Patents Assigned to Sharp
  • Patent number: 7595911
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention comprise methods and systems for descreening a digital image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: John E. Dolan
  • Patent number: 7595230
    Abstract: In a manufacturing method of a thin film transistor (1), the oxide film forming step is performed whereby: a process-target substrate (2) having a surface on which a gate oxide film (4) should be formed is immersed in an oxidizing solution containing a; active oxidizing species; and a gate oxide film (4) is formed through direct oxidation of polycrystalline silicon (51) on the process-target substrate (2). With this step, a silicon dioxide film (42) is formed while growing a silicon dioxide film (41) on the process-target substrate 2. Accordingly, the interface between the polycrystalline silicon (51) and the gate oxide film (4) is kept clean. The gate oxide film (4) is uniformly formed with excellent quality in insulation tolerance and other properties. Therefore, the thin film transistor (1) contains a high quality oxide film with excellent insulation tolerance and other properties which can be formed at low temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Hikaru Kobayashi
    Inventors: Shigeki Imai, Kazuhiko Inoguchi, Hikaru Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7596338
    Abstract: A toner container for an image forming apparatus includes: a toner container body; structure supporting the container body in a rotatable manner and comprising a toner feed aperture. The supporting structure includes a shutter opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the toner feed aperture. The container body is applied with a sealing element for sealing the toner discharge aperture of the container body. The sealing element is engaged with the supporting structure at one end opposite to the other end thereof which seals the toner discharge aperture of the container body when the container body is held by the supporting structure. The side surface of the container body against which the shutter opening and closing mechanism provided for the supporting structure abuts is formed with an engaging projection for engaging the shutter opening and closing mechanism when the shutter element confines the toner feed aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Mihara
  • Patent number: 7595852
    Abstract: A liquid crystal panel includes a TFT substrate, an opposite substrate and a liquid crystal layer formed of a liquid crystal, which is filled in a space between the TFT and the opposite substrates, and has a negative dielectric anisotropy. A quarter wave plate and a polarizer are arranged on a front surface of the liquid crystal panel, and a quarter wave plate and a polarizer are arranged on a back surface thereof. An optical compensation layer is formed on a surface of the opposite substrate facing the liquid crystal layer. The optical compensation layer is divided into a plurality of regions for each picture element, and the respective regions are made of polymer films, each having a different compensation capability Rth in a thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masakazu Shibasaki, Hidefumi Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20090237539
    Abstract: Before a signal charge from a photodiode 1 is transferred to a signal charge accumulating portion 3 by a scanning circuit 20, a reset transistor 4 is turned on for a prescribed period to reset the voltage of the signal charge accumulating portion 3 in a state in which the voltage of a read signal line 7 is retained at a first voltage (Vg) by lowering the drain side voltage of an amplifying transistor 5. Subsequently, by raising the drain side voltage of the amplifying transistor 5 by a scanning circuit 20 to make the read signal line 7 have a second voltage (Vrst) higher than the first voltage (Vg), the voltage of the signal charge accumulating portion 3 is made higher than a voltage immediately after resetting. Then, the transfer transistor 2 is turned on to transfer the signal charge from the photodiode 1 to the signal charge accumulating portion 3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Watanabe, Takahiko Yoshimoto
  • Publication number: 20090238229
    Abstract: Disclosed are a nitride semiconductor laser element including a light emitting portion made of a nitride semiconductor, and an external-cavity semiconductor laser device using it. In the nitride semiconductor laser element, a coat film made of silicon oxynitride is formed on the light emitting portion, and the reflectance of the coat film to feedback light of laser light emitted from the light emitting portion is 0.5% or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshinobu KAWAGUCHI, Takeshi Kamikawa
  • Publication number: 20090237681
    Abstract: Methods, systems and software are disclosed for embedding and using rendering hints in a bitmap image. Print objects (204)(304) are determined by an application (202)(302). In a modified bitmap driver process (208)(308), internal objects are formed, and rendering hints are assigned to each internal object (410). These rendering hints are embedded in the output bitmap image (210)(310) without increasing its size by reusing selected bit planes (314)(440). Output quality is maintained by reusing the least significant bit planes and then masking those planes (622) during the output device (firmware) RIP process (630).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: Sharp laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Andrew R. Ferlitsch
  • Publication number: 20090236585
    Abstract: A nitride semiconductor laser device has a nitride semiconductor substrate that includes a dislocation-concentrated region 102 and a wide low-dislocation region and that has the top surface thereof slanted at an angle in the range of 0.3° to 0.7° relative to the C plane and a nitride semiconductor layer laid on top thereof. The nitride semiconductor layer has a depression immediately above the dislocation-concentrated region, and has, in a region thereof other than the depression, a high-quality quantum well active layer with good flatness and without cracks, a layer that, as is grown, readily exhibits p-type conductivity, and a stripe-shaped laser light waveguide region. The laser light waveguide region is formed above the low-dislocation region. This helps realize a nitride semiconductor laser device that offers a longer life.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicants: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Ueta, Teruyoshi Takakura, Takeshi Kamikawa, Yuhzoh Tsuda, Shigetoshi Ito, Takayuki Yuasa, Mototaka Taneya, Kensaku Motoki
  • Publication number: 20090236642
    Abstract: In a transistor adapted to suppress characteristic degradation resulting from fluorine contained in a deposited film, the concentration of fluorine contained in a gate insulating film is reduced to 1.0×1020 atoms/cm3 or less. As a result, the transistor can provide excellent reliability even when it is continuously driven for a long period of time at a relatively high temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihide TSUBATA, Toshinori SUGIHARA
  • Publication number: 20090237701
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, damage to the apparatus caused by power conduction at the time of installation is prevented. When initial adjustment at factory ends and service person moves the apparatus, a power switch is turned OFF. Using this OFF operation as a trigger, a control unit 100 reads specific information (information related to pre-processing before starting power supply to the apparatus), and displays the information on electronic paper 108.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kaoru Ishikura, Yuji Okamoto, Shuhji Fujii, Nobuyuki Ueda, Shinji Kato, Nobuyasu Yamada
  • Publication number: 20090237718
    Abstract: When reading of the documents set on the document feed tray is given priority by user designation, the documents set on the document feed tray are read first, then the document set on the platen plate is read. When reading of the document set on the platen plate is given priority, the document set on the platen plate is read first, then the documents set on the document feed tray are read. Even when originals are composed of documents that can be set on the document feed tray and an original that cannot be set on the document feed tray, use of the above configuration makes it possible to achieve copying of the originals as one job.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hideyuki Hiro
  • Publication number: 20090236760
    Abstract: A substrate for a display panel includes an alignment accuracy measurement mark which is used for measuring alignment accuracy between patterns on the substrate without decreasing an aperture ratio of a pixel. The substrate for a display panel includes the alignment accuracy measurement mark in an isolated configuration which is used for measuring alignment accuracy between a pattern of a gate signal line and an auxiliary capacitance line and a pattern of a source signal line and a drain line, where the alignment accuracy measurement mark has a shape such that at least one straight line portion is included, is formed in a layer where the pattern of the source signal line and the drain line is formed, and is positioned on the gate signal line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2006
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoki Noda, Masanori Takeuchi, Kenji Enda
  • Publication number: 20090237730
    Abstract: When multiple printing apparatuses which perform tandem printing have been decided, icons of the respective printing apparatuses are displayed on a screen and the number of print copies which has been allocated to each printing apparatus is displayed. A user can see the setting contents at a glance. When the user performs an operation of changing a size of the icons, the display of the number of print copies is changed. Depending on the size of the icons, the number of print copies is changed. In this way, the user does not need to perform operations many times for confirming and setting the tandem printing, and the user can confirm the setting in the tandem printing easily.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shingo TOKUNAGA, Masaki HIGASHIURA
  • Publication number: 20090237748
    Abstract: A document reader includes an image sensor. The image sensor is movable in a secondary scanning direction and rotatable about a rotational axis extending in a primary scanning direction, and obtains image information from a region facing a light-receiving surface. Rotation of the image sensor is controlled based on distance information about a distance between a document surface and a platen in such a manner as to make an image distance fall within a depth-of-field range of the image sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junko Yabuta
  • Publication number: 20090240982
    Abstract: The image reading apparatus continuously reads image data of a plurality of pages of a document, each page being added with identification information including specific information of the page and common information showing relationship with at least one precedent and one subsequent pages, that includes an image storage potion for storing image data of each page of the read document, an identification information extracting portion for extracting the identification information from the image data, a missing page detecting portion for detecting a page missed by failure of reading in the document based on identification information of each extracted page, and a display portion for prompting reading of the document by displaying the missing page, in which when an instruction of rereading is given and identification information of the missing page is extracted from image data read again, the image data is additionally stored in the image storage portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenji Ogasawara
  • Publication number: 20090237716
    Abstract: A printing system is provided. A user directs an instruction apparatus to an electronic board in a state where an image of image data to be desirably printed is displayed, and presses a file selection button. While pressing the file selection button, the user directs the instruction apparatus to a printer desirably caused to print, and while directing the instruction apparatus to the printer, the user releases the file selection button. When the print instruction button is pressed while the instruction apparatus being directed to the printer, desired image data is printed from the printer to which the instruction apparatus is directed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroki Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 7592994
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus includes a liquid crystal display unit, a plurality of data driving units which provide image data to said liquid crystal display unit, and a control unit which enables said plurality of data driving units to take in the image data simultaneously if the image data to be provided to said data driving units are identical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Sekido, Takae Ito, Shinpei Nagatani, Hidefumi Yoshida, Takashi Sasabayashi, Koichi Katagawa, Katsuhiko Kishida, Mikio Oshiro, Katsunori Tanaka, Toshimitsu Minemura, Katsuyoshi Hiraki, Yuichi Inoue
  • Patent number: 7594041
    Abstract: A removable recording medium having an area for storing a content and, when attached to a reproducing apparatus, allowing the content recorded in the area to be reproduced is arranged so as to include, separately from the area for storing the content, an area for storing one or more conditions that allow the content to be reproduced by the reproducing apparatus. With this arrangement, by pre-recording on the recording medium, information for allowing the reproducing apparatus to reproduce a content, the recording apparatus can automatically perform processing such as encoding to a content in accordance with the information recorded on the recording medium and then record the content on the recording medium; and the reproducing apparatus can unconditionally reproduce a content recorded on the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoko Aono, Kazuto Ohhara, Toshio Nomura, Motohiro Ito, Hiroyuki Katata
  • Patent number: 7594245
    Abstract: A collaborative information system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: M. Ibrahim Sezan, James H. Errico, George R. Borden, Gary A. Feather, Mick G. Grover
  • Patent number: 7591293
    Abstract: A device and method for bonding objects to be bonded each having a metal bonding portion on a substrate, comprising cleaning means for exposing the metal bonding portions to a plasma having an energy enough to etch the surfaces of the metal bonding portions at a depth of 1.6 nm or more over the entire surfaces of the metal bonding portions under a reduced pressure and bonding means for bonding the metal bonding portions of the objects taken out of the cleaning means in an atmospheric air. By using a specific scheme, metal bonding portions after the plasma cleaning can be bonded in the atmospheric air, thereby significantly simplifying the bonding process and the whole device and lowering the cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignees: Toray Engineering Co., Ltd., Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd., Sanyo Electric Industry Co., Ltd., Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Sony Corporation, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Fujitsu Limited, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Rohm Co., Ltd., Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Tadatomo Suga, Toshihiro Ito, Akira Yamauchi