Patents by Inventor Hironori Kikkawa

Hironori Kikkawa 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).

  • Patent number: 9786712
    Abstract: There is provided a radiation image pickup unit including: a plurality of pixels each configured to generate a signal charge based on a radiation; a device substrate including a photoelectric conversion element for each pixel; a wavelength conversion layer provided on a light incident side of the device substrate, and configured to convert a wavelength of the radiation into other wavelength; and a partition wall separating the wavelength conversion layer for each pixel. The radiation image pickup unit is configured to allow a gap between the wavelength conversion layer and the device substrate to be equal to or larger than a threshold or equal to or smaller than the threshold, the threshold being preset based on a spatial frequency of an image pickup target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinji Fujimoto, Hironori Kikkawa, Yasuhiro Yamada, Michiru Senda
  • Publication number: 20160163763
    Abstract: There is provided a radiation image pickup unit including: a plurality of pixels each configured to generate a signal charge based on a radiation; a device substrate including a photoelectric conversion element for each pixel; a wavelength conversion layer provided on a light incident side of the device substrate, and configured to convert a wavelength of the radiation into other wavelength; and a partition wall separating the wavelength conversion layer for each pixel. The radiation image pickup unit is configured to allow a gap between the wavelength conversion layer and the device substrate to be equal to or larger than a threshold or equal to or smaller than the threshold, the threshold being preset based on a spatial frequency of an image pickup target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2014
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventors: Shinji FUJIMOTO, Hironori KIKKAWA, Yasuhiro YAMADA, Michiru SENDA
  • Patent number: 8373830
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including a first substrate, a second substrate facing and spaced away from the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first and second substrates, a switching device formed on the first substrate, a first electrically insulating film randomly patterned on the first substrate, a second electrically insulating film covering the first electrically insulating film therewith, and having a wavy surface, and a reflection electrode formed on the second electrically insulating film, and electrically connected to an electrode of the switching device, wherein a light passing through the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer is reflected at the reflection electrode, and the second electrically insulating film extends outwardly from the first electrically insulating film by a certain length at an end of a display region in which images are to be displayed, such that a step formed by the first and second electrically insulating films in the vicinity of the en
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: NLT Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hironori Kikkawa, Michiaki Sakamoto, Yuichi Yamaguchi, Hidenori Ikeno, Fumihiko Matsuno
  • Publication number: 20110285946
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including a first substrate, a second substrate facing and spaced away from the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first and second substrates, a switching device formed on the first substrate, a first electrically insulating film randomly patterned on the first substrate, a second electrically insulating film covering the first electrically insulating film therewith, and having a wavy surface, and a reflection electrode formed on the second electrically insulating film, and electrically connected to an electrode of the switching device, wherein a light passing through the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer is reflected at the reflection electrode, and the second electrically insulating film extends outwardly from the first electrically insulating film by a certain length at an end of a display region in which images are to be displayed, such that a step formed by the first and second electrically insulating films in the vicinity of the en
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: NEC LCD TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hironori KIKKAWA, Michiaki SAKAMOTO, Yuichi YAMAGUCHI, Hidenori IKENO, Fumihiko MATSUNO
  • Patent number: 7751022
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including a first substrate, a second substrate facing and spaced away from the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first and second substrates, a switching device formed on the first substrate, a first electrically insulating film randomly patterned on the first substrate, a second electrically insulating film covering the first electrically insulating film therewith, and having a wavy surface, and a reflection electrode formed on the second electrically insulating film, and electrically connected to an electrode of the switching device, wherein a light passing through the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer is reflected at the reflection electrode, and the second electrically insulating film extends outwardly from the first electrically insulating film by a certain length at an end of a display region in which images are to be displayed, such that a step formed by the first and second electrically insulating films in the vicinity of the en
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hironori Kikkawa, Michiaki Sakamoto, Yuichi Yamaguchi, Hidenori Ikeno, Fumihiko Matsuno
  • Patent number: 7705945
    Abstract: A switching element is formed on a substrate disposed proximate a liquid crystal layer. A two layer insulation film is formed on the substrate, including a lower film and an upper film. The two layer insulation film overlays the switching element. A convex/concave structure is formed on an upper surface of the two layer insulation film by removing portions of the upper film. A reflection electrode is formed on a surface of the convex/concave structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignees: NEC Corporation, NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kanou, Yuichi Yamaguchi, Hironori Kikkawa
  • Patent number: 7652733
    Abstract: There is provided a light-reflector used in a liquid crystal display device which uses an externally incident light as a light source by reflecting the externally incident light to a viewer, wherein the light-reflector is formed at a surface thereof with a rugged pattern comprised of an alternating pattern of pixel pattern areas, each pixel pattern area positioned to overlie a respective one pixel of the liquid crystal display device, each of the pixel pattern areas of the alternating pattern being different, wherein each pixel pattern area of the alternating pattern is comprised of alternately formed recessed and raised portions, and the alternating pattern is formed periodically repeatedly every two pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Michiaki Sakamoto, Hironori Kikkawa, Kenkichi Harada
  • Patent number: 7561238
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device comprising a first substrate 101 having a color filter, a second substrate 131 and a liquid crystal layer disposed therebetween, a color filter layer 110 is disposed on a protection film 108 of a thin film transistor formed on the first substrate 101 so as to be partitioned by a light shielding portion 111, and a common electrode 103 is disposed thereon. A pixel electrode to be connected to a source electrode 107 is disposed through a through hole formed in an overcoat layer (interlayer separation film) 112. On the first substrate below the color filter layer 110 are provided plural scan signal electrodes, plural video signal electrodes crossing the scan signal electrodes in a matrix form, plural thin film transistors formed in association with the crossing points between the electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Michiaki Sakamoto, Takahiko Watanabe, Hirofumi Ihara, Hironori Kikkawa, Mamoru Okamoto, Shinichi Nakata, Yuji Yamamoto, Masayoshi Suzuki, Teruaki Suzuki, Toshiya Ishii, Hiroshi Kanoh
  • Patent number: 7522254
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including a first substrate, a second substrate facing and spaced away from the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first and second substrates, a switching device formed on the first substrate, a first electrically insulating film randomly patterned on the first substrate, a second electrically insulating film covering the first electrically insulating film therewith, and having a wavy surface, and a reflection electrode formed on the second electrically insulating film, and electrically connected to an electrode of the switching device, wherein a light passing through the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer is reflected at the reflection electrode, and the second electrically insulating film extends outwardly from the first electrically insulating film by a certain length at an end of a display region in which images are to be displayed, such that a step formed by the first and second electrically insulating films in the vicinity of the en
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies
    Inventors: Hironori Kikkawa, Michiaki Sakamoto, Yuichi Yamaguchi, Hidenori Ikeno, Fumihiko Matsuno
  • Patent number: 7514303
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes (a) a first substrate, (b) a second substrate spaced away from and facing the first substrate, (c) a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first and second substrates, (d) a transistor formed on the first substrate, (e) a wiring layer formed on the first substrate and electrically connected to the transistor, (f) a reflection electrode formed on the first substrate, an external incident light being reflected at the reflection electrode towards a viewer, and (g) a compensation layer formed directly on the wiring layer. The reflection electrode does not cover the wiring layer therewith, and the compensation layer has almost the same height as a height of the reflection electrode, the height being measured from a surface of the first substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuichi Yamaguchi, Hironori Kikkawa, Hiroshi Kanoh, Teruaki Suzuki, Hidenori Ikeno
  • Publication number: 20090079918
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including a first substrate, a second substrate facing and spaced away from the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first and second substrates, a switching device formed on the first substrate, a first electrically insulating film randomly patterned on the first substrate, a second electrically insulating film covering the first electrically insulating film therewith, and having a wavy surface, and a reflection electrode formed on the second electrically insulating film, and electrically connected to an electrode of the switching device, wherein a light passing through the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer is reflected at the reflection electrode, and the second electrically insulating film extends outwardly from the first electrically insulating film by a certain length at an end of a display region in which images are to be displayed, such that a step formed by the first and second electrically insulating films in the vicinity of the en
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Applicant: NEC LCD TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hironori Kikkawa, Michiaki Sakamoto, Yuichi Yamaguchi, Hidenori Ikeno, Fumihiko Matsuno
  • Publication number: 20080286890
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including a first substrate, a second substrate facing and spaced away from the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first and second substrates, a switching device formed on the first substrate, a first electrically insulating film randomly patterned on the first substrate, a second electrically insulating film covering the first electrically insulating film therewith, and having a wavy surface, and a reflection electrode formed on the second electrically insulating film, and electrically connected to an electrode of the switching device, wherein a light passing through the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer is reflected at the reflection electrode, and the second electrically insulating film extends outwardly from the first electrically insulating film by a certain length at an end of a display region in which images are to be displayed, such that a step formed by the first and second electrically insulating films in the vicinity of the en
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2007
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Applicant: NEC LCD TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hironori Kikkawa, Michiaki Sakamoto, Yuichi Yamaguchi, Hidenori Ikeno, Fumihiko Matsuno
  • Patent number: 7450198
    Abstract: A reflection-type liquid crystal display according to the invention includes two glass substrates, a transparent electrode provided on one glass substrate, an insulator film which is provided on another glass substrate and on which an uneven structure is formed, a reflecting electrode provided on the insulator film, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a side of the transparent electrode and a side of the reflecting electrode. The insulator film includes a first insulating layer in which a large number of depressions isolated as surrounded by protrusions are irregularly arranged and a second insulating layer covering the insulating layer entirely. The protrusions are all connected in a network, so that if some of these protrusions have weaker adherence with an underlying layer, they can be supported by the surrounding protrusions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignees: NEC Corporation, NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kanou, Yuichi Yamaguchi, Teruaki Suzuki, Hironori Kikkawa
  • Publication number: 20080198315
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including a first substrate, a second substrate facing and spaced away from the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first and second substrates, a switching device formed on the first substrate, a first electrically insulating film randomly patterned on the first substrate, a second electrically insulating film covering the first electrically insulating film therewith, and having a wavy surface, and a reflection electrode formed on the second electrically insulating film, and electrically connected to an electrode of the switching device, wherein a light passing through the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer is reflected at the reflection electrode, and the second electrically insulating film extends outwardly from the first electrically insulating film by a certain length at an end of a display region in which images are to be displayed, such that a step formed by the first and second electrically insulating films in the vicinity of the en
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: NEC LCD TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hironori Kikkawa, Michiaki Sakamoto, Yuichi Yamaguchi, Hidenori Ikeno, Fumihiko Matsuno
  • Publication number: 20080192188
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including a first substrate, a second substrate facing and spaced away from the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first and second substrates, a switching device formed on the first substrate, a first electrically insulating film randomly patterned on the first substrate, a second electrically insulating film covering the first electrically insulating film therewith, and having a wavy surface, and a reflection electrode formed on the second electrically insulating film, and electrically connected to an electrode of the switching device, wherein a light passing through the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer is reflected at the reflection electrode, and the second electrically insulating film extends outwardly from the first electrically insulating film by a certain length at an end of a display region in which images are to be displayed, such that a step formed by the first and second electrically insulating films in the vicinity of the en
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2008
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Applicant: NEC LCD TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hironori KIKKAWA, Michiaki Sakamoto, Yuichi Yamaguchi, Hidenori Ikeno, Fumihiko Matsuno
  • Patent number: 7391488
    Abstract: In a reflection type liquid crystal display device having a front light and a reflection type liquid crystal panel including a reflection electrode of uneven structure, average tilt angles of the uneven structure of the reflection electrode are changed to form a high directivity reflective region having a characteristic reflecting an incident light from the front light in a vertical direction and a wide viewing angle reflective region having a characteristic reflecting an outside light incident slantingly from the front in a vertical direction, thereby forming the high directivity reflective region and the wide viewing angle reflective region to be mixed in the reflection electrode in the same display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumihiko Fujishiro, Hironori Kikkawa, Michiaki Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 7369201
    Abstract: A liquid-crystal display suitable for the optically compensated birefringence (OCB) display mode is used so as to simplify the voltage setting relating to display of each color by setting as follows. A liquid-crystal layer is oriented to bend alignment between a pair of substrates. A phase compensation plate is set for compensating a phase of the liquid-crystal layer outside of each of the substrates. And a retardation between the liquid-crystal and the phase compensation plates is set to a value ½ or less of the minimum wavelength of the light relating to display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hironori Kikkawa, Takahiko Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20080074586
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device comprising a first substrate 101 having a color filter, a second substrate 131 and a liquid crystal layer disposed therebetween, a color filter layer 110 is disposed on a protection film 108 of a thin film transistor formed on the first substrate 101 so as to be partitioned by a light shielding portion 111, and a common electrode 103 is disposed thereon. A pixel electrode to be connected to a source electrode 107 is disposed through a through hole formed in an overcoat layer (interlayer separation film) 112. On the first substrate below the color filter layer 110 are provided plural scan signal electrodes, plural video signal electrodes crossing the scan signal electrodes in a matrix form, plural thin film transistors formed in association with the crossing points between the electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Inventors: Michiaki Sakamoto, Takahiko Watanabe, Hirofumi Ihara, Hironori Kikkawa, Mamoru Okamoto, Shinichi Nakata, Yuji Yamamoto, Masayoshi Suzuki, Teruaki Suzuki, Toshiya Ishii, Hiroshi Kanoh
  • Patent number: 7245337
    Abstract: A reflection electrode has an undulated shape and whose normal direction is distributed unevenly to a specific azimuth angle and whose reflection light intensity depends on said azimuth angle. Openings are formed in that area of the reflection electrode which has a tilt angle of 0 degree to 2 degrees and/or a tilt angle of 10 degrees or higher. The retardation of a liquid crystal layer is changed by making the liquid crystal molecular alignment mode different between the openings and the reflection electrode, so that the intensity of output light is increased in reflection mode as well as in transmission mode. The balance of colors displayed in transmission mode is determined by determining the area of the openings in pixels of each color, and the color temperature is set higher in transmission mode than in reflection mode. This provides a semi-transmission type liquid crystal display which has an excellent visibility in reflection mode as well as in transmission mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidenori Ikeno, Masayoshi Suzuki, Youichi Murayama, Michiaki Sakamoto, Fumihiko Matsuno, Hironori Kikkawa, Yuichi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7220625
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes (a) a first substrate, (b) a second substrate spaced away from and facing the first substrate, (c) a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first and second substrates, (d) a transistor formed on the first substrate, (e) a wiring layer formed on the first substrate and electrically connected to the transistor, (f) a reflection electrode formed on the first substrate, an external incident light being reflected at the reflection electrode towards a viewer, and (g) a compensation layer formed directly on the wiring layer. The reflection electrode does not cover the wiring layer therewith, and the compensation layer has almost the same height as a height of the reflection electrode, the height being measured from a surface of the first substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies
    Inventors: Yuichi Yamaguchi, Hironori Kikkawa, Hiroshi Kanoh, Teruaki Suzuki, Hidenori Ikeno