Patents by Inventor Hirofumi Wakemoto

Hirofumi Wakemoto has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20090197018
    Abstract: A liquid crystal layer is formed of a liquid crystal composition including at least one of a compound A which includes a compound of two 6-membered rings in a main skeleton, one of the 6-membered rings being a benzene ring and the other of the 6-membered rings being a cyclohexane ring, and which is expressed by a general formula (1), and a compound B in which both of the two 6-membered rings are cyclohexane rings, and which is expressed by a general formula (2), (each of R and R? represents an alkyl group or an alkenyl group with a carbon atom number of 2 to 5, and a case in which R and R? are identical is included).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2009
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Inventors: Midori TSUKANE, Hirofumi Wakemoto
  • Publication number: 20090079925
    Abstract: After supply of power, a liquid crystal display device performing transition from a first state to a second state different from the first state before a display operation is provided with a transition nucleus forming portion around a pixel electrode or inside. The transition nucleus forming portion performs transition to the second state prior to other portion during a transition drive period. The transition nucleus forming portion of the pixel electrode has an edge portion formed into a reverse taper shape decreasing in its thickness toward the tip end. Therefore, transition from a splay alignment to a bend alignment is performed with simple element and drive circuit configuration in all pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Inventors: Yukio KIZAKI, Rei Hasegawa, Yuko Kizu, Hirofumi Wakemoto, Kenji Nakao, Tetsuo Fukami, Testuya Kojima
  • Publication number: 20090079675
    Abstract: A device includes a substrate including a first insulating substrate, a first electrode located on the first insulating substrate, and a second electrode located between the first insulating substrate and the first electrode via an insulating underlayer interposed between the second and the first electrode, a substrate including a second insulating substrate and a third electrode on the second insulating substrate, a liquid crystal layer which is held between the first and the third electrode and which exhibits a transition from a first state to a second state in an initializing process, and a voltage supply unit which supplies, a first voltage to the first and the second electrodes and a second voltage to the third electrode, wherein the first electrode includes a transition nucleus forming section which forms nuclei of the transition in the liquid crystal layer on the basis of the respective voltages supplied to the respective electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Inventors: Kenji Nakao, Hirofumi Wakemoto, Tetsuya Kojima, Tetsuo Fukami, Yuko Kizu, Rei Hasegawa, Yukio Kizaki
  • Patent number: 7483104
    Abstract: An OCB mode liquid crystal display panel comprises a pair of electrode substrates, a liquid crystal layer which is held between the pair of electrode substrates and has liquid crystal molecules whose alignment state is controlled within a display area by a drive voltage applied from the electrode substrates, and a pair of alignment films which are disposed on the electrode substrates in contact with the liquid crystal layer and whose rubbing directions are set parallel to each other. The display area includes a plurality of pixels arrayed in a matrix, and the rubbing directions of the alignment films are substantially opposite to a scanning direction in which rows of the pixels are sequentially selected for application of the drive voltage in a display operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Nakao, Shinji Ogawa, Naoya Kubota, Hirofumi Wakemoto
  • Patent number: 7480023
    Abstract: An OCB mode liquid crystal display panel comprises a pair of electrode substrates, a liquid crystal layer which is held between the pair of electrode substrates and has liquid crystal molecules whose alignment state is controlled within a display area by a drive voltage applied from the electrode substrates, and a pair of alignment films which are disposed on the electrode substrates in contact with the liquid crystal layer and whose rubbing directions are set parallel to each other. The rubbing directions of the pair of alignment films are oriented toward a side of a main diffusion source of impurity ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Nakao, Shinji Ogawa, Hirofumi Wakemoto
  • Publication number: 20080192194
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes an insulating substrate, an alignment layer covering a main surface of the insulating substrate, and electrodes interposed therebetween. The alignment layer defines an alignment direction parallel to the main surface, an upstream side as one end's side of the alignment direction, and a downstream side as another end's side of the alignment direction, and tilts liquid crystal molecules toward the downstream side. Each electrode includes an upstream section that includes a first edge facing the upstream side and a downstream section that includes a second edge facing the downstream side and is provided with a recess recessed relative to the second edge. The first recess forms on the downstream section a third edge extending in the alignment direction and a fourth edge connecting the third edge to the second edge and facing the upstream side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2008
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Inventors: Yuzo Kizu, Yukio Kizaki, Rei Hasegawa, Hirofumi Wakemoto, Kenji Nakao, Tetsuya Kojima, Tetsuo Fukami
  • Publication number: 20070229738
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display panel includes an array substrate, a counter-substrate, a liquid crystal layer which is held between the array substrate and the counter-substrate and contains liquid crystal molecules whose alignment state is to be transitioned to a bend alignment for enabling a display operation, a retardation plate which is disposed at least on the counter-substrate, and a polarizer which is disposed on the retardation plate. The array substrate and counter-substrate include a pair of electrodes which are covered with alignment films, respectively, and are opposed to each other to define a rectangular display area, and the polarizer has an absorption axis which is substantially parallel or substantially perpendicular to each of the sides of the display area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Inventors: Kenji Nakao, Hirofumi Wakemoto, Nami Uyama, Yasuyuki Tsuji
  • Publication number: 20050264739
    Abstract: An OCB mode liquid crystal display panel comprises a pair of electrode substrates, a liquid crystal layer which is held between the pair of electrode substrates and has liquid crystal molecules whose alignment state is controlled within a display area by a drive voltage applied from the electrode substrates, and a pair of alignment films which are disposed on the electrode substrates in contact with the liquid crystal layer and whose rubbing directions are set parallel to each other. The rubbing directions of the pair of alignment films are oriented toward a side of a main diffusion source of impurity ions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Publication date: December 1, 2005
    Inventors: Kenji Nakao, Shinji Ogawa, Hirofumi Wakemoto
  • Publication number: 20050264738
    Abstract: An OCB mode liquid crystal display panel comprises a pair of electrode substrates, a liquid crystal layer which is held between the pair of electrode substrates and has liquid crystal molecules whose alignment state is controlled within a display area by a drive voltage applied from the electrode substrates, and a pair of alignment films which are disposed on the electrode substrates in contact with the liquid crystal layer and whose rubbing directions are set parallel to each other. The display area includes a plurality of pixels arrayed in a matrix, and the rubbing directions of the alignment films are substantially opposite to a scanning direction in which rows of the pixels are sequentially selected for application of the drive voltage in a display operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Publication date: December 1, 2005
    Inventors: Kenji Nakao, Shinji Ogawa, Naoya Kubota, Hirofumi Wakemoto
  • Patent number: 6933916
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display of the present invention is adapted to perform initialization by inputting voltages with different polarities to two pixel electrodes (23á, 23â) adjacent in front and back direction. It is preferable that in the two pixel electrodes (23á, 23â) adjacent in front and back direction, the pixel electrode (23á) located on back side is provided with a first protrusion (232á) at a front side and back direction, the pixel electrode (231â) adjacent in front and back is provided with a second protrusion (23â) located on front side is provided with a second a second protrusion (234â) on a back side edge (233â)thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Nakao, Daiichi Suzuki, Yoshinori Kobayashi, Katsuyuki Arimoto, Katsuhiko Kumagawa, Ichiro Sato, Keisuke Tsuda, Hirofumi Wakemoto, Hiroyuki Yamakita, Masanori Kimura, Yoshinori Tanaka, Akinori Shiota
  • Patent number: 6801293
    Abstract: The curing, by UV-light irradiation, of a sealing resin after injecting liquid crystal is made reliable. The display characteristics and the like of an in-plane electric field mode liquid crystal element are improved. To resolve these problems, the viscosity of the sealing resin is lowered, while bubbles mixed in the sealing resin are eliminated by ultrasonic waves, for example. Also, a means for eliminating ions and charges in the liquid crystal layer is devised.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Nishiyama, Junko Asayama, Kazunori Komori, Yukio Tanaka, Akio Takimoto, Kazuo Inoue, Katsuhiko Kumagawa, Ichiro Sato, Hirofumi Wakemoto, Noriyuki Kizu, Masanori Kimura, Keisuke Tsuda
  • Publication number: 20030122767
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display of the present invention is adapted to perform initialization by inputting voltages with different polarities to two pixel electrodes (23á, 23â) adjacent in front and back direction. It is preferable that in the two pixel electrodes (23á, 23â) adjacent in front and back direction, the pixel electrode (23á) located on back side is provided with a first protrusion (232á) at a front side edge (231á) thereof and in the two pixel electrodes adjacent in front and back direction, the pixel electrode (23â) located on front side is provided with a second protrusion (234â) on a back side edge (233â) thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2002
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Inventors: Kenji Nakao, Daiichi Suzuki, Yoshinori Kobayashi, Katsuyuki Arimoto, Katsuhiko Kumagawa, Ichiro Sato, Keisuke Tsuda, Hirofumi Wakemoto, Hiroyuki Yamakita, Masanori Kimura, Yoshinori Tanaka, Akinori Shiota
  • Patent number: 6522379
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display element comprising at least one substrate and a liquid crystal layer, a different orientation direction area of an orientation direction locally different from an orientation direction of the other area is present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoichi Ishihara, Yoshinori Tanaka, Kenji Nakao, Katsuji Hattori, Tsuyoshi Uemura, Junichi Kobayashi, Keisuke Tsuda, Hirofumi Wakemoto, Yoneharu Takubo
  • Patent number: 6215535
    Abstract: The present invention provides a light-modulation element comprising at least: liquid crystal droplets having a particle size between 0.6 &mgr;m-2 &mgr;m, which have light-modulating functions to scatter light rays or transmit light rays and polymer matrix having an interstructure thickness of 0.5 &mgr;m or less between the liquid crystal droplets. The light-modulation element works to scatter light rays or transmit light rays by turning on a voltage or turning off a voltage. The light-modulation element is produced by a polymerization process and a mixing step to separate out liquid crystal phases in a polymer matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junji Nakajima, Hideaki Mochizuki, Masao Yamamoto, Hirofumi Wakemoto
  • Patent number: 5876891
    Abstract: An alternating copolymer comprising a repeating unit of the formula:--Z--(X--Y).sub.n-- (I)wherein n is at least 2, X is O, S, Se or Te, and Y and Z are independently an aromatic or substituted aromatic group, and at least one other repeating unit, which is useful as a photosensitive material used in a spatial light modulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akio Takimoto, Hirofumi Wakemoto, Eiichiro Tanaka, Masanori Watanabe, Junko Asayama, Hisahito Ogawa, Shigehiro Sato, Fumiko Yokotani
  • Patent number: 5654367
    Abstract: An alternating copolymer comprising a repeating unit of the formula:--Z--(X--Y).sub.n -- (I)wherein n is at least 2, X is O, S, Se or Te, and Y and Z are independently an aromatic or substituted aromatic group, and at least one other repeating unit, which is useful as a photosensitive material used in a spatial light modulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1997
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akio Takimoto, Hirofumi Wakemoto, Eiichiro Tanaka, Masanori Watanabe, Junko Asayama, Hisahito Ogawa, Shigehiro Sato, Fumiko Yokotani
  • Patent number: 5597889
    Abstract: An alternating copolymer comprising a repeating unit of the formula:--Z--(X-Y).sub.n -- (I)wherein n is at least 2, X is O, S, Se or Te, and Y and Z are independently an aromatic or substituted aromatic group, and at least one other repeating unit, which is useful as a photosensitive material used in a spatial light modulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1997
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akio Takimoto, Hirofumi Wakemoto, Eiichiro Tanaka, Masanori Watanabe, Junko Asayama, Hisahito Ogawa, Shigehiro Sato, Fumiko Yokotani
  • Patent number: 5519519
    Abstract: The present invention provides a light-modulation element comprising at least: liquid crystal droplets having a particle size between 0.6 .mu.m-2 .mu.m, which have light-modulating functions to scatter light rays or transmit light rays and polymer matrix having an interstructure thickness of 0.5 .mu.m or less between the liquid crystal droplets. The light-modulation element works to scatter light rays or transmit light rays by turning on a voltage or turning off a voltage. The light-modulation element is produced by a polymerization process and a mixing step to separate out liquid crystal phases in a polymer matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junji Nakajima, Hideaki Mochizuki, Masao Yamamoto, Hirofumi Wakemoto
  • Patent number: 5486442
    Abstract: An alternating copolymer comprising a repeating unit of the formula:-Z-(X-Y).sub.n - (I)wherein n is at least 2, X is O, S, Se or Te, and Y and Z are independently an aromatic or substituted aromatic group, and at least one other repeating unit, which is useful as a photosensitive material used in a spatial light modulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1996
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akio Takimoto, Hirofumi Wakemoto, Eiichiro Tanaka, Masanori Watanabe, Junko Asayama, Hisahito Ogawa, Shigehiro Sato, Fumiko Yokotani
  • Patent number: 5398127
    Abstract: An active matrix type of twisted nematic liquid crystal display is provided with a lower alignment layer rubbed in rubbing directions RD3, RD4 opposite to each other, an upper alignment layer rubbed in rubbing directions RD5, RD6 opposite to each other, a liquid crystal layer arranged between the lower and upper alignment layers and filled with liquid crystal molecules set in a nematic liquid crystal phase, a pixel electrode and a common electrode for inducing a vertical electric field in the liquid crystal layer, and a source line and gate line driving a switching device for applying an electric potential to the pixel electrode. The rubbing direction on the substrate with the switching device is at an angle of 1.degree.-44.degree. to either the source or gate line. In this case, major axes of a group of liquid crystal molecules arranged above the pixel electrode are twisted in a clockwise direction, and major axes of other group of liquid crystal molecules are twisted in a counterclockwise direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1995
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Kubota, Shoichi Ishihara, Hirofumi Wakemoto, Keisuke Tsuda, Hiroshi Satani, Katsuji Hattori