Patents Assigned to Sharp
  • Publication number: 20030058393
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes: a liquid crystal cell having a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween; a pair of polarizing plates interposing the liquid crystal cell therebetween; and a phase compensation element provided between at least one of the polarizing plates and the liquid crystal cell. A refractive index anisotropy value of the liquid crystal layer along a plane parallel to a surface of the liquid crystal cell is smaller in a black display than in a white display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Terashita, Fumikazu Shimoshikiryo, Shuichi Kozaki
  • Patent number: 6538630
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus drives an active-matrix liquid crystal panel by the use of the line reversal driving method. To do so, a common driver AC-drives one of a pair of electrode in each of all the pixels of the liquid crystal panel. An adding circuit obtains the sum of a plurality of gradation components for deciding the gradations of the pixels in one of the columns in the liquid crystal panel at intervals of the predetermined horizontal period. A voltage setting portion in a source driver corrects a reference voltage difference 66 Vref on the basis of the sum at intervals of the horizontal period, divides the corrected reference voltage difference 66 Vrefa, decides a plurality of gradation voltages, and selects voltages to be applied to a plurality of data lines in the liquid crystal panel from among the gradation voltages based on the plurality of gradation components. The selected plurality of voltages are applied to the plurality of data lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeki Tanaka, Shigeki Tamai
  • Patent number: 6538326
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device, a second wiring layer 7 is formed via an inter-layer insulation film 6 on a first wiring layer 2 connected to an active region of a silicon substrate 1, and a bonding pad 14 is placed on the second wiring layer 7 via a protection film 8 and a polyimide film 10, so as to overlie the active region of the silicon substrate 1. The second wiring layer 7 has a plurality of wires 7a and 7b in a region underlying the bonding pad 14: the wire 7a is joined to the bonding pad 14 via opening sections 9 and 11 provided in the protection film 8 and the polyimide film 10, respectively, and the protection film 8 and the polyimide film 10 are placed between the wires 7b and the bonding pad 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hironobu Shimizu, Koji Fujimoto, Masahiro Horio
  • Patent number: 6538556
    Abstract: A remote control system has a remote controller and one or more controlled apparatuses, and a single operation of the remote controller by a user allows a series of functions to be continuously performed in the one or more controlled apparatuses. Upon operation of the remote controller by a user, the remote controller makes an inquiry about a current state of a controlled apparatus. In response to the inquiry from the remote controller, the apparatus sends a signal indicative of its current state. The remote controller then compares the current state of the apparatus with a desired state. The remote controller transmits a function control signal to the apparatus to instruct the apparatus to perform a required function only when the current state of the apparatus does not coincide with the desired state. The same function control signal is repeatedly transmitted until the current state of the apparatus coincides with the desired state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Momoe Kawajiri
  • Patent number: 6538738
    Abstract: A quantity of modulation of brightness of bright display with respect to dark display is determined by obtaining a Mueller matrix regarding light since immediately before incidence to an optically anisotropic object until immediately after outgoing therefrom. It is possible to provide a method for evaluating optical modulation characteristics of a liquid crystal modulation element, in which: an index indicative of the brightness modulation quantity as an optical modulation characteristic of the liquid crystal modulation element is expressed by a general method that does not depend on the number of design parameters of optical elements to be finally determined; therefore, a value of the optical characteristic can be simply determined; and consequently conditions of design parameters necessary for optimizing the optical modulation characteristics and providing satisfactory optical modulation can be easily found.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masayuki Okamoto
  • Patent number: 6538390
    Abstract: An organic LED display device of active matrix drive type comprises: a substrate; a thin film transistor provided on the substrate; a planarization film provided over the thin film transistor; and an organic LED device provided on the planarization film, and comprising a pixel electrode electrically connected to a drain electrode of the thin film transistor via an interconnection extending through the planarization film, an organic LED layer comprising at least one organic light emitting layer, and a counter electrode; the thin film transistor being operative to control one of a current and a voltage to be applied to the LED device; wherein the interconnection has an end face flush with a surface of the planarization film on a pixel electrode side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshimasa Fujita, Kazuo Ban
  • Patent number: 6537358
    Abstract: In order to provide an yellow recording liquid having superior spray stability, superior preservation stability, and superior water resistance of a recorded image, etc, yellow pigment particles which have been rendered hydrophilic (accepted a sulfonic acid group) at least on the surface (hydrophilic particles) are dispersed in a liquid. In the product yellow recording liquid, the hydrophilic particles are uniformly dispersed and the particles do not aggregate each other. Thus, the uniformly dispersed state of hydrophilic particles as a recording material can be maintained for a long period, thus realizing an yellow recording liquid having a superior spray stability and superior preservation stability. Further, the hydrophilic particles are also hydrophobic by the intrinsic property of the yellow pigment. Thus, the yellow recording liquid has desirable fixability with respect to a surface of a recording medium (recording surface), regardless of whether the recording surface is hydrophilic or hydrophobic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahiro Horiuchi, Tomoko Inoue, Masanobu Hasebe
  • Patent number: 6538303
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device, an island penetrating hole, which is larger than a mounted chip, is formed on an island of a lead frame, and a heatsink is mounted on the island so as to cover the island penetrating hole. The chip is disposed on a surface of the heatsink in the island penetrating hole. The ground terminal of the chip and the island are wire-bonded to each other via GND wires. This arrangement makes it possible to reduce a heat resistance in a heat-releasing path, thereby improving a heat-releasing property. Further, the GND wires are shortened and a GND inductance is reduced. Consequently, it is possible to efficiently exert capability of the chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahiko Kushino
  • Patent number: 6538756
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus provided with an auxiliary memory device for storing type skeletal shape information indicating skeletal shapes of characters, including symbols and pictorial symbols, and element shape information indicating an outline shape and a skeletal shape of each of constituent elements constituting the characters in advance, and a pattern generator for generating a pattern by changing the element shape information according to the type skeletal shape information, drawing the constituent elements according to a predetermined design corresponding to the changed element shape information, and combining the constituent elements thus drawn. This information processing apparatus is capable of easily generating high-quality patterns, which are colored in various ways according to typeface, by reducing the number of data producing steps and data volume necessary for generating patterns by putting a plurality of colors into each stroke of characters including symbols and pictorial symbols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Susumu Hasegawa, Megumi Itou
  • Patent number: 6537361
    Abstract: A method of synthesizing a PGO spin-coating precursor solution includes utilizing the starting materials of lead acetate trihydrate (Pb(OAc)2•3H2O) and germanium alkoxide (Ge(OR)4(R=C2H5 and CH(CH3)2)). The organic solvent is di(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether. The mixed solution of lead and di(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether is heated in an atmosphere of air at a temperature no greater than 185° C., and preferably no greater than 190° C. for a time period in a range of thirty minutes to four hours. During the heating step the color of the solution is monitored to determine when the reaction is complete and when decomposition of the desired product begins to take place. The solution is then added to germanium di(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether to make the PGO spin-coating solution. This second step also entails heating the solution to a temperature no greater than 190° C. for a time period in a range of 0.5 to 2.0 hours.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei-Wei Zhuang, Fengyan Zhang, Jer-Shen Maa, Sheng Teng Hsu
  • Patent number: 6537859
    Abstract: A semiconductor chip is encapsulated with resin into a plastic package so as to form a semiconductor device having the semiconductor chip in the plastic package. The semiconductor device is then received in a container so that the container is vacuumed up to a vacuum degree of 10−6 or less. Thereafter, the semiconductor device is baked at a temperature within a range of 165° C. to 175° C. for 6 hours or more by using a hot plate. Thus, this baking under the reduced pressure prevents generation of blisters and cracks on the plastic package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazumasa Mitsumune
  • Patent number: 6538317
    Abstract: A substrate for a resin-encapsulated semiconductor device comprises a first region for mounting a plurality of semiconductor chips in which a plurality of patterned wirings, a plurality of first through holes for external connection and lands which cover the entire openings of the first through holes and partially constitute the patterned wirings are formed and a second region in which the semiconductor chips are not mounted, the first and second regions being formed on the same surface, wherein the second region is provided with a plurality of second through holes whose openings are entirely covered with a conductive film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koji Miyata
  • Patent number: 6539114
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus having an image judgement section for judging whether or not a specific pattern image is included in at least a part of the image data input from an image input section, and a central processing unit for controlling the output of an image based on the judgement result by the image judgement section, wherein the image judgement section comprises a plurality of specific pattern image control tables for controlling different specific pattern images, respectively, and every time image data is input from the image data input section, the order of the plurality of specific pattern image control tables is changed over to perform the image judgement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoichi Shimazawa
  • Patent number: 6538348
    Abstract: In a state that a wafer stage is not positioned in the center of the Y-direction traveling range, thrusts Fa, Fb supplied from a pair of linear motors to a Y-direction stage are made different and the Y-direction stage is moved in the X direction so that moments Ma, Mb about the centroid of the Y-direction stage by the thrusts Fa, Fb cancel each other. Since the moments Ma, Mb about the centroid generated by the thrusts cancel each other and the thrusts do not act as forces for rotating the Y-direction stage, the Y-direction stage is not deflected in a yawing direction. Such a stage device as constructed above can prevent deflection in a yawing direction due to displacement of the centroid position of an object to be positioned or a stage and precisely move the object to be positioned to a target position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Sawai, Hiroshi Ishii
  • Patent number: 6538272
    Abstract: A contact plug electrically connected with a MOS transistor is formed in a first interlayer dielectric. Then, a barrier metal material is deposited over the first interlayer dielectric and the contact plug, and patterned into a barrier metal electrically connected with the contact plug. After a SiN film is formed as an anti-oxygen-permeation film over the barrier metal and the first interlayer dielectric, the film is abraded by a chemical mechanical polishing technique until a top surface of the barrier metal is exposed. Then, a lower electrode material, a dielectric material and an upper electrode material are deposited in this order on the SiN film and the barrier metal, and then patterned such that a resulting lower electrode covers at least the entire upper surface of the barrier metal. Thereafter a second interlayer dielectric is deposited, and a heat treatment is performed in an oxygen ambient to recover film quality of a capacitor dielectric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinobu Yamazaki, Kazuya Ishihara, Tetsu Miyoshi, Jun Kudo
  • Publication number: 20030052869
    Abstract: A display includes in each of display areas: a reflective area containing a non-light-emitting display element for effecting a display by means of a liquid crystal display element reflecting external light; and a light-emitting area containing a light-emitting display element for effecting a display by means of an organic EL element directly modulating external light, the reflective area and the light-emitting area being ordered in some manner. The display further includes a first substrate and a second substrate positioned opposite to each other, and the light-modulating element and the light-emitting element are both provided between the first substrate and the second substrate. Thus, a display and a method of manufacturing thereof can be offered which allows for reduction in size and cost and delivers excellent visibility from outdoors to indoors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2002
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Aklyoshi Fujii, Akihito Jinda, Yozo Narutaki
  • Publication number: 20030053103
    Abstract: Printing systems, softwares and methods permit an untrained user to characterize unknown printing media. A printing system includes a printing device that prints on a medium according to settings. The printing system also includes an interface, and a controller for controlling the settings responsive to inputs from the interface. The controller has an on line mode for printing while the settings are unchanging, and an off line mode for calibration of the settings. While in the off line mode, the controller is adapted to identify a plurality of calibration values for the setting. The controller is further adapted to control the printing device to iteratively set the setting of the printing device according to one of the first calibration values and then print a sample image. This may take place for all the calibration values. Having the sample images, the user selects the best one, and enters its a characteristic number. That number is interpreted to derive the preferred calibration value for the setting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2001
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Applicant: Sharp Labs
    Inventor: Ronnie Neil Patton
  • Publication number: 20030055686
    Abstract: The present invention provides a medical information system which easily discloses medical data only to the patient corresponding to the medical data. In the present system, a display terminal 1, which is a handy viewer having reflection-type LCD screen, is provided to the patient for informed consent. Therefore, by using such a display terminal, the patient can see the data in any arbitrary places as long as he/she wants without being seen by other people, for example, in a corridor where no one else is around, or having a wall or a window behind, or in the corner of the waiting room. Thus, it is possible to sufficiently protect privacy of the patient since medical data is disclosed only to the corresponding patient, thereby providing a barrier-free medical information system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2002
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Eiji Satoh, Sayuri Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 6535425
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device of the present invention includes: a first booster circuit for generating a first voltage higher than a voltage supplied by an external power source, the first booster circuit being used for writing or deleting of data; a second booster circuit for generating a second voltage higher than the voltage supplied by the external power source, the second booster being used for reading of data; a regulator for controlling the first voltage, the regulator being connected to an output terminal of the first booster circuit; and a reference voltage generator circuit for generating a reference voltage input to the regulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaru Nawaki, Makoto Ihara, Toshiji Ishii
  • Patent number: 6535167
    Abstract: An inverted-F-shaped antenna pattern is formed as a driven element on the obverse-side surface of a glass-epoxy circuit board. This antenna pattern has a feeding conductor pattern connected to a feeding transmission path formed on the obverse-side surface of the circuit board and a grounding conductor pattern connected to a grounding conductor portion formed on the obverse-side surface of the circuit board. Moreover, an inverted-L-shaped antenna pattern is formed as a passive element on the reverse-side surface of the circuit board. This antenna pattern has a grounding conductor pattern connected to a grounding conductor portion formed on the reverse-side surface of the circuit board. Forming the inverted-F-shaped antenna pattern and the inverted-L-shaped antenna pattern so as to overlap each other yields a laminate pattern antenna that is usable in a wide frequency range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Masuda, Hisamatsu Nakano