Patents Assigned to Sharp
  • Patent number: 8648826
    Abstract: Provided is a display device with a narrowed frame capable of preventing pooling. A display device includes a display unit (69) including a liquid-crystal display panel (59), an internal frame (FM) covered with the liquid-crystal display panel (59), and a rear case (CS1) accommodating the internal frame (FM). Ribs (RB) of the rear case (CS1) support a touch panel (79) while separating the touch panel (79) from the internal frame (FM).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoshi Katoh
  • Patent number: 8649046
    Abstract: An image processing system disclosed is arranged to (i) when an image processing apparatus has received document image data and image processing request information for the document image data, cause a display section of the image processing apparatus to display an execution/non-execution selection screen for allowing a user to select whether to carry out an image processing corresponding to the image processing request information and (ii) upon acceptance of an instruction from the user to carry out the image processing corresponding to the image processing request information, carry out, with respect to the document image data, the image processing corresponding to the image processing request information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroki Ikeda, Yoshinori Nagata
  • Patent number: 8649197
    Abstract: A multilevel inverter includes an inverter arm. The inverter arm is provided between a highest electric potential point and a lowest electric potential point, and includes (i) a second switching element group to which switching elements that are connected in series belong, the switching elements being connected to respective diodes which are connected in an opposite polarity and in parallel and (ii) a diode for each power supply connection point. One of connection points at which the switching elements belonging to the second switching element group are connected to each other and a U phase output terminal are connected, the one connection point being located such that at least one of the switching elements provided between the one connection point and the highest electric potential point is equal in number to the other switching elements which belong to the second switching element group and are provided between the one connection point and the lowest electric potential point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuya Abe
  • Patent number: 8648979
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to reduce the tendency that local deformation occurs in an extending member in a backlight unit. A backlight unit 12 of the present invention includes LEDs 17 as light sources, a chassis 14 that stores the LEDs 17, a reflection sheet 21 and an LED substrate 18 as extending members extending along an inner surface of the chassis 14 and a holding member 20 that holds the reflection sheet 21 and the LED substrate 18 with the chassis 14 such that the reflection sheet 21 and the LED substrate 18 are sandwiched between the holding member 20 and the chassis 14. The holding member 20 is fixed to the chassis 14. The holding member 20 includes contact portions 26 that protrude toward the reflection sheet 21 and the LED substrate 18. The contact portions 26 are in contact with the reflection sheet 21 and the LED substrate 18.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasumori Kuromizu
  • Patent number: 8648185
    Abstract: The present invention concerns methods and reagents useful in modulating gene expression in a variety of applications, including use in therapeutic, diagnostic, target validation, and genomic discovery applications. Specifically, the invention relates to synthetic chemically modified 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 capable of mediating RNA interference (RNAi) against target nucleic acid sequences. The small nucleic acid molecules are useful in the treatment of any disease or condition that responds to modulation of gene expression or activity in a cell, tissue, or organism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.
    Inventors: James McSwigen, Leonid Beigelman
  • Patent number: 8649706
    Abstract: Disclosed is a corona charging apparatus for electrically charging a surface of an image bearing member to which the corona charging apparatus faces and which is rotatably provided in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the corona charging apparatus including: a discharging electrode; a shield case that covers the discharging electrode, the shield case being opened at least in a region where the discharging electrode and the image bearing member face each other; and a sheet-like member being made from aluminum and being attached to a first surface of the shield case which first surface faces the discharging electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Ino, Hiroo Naoi, Katsuya Takano, Yasuhiro Nishimura, Masaki Ueji
  • Patent number: 8649709
    Abstract: A toner supplying device and an image forming apparatus that supply toner stably and do not impose a stress on toner, regardless of a remaining amount of toner stored in a storage container of the toner supplying device are provided. Two flexible sheets constituting a toner scooping blade are bonded to each other with a double-sided adhesive tape that functions as a spacer and an adhesive member sandwiched therebetween at an end fixed to a blade support neck and the other end in contact with an inner wall of the toner storage container. Whereby, a gap is formed between the two flexible sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshiki Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 8648397
    Abstract: A switching element (a semiconductor device) (18) having a top gate electrode (21) and a bottom gate electrode (23) is provided with a silicon layer (a semiconductor layer) (SL) that is arranged between the top gate electrode (21) and the bottom gate electrode (a light-shielding film) (23) and that has a source region (24), a drain region (28), a channel region (26), and low-concentration impurity regions (25, 27). Furthermore, the bottom gate electrode (23) is arranged so as to overlap the channel region (26), a part of the low-concentration impurity region (25), which is adjacent to the source region (24), and a part of the low-concentration impurity region (27), which is adjacent to the drain region (28). The bottom gate electrode (23) is controlled so as to have a prescribed potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Kaneko, Hidehito Kitakado
  • Patent number: 8648807
    Abstract: Disclosed are an illuminance sensor which has a spectral-response characteristic approximate to the spectral luminous efficacy and which has a low circuit complexity, and a display device including the illuminance sensor. The illuminance sensor includes (i) a current output circuit which, with use of a bitstream signal of a first analog-digital conversion circuit for carrying out an analog-digital conversion with respect to a first current flowing through a first light receiving element, outputs a current corresponding to the first current and (ii) a second analog-digital conversion circuit which receives a third current obtained by subtracting a current from a second current flowing through a second light receiving element and which thus carries out an analog-digital conversion with respect to the third current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahiro Inoue, Tadamasa Kimura
  • Patent number: 8649280
    Abstract: A method for adaptively deciding number of feedback resource blocks in a downlink which comprises that a base station (500) determines a mode corresponding to the number of the feedback resource blocks which a user equipment feeds back by monitoring performance of a wireless cell and number of the user equipments (100) and transmits the mode to the user equipments (100) through signaling; the user equipments (100) listens to the mode and adaptively decides the number of feedback resource blocks by conditions of itself and feeds back downlink channel quality indicator information to the base station (500) according to Best channel quality indicator number or Threshold based feedback algorithm; and the base station (500) performs resource scheduling according to the feedback information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yongming Liang, Renmao Liu, Chongguang Yan, Ming Ding
  • Patent number: 8648820
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus including software buttons and hardware buttons, a log-in image is displayed, and when input of a log-in name by a user is completed, determination is made as to whether an operation device used at that time is hardware buttons. If the operation device is hardware buttons, the image forming apparatus erases a software keyboard from a display panel, and if the operation device is not the hardware buttons, turns off a hardware button lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Minami Sensu
  • Patent number: 8648058
    Abstract: A compound of formula I, wherein R1-R7 are defined herein, or stereoisomers therof, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts of stereoisomers thereof, and methods of using these compounds for treating hypertension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.
    Inventors: Amjad Ali, Michael Man-Chu Lo, Edward Metzger, Lin Yan
  • Patent number: 8648889
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, in an even-numbered signal line group, the arrangement sequence of the first and second signal lines is reversed between in a display area and in a non-display area, and the same goes for the arrangement sequence of the third and fourth signal lines. The ends of the first to sixteenth signal lines in the non-display area are connected to the first to sixteenth individual drivers, respectively. An odd-numbered individual driver and an even-numbered individual driver each output a corresponding one of drive signals of opposite polarity. Thus, the polarities of subpixels of the same color arranged in a first direction D1 (horizontal direction) differ between the subpixels connected to the odd-numbered signal line group and the subpixels connected to the even-numbered signal line group. That is, all of the subpixels having the same color arranged in the horizontal direction do not have the same polarity. This helps reduce a horizontal shadow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuhko Hisada, Ryohki Itoh, Takaharu Yamada, Hideki Morii, Takayuki Mizunaga
  • Patent number: 8647980
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of forming wiring. The method includes the steps of: depositing a metal thin film (12) of copper (Cu) on a glass substrate (11) serving as a base; forming an insulating film or a metal insulating film (131) containing no Cu on the metal thin film (12); patterning a photoresist (14) by photolithography on the insulating film (131); etching a liner film (13) by isotropic dry etching using the photoresist (14) as an etching mask; and after the etching of the liner film (13), removing the photoresist (14), and then removing part of the metal thin film (12) by isotropic wet etching using the liner film (13) as an etching mask, thereby forming metal wiring (12a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinya Ohhira
  • Patent number: 8649832
    Abstract: Antenna characteristics of a folding cellphone are adjusted to appropriate values. The cellphone includes a first casing 10a containing a first circuit member 15a, and a second casing 10b containing a second circuit member 15b. The first circuit member 15a and the second circuit member 15b are connected by a connection structure consisting of a first connecting conductor 23a extending from each lateral end of the first circuit member 15a downward (toward the second casing), and a second connecting conductor 25a extending from each lateral end of the second circuit member 15b upward (toward the first casing). The first circuit member 15a and the second circuit member 15b are each comprised of shields, substrates, and so on. Antenna 111 is disposed at an upper edge of the first casing 10a. The effective casing length is affected by the length of the first casing 10a and the second casing 10b, which are both electrically conductive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Takebe
  • Patent number: 8646962
    Abstract: Provided is a light guide plate that is suited for a compact illumination device emitting high-grade light and that allows the orientation thereof to be recognized with ease, an illumination device equipped with the light guide plate, and a display device equipped with the illumination device. Two protrusions (12A, 12B) are formed on a light-receiving face (11r) of a light guide plate (11), and these protrusions (12A, 12B) serve as a recognition member that allows the orientation of a top surface (11u) of the light guide plate (11) to be recognized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroaki Isobe
  • Patent number: 8648780
    Abstract: A backlight display has improved display characteristics. An image is displayed on the display which includes a liquid crystal material with a light valve. The display receives an image signal and modifies the light based upon motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Xiao-Fan Feng
  • Patent number: 8649731
    Abstract: Provided is a communication system that can allocate resources on an uplink for a CQI report, and can reduce the overhead of the CQI relay transmission from a relay station apparatus to a base station apparatus. To each mobile station apparatus (501, 502) that transmits CQI directly to a base station apparatus (500), resource blocks on a base station apparatus uplink to be used for the transmission of each CQI to the base station apparatus are allocated. Resource blocks on the base station apparatus uplink to be used for each relay station to relay-transmit to the base station apparatus CQI received from the mobile station apparatuses are allocated on the basis of the allocation result of resource blocks on a relay station apparatus uplink for each relay station apparatus (510, 520).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Onodera, Toshizo Nogami, Osamu Nakamura, Hiroshi Nakano
  • Patent number: 8650334
    Abstract: A source device such as a mobile phone terminal can provide more surely a user with a notification of a status of the source device. A mobile phone terminal (2) serving as the source device includes a command processing section (304) which issues a command which (A) has an event ID which designates a status of the source device and (B) causes a TV (1) to display the status of the source device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuya Yoshida, Tomohiro Nagano, Kenichi Kimura, Tadamichi Atsumi, Taisuke Hara, Shuji Daioku, Kyohichiroh Sawachika, Koji Osaki, Ryutaro Mashiko
  • Patent number: 8650477
    Abstract: A multimedia processing device implements a script having a data structure that is formed of a drawing information describing portion where media data is chronologically described, and a user navigation information describing portion where correspondence between events and actions and implementation conditions are chronologically described. The multimedia processing device implements this script, and thereby, media data is chronologically reproduced, and at the same time, a user interface showing operations that can be chronologically carried out is outputted. Then, a predetermined process, such as an insertion of media data, can be implemented by carrying out the operations following the user interface according to predetermined timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuo Sudoh, Junsei Sato, Ryota Yagi