Patents Assigned to Sharp
  • Patent number: 7923062
    Abstract: A display device includes a first plastic substrate including a composite layer having a resin-impregnated fiber fabric, an inorganic barrier layer formed on the composite layer, and a planarizing resin layer formed on the inorganic barrier layer; and a display medium layer formed on the planarizing resin layer-side of the first plastic substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinsuke Saida, Noriko Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7923274
    Abstract: After forming a gate electrode (4a) in a first step, a gate insulating film (5), a semiconductor film (8) and a conducting film (12) including a transparent conducting film (9) are stacked, and on the thus obtained multilayered body (18), a resist pattern (13a) including a first opening (14a) for exposing the conducting film (12) therein and a second opening (14b) having a bottom portion (B) above the gate electrode (4a) is formed. Portions of the conducting film (12) and the semiconductor film (8) exposed in the first opening (14a) are etched, the bottom portion (B) of the second opening (14b) is removed for exposing the conducting film (12) therein, and the exposed conducting film (12) is etched, so as to form a TFT (20) in a second step. A pixel electrode (5a), a protection masking layer (17a) and a projection (17b) are formed in a third step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yagi, Toshihide Tsubata, Yoshinori Shimada
  • Patent number: 7923711
    Abstract: The present invention provides switching elements having a readout margin suitable for data storage units of nonvolatile memories, which are obtained by improving the resistance ratio of metal oxide thin films having reversible variable resistance properties. The present invention provides switching elements having a metal oxide consisting of a transition metal and oxygen formed between a first electrode and a second electrode, by modifying one or more of the crystal structure, ionic valence number of metal element, and nonstoichiometricity of a stoichiometric compound consisted of the transition metal and oxygen. The present invention also provides methods for producing switching elements having reversible variable resistance characteristics due to electric power application history.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignees: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Sharp Corporation
    Inventors: Hisashi Shima, Hiroyuki Akinaga, Fumiyoshi Takano, Yukio Tamai
  • Patent number: 7925313
    Abstract: A longitudinally-extending liquid crystal display part is provided at a front face of a first housing. A camera accommodation part is provided at an upper end of a second housing to bulge from a front face of the second housing and extend laterally, and an operating part is disposed in the second housing below the camera accommodation part. The first housing is supported by a cam mechanism (support mechanism) in the second housing changeably between a vertical position in which it is superposed on the second housing as viewed from the front face of the second housing and a horizontal position in which it lies orthogonal to the second housing to expose the operating part by turning the first housing on and along the front face of the second housing by means of the cam mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Sunao Kajihara, Kimiaki Imai, Satoshi Mizuno
  • Patent number: 7925241
    Abstract: A method of automatically changing a profile in a mobile communication device, wherein the mobile communication device is equipped with a calendar mechanism includes setting an event begin time and an event end time in the calendar mechanism; selecting an event profile to be in use during the event; detecting the beginning time for the event; recording and storing the profile in effect prior to the event begin time; activating the selected event profile to be in use during the event; detecting the end time for the event and restoring the profile in effect prior to the event begin time; which includes, during mobile communication device power on, detecting whether an event is in progress and selecting an event profile to be in use during the event; and detecting whether an event which was in progress at a last mobile communication device power off has ended, and selecting a profile to be in use at the time of the mobile communication device power on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Eric Helvick
  • Patent number: 7924365
    Abstract: In a backlight apparatus, laminated optical sheets are housed in a tray such that a wall portion thereof surrounds their circumferences so that the optical sheets receive light from fluorescent lights. Tips of one corner portion A of optical sheets preferably have a shape in which the tips are trimmed by line segments extending between two edges defining the corner portions. At the wall portion of the tray, an opposing surface is formed along the line segments of the corner portions so as to correspond to the shape of the corner portions having tips trimmed off. The opposing surface restrains the line segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshiki Takata
  • Patent number: 7922295
    Abstract: An ink jet apparatus electrifies ink in a nozzle, and ejects the ink from an ink ejecting hole onto a printing medium by a first electric field generated between the nozzle and the printing medium. The apparatus includes an ink catching device including an ink catching portion adjacent to the nozzle that catches an ejected substance. Between the nozzle and the ink catching portion, the apparatus applies a voltage for generating a second electric field which (i) causes an ejected substance, formed from the ink or the ink whose viscosity is changed, to be ejected from the nozzle, and (ii) causes the ink catching portion to attract the ejected substance. The apparatus, utilizes an electrostatic force to eject fluid, removes a clogging of an ejection head at any position, realizes less initial ejection fluctuation and improves the reliability of ejection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventors: Hidetsugu Kawai, Shigeru Nishio, Haruhiko Deguchi, Shigeaki Kakiwaki, Kazuhiro Murata
  • Patent number: 7923549
    Abstract: This invention relates to compounds, compositions, and methods useful for modulating interleukin and/or interleukin receptor gene expression using short interfering nucleic acid (siNA) molecules. This invention also relates to compounds, compositions, and methods useful for modulating the expression and activity of other genes involved in pathways of interleukin and/or interleukin receptor gene expression and/or activity by RNA interference (RNAi) using small nucleic acid molecules. In particular, the instant invention features small nucleic acid molecules, such as short interfering nucleic acid (siNA), short interfering RNA (siRNA), double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), micro-RNA (miRNA), and short hairpin RNA (shRNA) molecules and methods used to modulate the expression of interleukin and/or interleukin receptor genes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.
    Inventors: James McSwiggen, Leonid Beigelman
  • Patent number: 7924382
    Abstract: A color filter substrate for a liquid crystal display device includes a color layer, a photo spacer and a counter electrode disposed on the substrate, and an alignment control protrusion is disposed on the counter electrode for controlling alignment of liquid crystal. A manufacturing method for the color filter substrate includes the step of forming an opening by laser irradiation in a region of the counter electrode corresponding to an absent portion occurring in the alignment control protrusion. The manufacturing method is also applicable to an active matrix substrate for a liquid crystal display device. The manufacturing method can effectively correct a defect if one occurs in the alignment control protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yagi, Toshihide Tsubata, Yoshinori Shimada
  • Patent number: 7923568
    Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds and derivatives thereof, their synthesis, and their use as estrogen receptor modulators. The compounds of the instant invention are ligands for estrogen receptors and as such may be useful for treatment or prevention of a variety of conditions related to estrogen functioning including: bone loss, bone fractures, osteoporosis, metastatic bone disease, Paget's disease, periodontal disease, cartilage degeneration, endometriosis, uterine fibroid disease, hot flashes, increased levels of LDL cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, impairment of cognitive functioning, cerebral degenerative disorders, restenosis, gynecomastia, vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, obesity, incontinence, inflammation, inflammatory bowel disease, sexual dysfunction, hypertension, retinal degeneration and cancer, in particular of the breast, uterus and prostate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.
    Inventors: Mark L. Greenlee, Dongfang Meng, Dann L. Parker, Jr., Wanying Sun, Kenneth J. Wildonger, Robert R. Wilkening
  • Patent number: 7924227
    Abstract: A wireless communication device includes: a high frequency circuit for generating a high frequency signal, the high frequency circuit being provided on a high-frequency-circuit surface of an integrated antenna module substrate mounted on a mounting substrate; a patch antenna for irradiating radio waves indicative of the generated high frequency signal, the patch antenna being provided on an antenna surface of the integrated antenna module substrate; and a ring-shaped grounding surface provided on the antenna surface of the integrated antenna module substrate so as to surround the patch antenna. This allows reducing surface waves irradiated from the end of the integrated antenna module substrate and improving antenna characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Yamada
  • Patent number: 7924442
    Abstract: If it is not a time zone of confidential mode and there is a print job to be executed, a print process is performed based on the print job, but if there is not a print job to be executed, non-confidential data stored in a HDD device is completely deleted. In the time zone of confidential mode, a determination is made as to whether or not there is non-confidential data, and after deleting the non-confidential data, a print process based on a print job to be executed is performed. The confidentiality of data is maintained without decreasing the processing efficiency of image formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsuya Watabe
  • Patent number: 7925182
    Abstract: A communication unit has a first conveyance part connected to a toner cartridge and provided with a feed port for a toner from the toner cartridge, and a second conveyance part connected to a developing device and provided with a replenishment port for a toner to the developing device. In a state locked by the lock mechanism, the first conveyance part and the second conveyance part are connected to each other, and the feed port of the first conveyance part and the replenishment port of the second conveyance part are opened, allowing for a toner replenishment. In a lock-released state, the feed port of the first conveyance part and the replenishment port of the second conveyance part are closed by a circular arc-shaped shutter member and a rotary shutter member, allowing the first conveyance part and the second conveyance part to be separable from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Ishiguro, Hiroshi Tanisawa, Hiroshi Kawahito
  • Patent number: 7925305
    Abstract: There is provided a portable communication terminal capable of switching between icon display and non-display. Processes executed by a control unit of a portable phone which is an aspect of the portable communication terminal comprises the steps of detecting, during the execution of an icon-bar displaying process, a press of an operation key, terminating outputting icon data if the operation key is associated with the icon-bar non-display function and if there is already no icon bar being displayed, detecting a press of the operation key, and executing the icon-bar displaying process if the operation key is associated with the icon-bar display function and if there is no icon bar being displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masanori Honda
  • Patent number: 7924476
    Abstract: A document table is provided with a first chart portion and a second chart portion. In each of the first chart portion and the second chart portion, a reference chart is formed. The first chart portion is disposed at an upstream chart position, and the second chart portion is disposed at a downstream-side position located away in a sub-scanning direction from the upstream chart position. On the basis of respective chart images of the first chart portion and second chart portion obtained from respective reference charts of the first and second chart portions read by a document reading portion, the image processing portion obtains respective sharpening levels for respective image areas of a document image of a document read by the document reading portion and, based on the respective sharpening levels, processes the document image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohiko Okada, Shohichi Fukutome, Yasuhiro Suto, Hisashi Yamanaka, Kenji Nakanishi, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 7924261
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems, methods and devices for adjusting display light source levels for enhanced image display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Louis Joseph Kerofsky
  • Patent number: 7923919
    Abstract: The present invention provides an organic electroluminescent panel, a production method thereof, and an organic electroluminescent display device, in which color mixing between adjacent pixels, caused by overflow or pull-in of a liquid material is suppressed and discontinuity (physical and electrical separation by the step) of an upper electrode is reduced when an organic film such as a luminescent layer is formed by an application method such as an ink jet printing method. The organic electroluminescent panel of the present invention is an organic electroluminescent panel comprising a lower electrode, a bank, an organic film, and an upper electrode on a substrate, wherein the organic electroluminescent panel has: two or more bank regions having different film thicknesses; and an organic film region surrounded by the two or more bank regions, the organic film region having a planar shape of a quadrangle or a substantial quadrangle with a rounded vertex or side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Okano
  • Patent number: 7923676
    Abstract: A camera module 100a includes a lens unit 1a, which includes a lens 11 and a lens holder 12 holding the lens 11 therein, and an image sensing unit 2a, which has a solid-state image sensor 24. A position adjustment of the lens 11 is performed by moving the lens 11 independently of the lens holder 12, by use of electromagnetic force. This allows a fine adjustment of a position of the lens 11, thereby improving the alignment precision of the lens 11. Thus, a solid-state image sensing device is provided, which can make fine adjustments of focal lengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuo Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 7922553
    Abstract: An organic electroluminescent display device has a structure which suppresses a leakage current generated in an organic electroluminescent layer and achieves a low power consumption and excellent light-emitting characteristics. The organic electroluminescent display device includes a first electrode, an organic electroluminescent layer, and a second electrode, stacked in this order on a substrate, wherein the organic electroluminescent layer includes a conductive layer and a light-emitting layer, the conductive layer has a trapezoidal cross section which widens downwardly, and the light-emitting layer covers upper and side surfaces of the conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuya Ishida
  • Patent number: 7922882
    Abstract: In holding a substrate p loaded at a specified position on a holder 30 by clamping a peripheral region of the substrate p against the holder 30 through a plurality of engagement elements 32, it can be avoided that when the substrate p is offset from the specified position and its peripheral region gets on one or some of the engagement elements 32, the substrate p is processed with the peripheral region getting on the engagement element 32. A substrate holding device includes: a plurality of detector sensors 80 for detecting the peripheral region of the substrate p if the substrate p is placed at the specified position on the holder 30; and a determination unit 90 for determining that the substrate p is offset from the specified position when at least one of the detector sensors 80 did not detect the associated part of the substrate p.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuzou Yoshida