B3, B4, D1, D2, E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, G1, G2, J, K, T, U, V, W, X, Y and Z are as described herein) which are antagonists of CGRP receptors and which are useful in the treatment or prevention of diseases in which the CGRP is involved, such as migraine. The invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds and the use of these compounds and compositions in the prevention or treatment of such diseases in which CGRP is involved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.
    Inventors: Ian M. Bell, Craig A. Stump, Cory R. Theberge, Steven N. Gallicchio, C. Blair Zartman, Harold G. Selnick
  • Optical storage medium, optical read/write apparatus, and optical read/write method
    Patent number: 7948851
    Abstract: An optical read/write apparatus causes a read/write light beam from illuminating means to strike only one side of an optical storage medium including stacked data storage layers each of which is readable/writeable separately from the other layers. In this case, the optical read/write apparatus operates so that data is read/written from/into a second data storage layer after fully recording a recordable area of a first data storage layer. Thus, light can be shone with uniform intensity across the substantially entire recordable area of the second data storage layer without using a complex read/write system even under such conditions that the transmittance to light of the first data storage layer in the recordable area may vary depending on whether any data is recorded in the recordable area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junji Hirokane, Noboru Iwata
  • Heterocyclic benzodiazepine CGRP receptor antagonists
    Patent number: 7947678
    Abstract: Compounds of formula I: (where variables R2, R7, D, W, X, Y and Z are as described herein) which are antagonists of CGRP receptors and which are useful in the treatment or prevention of diseases in which the CGRP is involved, such as migraine. The invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds and the use of these compounds and compositions in the prevention or treatment of such diseases in which CGRP is involved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.
    Inventor: Theresa M. Williams
  • Structure support apparatus and structure installation method
    Patent number: 7946082
    Abstract: A structure support apparatus for anchoring and supporting a structure upon a roof includes a bowed plate having a dome-shaped convex portion formed in the center of the bowed plate projecting from the concave side toward the convex side of the bowed plate. A screw hole is formed in the dome-shaped convex portion, penetrating the center of the bowed plate, and the structure is supported by the apex of the dome-shaped convex portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasushi Ohkoshi, Miho Terunuma, Yoshihiro Aramaki
  • User interfacing display apparatus and image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 7949956
    Abstract: Provided are a user interfacing display apparatus having improved operability without confusing the user as to setting displayed on a pop-up screen, and an image forming apparatus. When a copy ratio key as a detail setting key is selected on an LCD as a display section provided in the user interfacing display apparatus mounted on an image forming apparatus, the pop-up screen is displayed. At the same time, a display state of an interruption key is changed, so as to be displayed to inform that the interruption key is unavailable. While the pop-up screen is being displayed, a user is not allowed to select the interruption key. Thus, for example, on contrary to a case where process is switched to an interruption mode while the pop-up screen is being displayed, there will be no confusion as to the detail setting displayed on the pop-up screen before switching to the interruption mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Imai, Yuji Okamoto, Kaoru Ishikura, Shuhji Fujii, Nobuyuki Ueda, Kenji Takahashi
  • Optical storage medium, optical read/write apparatus, and optical read/write method
    Patent number: 7948850
    Abstract: An optical read/write apparatus causes a read/write light beam from illuminating means to strike only one side of an optical storage medium including stacked data storage layers each of which is readable/writeable separately from the other layers. In this case, the optical read/write apparatus operates so that data is read/written from/into a second data storage layer after fully recording a recordable area of a first data storage layer. Thus, light can be shone with uniform intensity across the substantially entire recordable area of the second data storage layer without using a complex read/write system even under such conditions that the transmittance to light of the first data storage layer in the recordable area may vary depending on whether any data is recorded in the recordable area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junji Hirokane, Noboru Iwata
  • Image Forming Apparatus and Method of Giving Alarm of Consumable Supply Near-End State in Image Forming Apparatus
    Publication number: 20110116815
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit; a toner bottle and a paper feed tray; sensors rendered operable immediately after the image forming apparatus is powered on, outputting detection signals that assume different values depending on whether remaining amount of toner or recording paper is lower than a prescribed value; a main control unit, rendered operable after a prescribed activating process after power-on of the image forming apparatus, for controlling the image forming unit; and an alarm device including an LED that is turned on to give an alarm if any consumable supply such as toner is in a near end state, in response to an output from the sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Taniuchi
  • MOUNTING ASSISTING MEMBER AND LIGHTING APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20110116276
    Abstract: In a mounting assisting member used for mounting a mounted body for a smaller mounting hole than a mounting hole provided in a mounting member to the mounting hole, the mounting assisting member, since support plate portions of the mounting assisting member come into surface contact with a peripheral edge portion in an upper surface side of a ceiling of a mounting hole by one surfaces. Accordingly, an influence of a concavity and convexity is lightened even in the case the concavity and convexity exists in a peripheral edge portion of the mounting hole, and a lighting apparatus for a smaller mounting hole than the mounting hole of the ceiling is stably held to the ceiling in a predetermined direction and by a predetermined support force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noritaka Okamura, Osamu Bando