Patents Assigned to Sharp
  • Display device and display method
    Publication number: 20100194726
    Abstract: In the display device and the display method of the present invention, a scanning signal line driving circuit controls falls of a scanning signal line, so as to make level shifts occurring to pixel potentials substantially uniform throughout display plane, the level shifts being caused by parasitic capacitances which parasitically exist in scanning signal lines. Fall waveforms of the scanning signal change at a change rate Sx which is a change quantity per unit time, and by desirably setting the change rate Sx, a change rate Sx1 in the vicinity of an input-side end of the scanning signal line and a change rate SxN in the vicinity of the other end thereof are substantially equal to each other, not being influenced by signal delay transmission characteristic which the scanning signal line possesses, like scanning signal line waveforms Vg(1, j) and Vg(N, j).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiro Yanagi, Hideki Morii, Hidekazu Miyata
  • Storage device and recording medium
    Publication number: 20100198853
    Abstract: There are provided a storage device and a computer-readable medium capable of efficiently storing keywords contained in description information and efficiently retrieving the keyword. A list producing portion (6) extracts the keywords from the description information and produces a keyword list correlating the keywords with the scene information containing the keywords. A description information converter (8) converts the keywords contained in the keyword list received from the list producing portion (6) among the keywords contained in the externally received description information into reference information for specifying the keywords in the keyword list received from the list producing portion (6). A storage (10) stores the converted description information provided from the description information converter (8) and the keyword list provided from the list producing portion (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuichi Watanabe, Jiro Kiyama
  • Optical storage medium, optical read/write apparatus, and optical read/write method
    Publication number: 20100195471
    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: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junji Hirokane, Noboru Iwata
  • Video data reproduction apparatus, method for operating same and non-transitory recording medium
    Publication number: 20100195973
    Abstract: A video disk player includes (i) a disk reading section for reading out video data, a program, synchronization timing information from an optical disk; (ii) a clock for generating a clock signal; (iii) a decoder for converting, in accordance with the clock signal, the video data into decompressed video data for reproduction output; (iv) a video reproducing section including a synchronization control section for transmitting, in accordance with the clock signal, a synchronization control signal to the program executing section at a timing specified by a field timing contained in the synchronization timing information, and (v) a program executing section for executing a program in accordance with the synchronization control signal received from the synchronization control section. This makes it possible to efficiently execute the program in synchronization with reproduction of AV data or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jiro Kiyama, Hideaki Kizuki, Katsushi Ohizumi
  • Video data reproducing apparatus, video data generating apparatus and recording medium
    Publication number: 20100195985
    Abstract: To provide a video data reproducing apparatus or the like, which includes: a flag reader 101 for reading out a flag that designates a playback style during special playback, from video data; decoders 102 and 103 for decoding two sets of video data; a synthesizer 106 for combining the decoded videos to output the result; and a manager 109 for controlling the operations of decoders 102, 103 and synthesizer 106 in accordance with the flag value, and which manages the playback style in the special playback during picture-in-picture playing in accordance with the flag value, to thereby realize the playback style of the picture-in-picture video during the special playback that reflects the distributor's intention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuichi Watanabe, Jiro Kiyama
  • Storage device and recording medium
    Publication number: 20100198884
    Abstract: There are provided a storage device and a computer-readable medium capable of efficiently storing keywords contained in description information and efficiently retrieving the keyword. A list producing portion (6) extracts the keywords from the description information and produces a keyword list correlating the keywords with the scene information containing the keywords. A description information converter (8) converts the keywords contained in the keyword list received from the list producing portion (6) among the keywords contained in the externally received description information into reference information for specifying the keywords in the keyword list received from the list producing portion (6). A storage (10) stores the converted description information provided from the description information converter (8) and the keyword list provided from the list producing portion (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuichi Watanabe, Jiro Kiyama
  • LIGHTING DEVICE FOR DISPLAY DEVICE, DISPLAY DEVICE AND TELEVISION RECEIVER
    Publication number: 20100194997
    Abstract: A lighting device 12 for a display device of the present invention includes a plurality of linear light sources 17 and light source holding members 20 for holding the linear light sources 17. Each light source holding member 20 has the first member 30 and the second member 40. The first member 30 has the first light source holding member 31 that directly holds the first linear light source 17a of the linear light sources 17. The second member 40 has the second light source holding member 41 that directly holds the second linear light source 17b that is different from the first linear light source 17a. The light source holding member 20 has means of changing a distance between light source holding portions 33, 43 for changing a distance between the first light source holding portion 31 and the second light source holding portion 41.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Takeba
  • DISPLAY APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20100198599
    Abstract: In a display apparatus, a text code input section outputs externally-supplied text code information to a font conversion section and a voice synthesizer section. The font conversion section converts the input text code into a corresponding font, and transmits the font to a display drive section via a video signal input section, and the display drive section causes a display section to display the font. Meanwhile, the voice synthesizer section converts the input text code into corresponding voice data, and transmits the voice data to a voice device where the voice data is outputted. With this structure, superior convenience is ensured for a display apparatus which serves only as an individual displaying apparatus and relies on an external device (server) for the major functions of the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuhiko MIYATA
  • Storage device and recording medium
    Publication number: 20100198801
    Abstract: There are provided a storage device and a computer-readable medium capable of efficiently storing keywords contained in description information and efficiently retrieving the keyword. A list producing portion (6) extracts the keywords from the description information and produces a keyword list correlating the keywords with the scene information containing the keywords. A description information converter (8) converts the keywords contained in the keyword list received from the list producing portion (6) among the keywords contained in the externally received description information into reference information for specifying the keywords in the keyword list received from the list producing portion (6). A storage (10) stores the converted description information provided from the description information converter (8) and the keyword list provided from the list producing portion (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuichi Watanabe, Jiro Kiyama
  • Liquid crystal display device and manufacturing method for the same
    Patent number: 7768606
    Abstract: On a glass substrate, gate bus lines, data bus lines, and TFTs are formed. Then, on the substrate, an insulating film, covering the gate bus lines, data bus lines and TFTs, is formed, and a positive type photoresist film is further formed thereon. Next, through exposure and development processes, the resist film is divided for each picture element and subjected to ultraviolet ray irradiation to harden only a surface layer thereof. Then, the resist film is subjected to heat treatment to form thereon wrinkle-form surface ruggedness of a uniform pattern, which is determined depending on the size of the resist film. Subsequently, reflection electrodes are formed on the resist film. The reflection electrodes are formed to overlap the gate bus line, data bus line and TFTs, and the regions between the adjacent reflection electrodes serve as light transmission regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsufumi Ohmuro, Norio Sugiura, Kunihiro Tashiro
  • Biochemical sensor and measuring device having channel structure for sample collection
    Patent number: 7767442
    Abstract: A biochemical sensor capable of detecting a prescribed target substance in a specimen in a short time period with high sensitivity and measuring the amount thereof has a surface and a rear surface, and channels formed from the surface to the rear surface, allowing influx of the specimen. An inner circumferential surface of the channels is formed of porous material. The porous material carries, in its pores, functional substance having a function of forming a reactant by the interaction with the target substance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Kudo, Tomohisa Kawata, Mikihiro Yamanaka
  • Code structure and code reading terminal
    Patent number: 7766239
    Abstract: A code-reading apparatus determines the type of data in recorded code data and carries out appropriate processes depending on the determined type of data. The code-reading apparatus comprises an imaging unit 7 for photographing encoded data. The encoded data comprises a header portion and a body portion, the body portion including encoded ring tone data, the header portion including a data identifier D indicating the type of data in the body portion. The apparatus further comprises a data identifier unit 19a for identifying the type of the encoded data photographed by the imaging unit 7 based on the data identifier D, and control units 13 and 19 for reading the encoded data depending on the identified data type and for reproducing the ring tone data that has been read.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeharu Muramatsu, Hirokazu Ishikawa
  • Active matrix substrate, method for fabricating active matrix substrate, display device, liquid crystal display device, and television device
    Patent number: 7768584
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a substrate, a TFT formed on the substrate, a storage capacitor element formed on the substrate, an interlayer insulating film covering the storage capacitor element, and a pixel electrode formed on the interlayer insulating film. The storage capacitor element includes a storage capacitor line, an insulating film formed on the storage capacitor line, and two or more storage capacitor electrodes opposed to the storage capacitor line with the insulating film interposed therebetween. The two or more storage capacitor electrodes are electrically connected via associated contact holes formed in the interlayer insulating film to the pixel electrode and electrically continuous with a drain electrode of the TFT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yagi, Tomoki Noda, Toshihide Tsubata, Masanori Takeuchi, Kenji Enda
  • Backlight unit, and a display device including the same
    Patent number: 7766500
    Abstract: A backlight unit is capable of preventing optical sheets from experiencing deformation due to thermal expansion and the like. The backlight unit includes a backlight chassis arranged to house a lamp via a diffusion plate and optical sheets, where a thickness of the optical sheets is less than a thickness of the diffusion plate, the backlight chassis including a support surface arranged to support the diffusion plate and the optical sheets, and a frame arranged to hold the diffusion plate and the optical sheets with the support surface, the diffusion plate and the optical sheets being interposed between the frame and the support surface, and the backlight chassis has a positioning piece arranged to position and support the diffusion plate at a predetermined position with respect to the support surface and not to position and support the optical sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshiki Takata
  • Production method of active matrix substrate, active matrix substrate, and liquid crystal display device
    Patent number: 7768590
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an active matrix substrate prevents an increase in the number of production steps while simultaneously preventing electrostatic discharge at a TFT channel. The method preferably includes the steps of forming a short-circuit wiring for connecting a data signal line or a source electrode to a drain electrode or a drain side circuit; successively forming an upper insulating film having an opening for short-circuit wiring separation and a transparent conductive film at a region above the short-circuit wiring as upper layers of the short-circuit wiring; and removing at least the transparent conductive film inside the opening for short-circuit wiring separation and the short-circuit wiring below the opening for short-circuit wiring separation to perform patterning of the pixel electrode and separation of the short-circuit wiring in the same step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yagi, Toshihide Tsubata
  • Methods and systems for image tonescale adjustment to compensate for a reduced source light power level
    Patent number: 7768496
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems, methods and devices for increasing the perceived brightness of an image. In some embodiments this increase compensates for a decrease in display light-source illumination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott J. Daly
  • Display device
    Patent number: 7768589
    Abstract: A plurality of display elements each includes two signal lines: S1 and S2. An electrode 4, which is one of the electrodes constituting an element capacitor Cp, is connected to the signal line S1 via a switching element TFT1, while the other electrode 5 is connected to the signal line S2 via a switching element S2. The gate electrodes of the switching elements TFT1 and TFT2 are connected to a single common scanning line G. With this structure the drive voltage applied to the element capacitor can be increased even when a TFT has a limited withstand pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Miyachi, Kiyoshi Ogishima, Akihito Jinda
  • Communications device, communications method, communications program, storage medium storing the communications program, and communications system
    Patent number: 7768934
    Abstract: A transmitting device includes: (i) an encoding rate managing section which controls an encoding rate of an encoding rate altering section which alters the encoding rate; (ii) an error resilience managing section which controls error resilience of an error resilience adding section; and a channel conditions measurement section which measures channel conditions of a communications medium. The encoding rate managing section and the error resilience managing section calculates a transmission capacity of packets in accordance with the channel conditions having been measured by the channel conditions measurement section, and then performs control of encoding rate setting or error resilience setting in accordance with the calculated transmission capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeyuki Yamanaka, Yoshihiro Ohtani
  • Audio signal processing circuit and a display device incorporating the same
    Patent number: 7769190
    Abstract: An audio signal processing circuit for processing an audio signal which is compact and small is provided. For the audio signal processing circuit of the invention, an input circuit, a feedback circuit, and a smoothing circuit are formed using a chip capacitor with small mounting space and a thin film resistor on an insulating substrate. Accordingly, the audio signal processing circuit that is small and further a display device incorporating the audio signal processing circuit are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignees: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd., Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Miyata, Jun Koyama, Hiroyuki Miyake, Kei Takahashi
  • Method for fabricating organic electroluminescent display and fabrication apparatus used in the method
    Patent number: 7766712
    Abstract: An organic EL light emitting layer is formed in a housing including an air atmosphere having a lower moisture concentration than that of the ambient atmosphere and a lower ozone concentration than that of the ambient atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuya Ishida