Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Osawa

Hiroshi Osawa 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: 9645464
    Abstract: A display may have upper and lower display layers. A layer of liquid crystal material may be interposed between the upper and lower display layers. The display layers may have substrates. The display layers may include a color filter layer having an array of color filter elements on a glass substrate and a thin-film transistor layer having a layer of thin-film transistor circuitry on a glass substrate. Dielectric layers within the display layers such as dielectric layers within the thin-film transistor layer may have differing indices of refraction. Reflections and color shifts due to index of refraction discontinuities may be minimized by interposing graded index dielectric layers between adjacent layers with different indices. The graded index layers may be formed from structures with a continuously varying index of refraction or structures with a step-wise varying index of refraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Byung Duk Yang, Chia Hsuan Tai, Hiroshi Osawa, Kyung Wook Kim, Ming-Chin Hung, Shang-Chih Lin, Shih Chang Chang, Yu Cheng Chen, Yuan Chen
  • Patent number: 9645436
    Abstract: A display may have a color filter layer and a thin-film transistor layer. A liquid crystal layer may be located between the color filter layer and the thin-film transistor layer. The color filter layer may have an array of color filter elements on a transparent substrate. The array of color filter elements may include more than three colors. Colored photoimageable polymer layers may be combined to form some of the color filter elements. The color filter may have cyan, magenta, and yellow color filter elements each formed from a respective single layer of cyan, magenta, and yellow polymer and may have blue elements formed by overlapping cyan and magenta polymer, green elements formed by overlapping cyan and yellow polymer, and red elements formed by overlapping magenta and yellow polymer. Filters with white elements may also be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yu-Cheng Chen, Young Cheol Yang, Hiroshi Osawa, Shih Chang Chang
  • Patent number: 9612492
    Abstract: A display may have a thin-film transistor layer and color filter layer. The display may have an active area and an inactive border area. Light blocking structures in the inactive area may prevent stray backlight from a backlight light guide plate from leaking out of the display. The thin-film transistor layer may have a clear substrate, a patterned black masking layer on the clear substrate, a clear planarization layer on the black masking layer, and a layer of thin-film transistor circuitry on the clear planarization layer. The black masking layer may be formed from black photoimageable polyimide. The clear planarization layer may be formed from spin-on glass. The light blocking structures may include a first layer formed from a portion of the black masking layer and a second layer such as a layer of black tape on the underside of the color filter layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Byung Duk Yang, Kyung-Wook Kim, Shih-Chang Chang, Hiroshi Osawa, Hirokazu Yamagata, Daisuke Nozu
  • Patent number: 9612470
    Abstract: A display may have a layer of liquid crystal material between a color filter layer and a thin-film transistor layer. Column spacer structures may be formed between the color filter layer and the thin-film transistor layer to maintain a desired separation between the color filter and thin-film transistor layers. Column spacers may be deposited in column spacer regions of the color filter layer. The color filter layer may include rows of red, green, and blue color filter elements. Blue color filter material that forms blue color filter elements in the color filter layer may also be used to form a planar surface over red and green color filter elements in the column spacer regions. Using the blue color filter material to planarize the surface on which column spacers are formed ensures that the column spacers provide sufficient support for the display without requiring an additional planarization layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sang Un Choi, Zhibing Ge, Shang-Chih Lin, Hiroshi Osawa, Ton-Yong Wang, Ming Xu
  • Patent number: 9607490
    Abstract: There is provided a haptic device including a small-size haptic unit. The haptic device includes a weight, a magnet fixed to the weight, a coil that generates a magnetic field to reciprocate the magnet along a predetermined direction, and a current control unit that presents a haptic sensation to a user by controlling a current flowing in the coil to vibrate the weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Osawa, Takeshi Yamagishi
  • Patent number: 9599818
    Abstract: An obstacle detecting unit detects an obstacle for a user wearing a head mounted display from an image of the outside world. A distance calculating unit calculates the distance from a detected obstacle to the user wearing the head mounted display. An obstacle replacing unit replaces the detected obstacle with a virtual object. A virtual object synthesizing unit generates a virtual object at a position within a virtual space displayed on the head mounted display, in which the position is determined according to the distance to the obstacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Takeshi Yamagishi, Hiroshi Osawa, Yoichi Nishimaki
  • Patent number: 9583133
    Abstract: Frame memories store captured images supplied from a plurality of imaging units, respectively. A motion detection portion detects the motion of a captured image of at least one of the imaging units. A mode determination portion sets, in accordance with at least either the amount of the motion detected by the motion detection portion or a power consumption limit of the image generation device, one of two modes, one for operating the plurality of imaging units simultaneously and the other for operating the plurality of imaging units intermittently. A control signal generation portion supplies, to the plurality of frame memories, a control signal adapted to control reading of the captured images from the plurality of frame memories in accordance with the mode set by the mode determination portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Shinichi Hirata, Hiroshi Osawa, Kyoko Furumura
  • Patent number: 9564478
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a display having an array of display pixels on a substrate. The display pixels may be organic light-emitting diode display pixels or display pixels in a liquid crystal display. In an organic light-emitting diode display, hybrid thin-film transistor structures may be formed that include semiconducting oxide thin-film transistors, silicon thin-film transistors, and capacitor structures. The capacitor structures may overlap the semiconducting oxide thin-film transistors. Organic light-emitting diode display pixels may have combinations of oxide and silicon transistors. In a liquid crystal display, display driver circuitry may include silicon thin-film transistor circuitry and display pixels may be based on oxide thin-film transistors. A single layer or two different layers of gate metal may be used in forming silicon transistor gates and oxide transistor gates. A silicon transistor may have a gate that overlaps a floating gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Shih Chang Chang, Ming-Chin Hung, Cheng-Ho Yu, Ting-Kuo Chang, Abbas Jamshidi Roudbari, Shang-Chih Lin, Kyung-Wook Kim, Chun-Yao Huang, Szu-Hsien Lee, Yu-Cheng Chen, Hiroshi Osawa
  • Publication number: 20170024934
    Abstract: In an information processing system 1, an information processing apparatus 10 recognizes, when a user moves real bodies 120a and 120b arranged on a play field 19, the movement on the basis of, for example, an image taken by a camera 122 taking an image of the movement to interlock objects of corresponding characters 202a and 202b displayed on a display apparatus 16. In addition, when the user moves the characters 202a and 202b through an input apparatus 14, the information processing apparatus 10 transmits a control signal to the corresponding real bodies 120a and 120b to perform interlocking. When a situation in which interlocking between the real bodies 120a and 120b and the characters 202a and 202b is difficult occurs, an appropriate scenario is selected from the scenarios prepared in advance and realized, thereby maintaining the consistency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2015
    Publication date: January 26, 2017
    Inventors: Naoki NUMAGUCHI, Keiji TOGAWA, Hiroshi OSAWA, Takeshi YAMAGISHI, Shinichi HIRATA
  • Patent number: 9530801
    Abstract: A display may have a color filter layer and a thin-film transistor layer. A layer of liquid crystal material may be located between the color filter layer and the thin-film transistor (TFT) layer. The TFT layer may include thin-film transistors formed on top of a glass substrate. A passivation layer may be formed on the thin-film transistor layers. A first low-k dielectric layer may be formed on the passivation layer. Data line routing structures may be formed on the first low-k dielectric layer. A second low-k dielectric layer may be formed on the first low-k dielectric layer. A common voltage electrode and associated storage capacitance may be formed on the second low-k dielectric layer. The first and second low-k dielectric layers may be formed from material having substantially similar refractive indices to maximize backlight transmittance and may have appropriate thicknesses so as to minimize parasitic capacitive loading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Daisuke Nozu, Hirokazu Yamagata, Hiroshi Osawa, Shang-Chih Lin, Shih-Chang Chang, Yu-Cheng Chen
  • Publication number: 20160332075
    Abstract: An information processing device communicates with a block set assembled by a user, and thereby obtains information on the structure of the block set. In addition, a corresponding position setting screen including an image of an object corresponding to the block set is displayed on a display device. The user moves a joint of the block set which joint is desired to be associated, by for example bending and stretching the joint. Next, the user indicates a joint to be associated on a 3D object side in the image of the 3D object by a cursor, and performs a determination input. The joint of the block set and the joint of the 3D object are thereby associated with each other. The block set and the object are interlocked with each other bidirectionally by thus setting the corresponding positions of the block set and the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2014
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Applicant: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Shinichi Hirata, Naoki Numaguchi, Takeshi Yamagishi, Hiroshi Osawa, Keiji Togawa
  • Publication number: 20160334885
    Abstract: A core information receiving section of an information processing device receives information related to the state of a core from a first block of a block set assembled by a user. A structure analyzing section identifies the shape, posture, and position of the block set on the basis of an image photographed by a camera and the information related to the state of the core. An information processing section performs predetermined information processing according to the shape, posture, and position of the block set or an operation on an input device by the user. A display processing section generates an image to be displayed as a result of the information processing, and outputs the image to a display device. A driving control section transmits a signal for controlling the operation of the block set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Applicant: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Keiji Togawa, Shinichi Hirata, Naoki Numaguchi, Takeshi Yamagishi, Hiroshi Osawa
  • Publication number: 20160332071
    Abstract: A block set assembled by a user and an information processing device communicate with each other. The information processing device thereby obtains information on the structure of the block set. In addition, an object of a crane truck corresponding to the block set is displayed on a display device. Correspondences between joints and wheels and correspondences between movements are set. Thereby, when the block set is moved, the movement of the block set is reflected in the object on display. When the object is moved, the movement of the object is reflected in the block set by transmitting a control signal from the information processing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Applicant: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Shinichi Hirata, Naoki Numaguchi, Takeshi Yamagishi, Hiroshi Osawa, Keiji Togawa
  • Publication number: 20160310861
    Abstract: A block system 1 includes a block 102 and a host terminal 10. The block 102, configured such that two or more blocks are connectable with each other, includes a power supply mechanism 110 for supplying power to the block 102, a communication mechanism 114 for establishing connection with the host terminal 10 to transmit and receive various signals, a storage mechanism 112 for storing identification information related with the block 102, a display mechanism 118 for emitting light and displaying an image under the control of the host terminal 10, and a control mechanism 116 for executing programmed processing in accordance with a signal from the host terminal 10.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Inventors: Shinichi Hirata, Takeshi Yamagishi, Hiroshi Osawa, Keiji Togawa, Naoki Numaguchi
  • Patent number: 9476709
    Abstract: Provided is a calibration apparatus, including: a holder for fixing an electronic device; a first motor for rotating the holder with a first rotation axis as a center; a second motor for rotating the holder with a second rotation axis perpendicular to the first rotation axis as a center; and a stopper for restricting a rotational position of the holder about the second rotation axis to a range between a reference position and a perpendicular position reached by rotating the holder by 90 degrees from the reference position, in which the first motor rotates the holder to which the electronic device is fixed at a predetermined speed in each of states in which the rotational position of the holder about the second rotation axis falls in the reference position and in which the rotational position of the holder about the second rotation axis falls in the perpendicular position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Noriyuki Fukushima, Hiroshi Osawa
  • Publication number: 20160266693
    Abstract: Improvement of visual uniformity of an integrated touch screen display is provided. A touch screen can include common electrodes separated by gaps in a Vcom layer. To improve visual non-uniformity in the display resulting from the gaps, a first set of semi-transparent dummy features (primary-dummy features) can be formed on a second layer at the locations of the gaps, and a second set of dummy features (supplementary-dummy features) can also be formed on the second layer or another layer to mitigate low spatial resolution of the primary-dummy features and/or non-uniform spacing of the primary-dummy features. In some examples, holes or slits can be formed in the Vcom layer at areas of the supplementary-dummy features to further improve visual uniformity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: Yu Cheng CHEN, Abbas JAMSHIDI-ROUDBARI, Hiroshi OSAWA, Shang-Chih LIN, Shih-Chang CHANG, Shin-Hung YEH, Ting-Kuo CHANG, Majid GHARGHI, Keitaro YAMASHITA
  • Patent number: 9412799
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a display having an array of display pixels on a substrate. The display pixels may be organic light-emitting diode display pixels or display pixels in a liquid crystal display. In an organic light-emitting diode display, hybrid thin-film transistor structures may be formed that include semiconducting oxide thin-film transistors, silicon thin-film transistors, and capacitor structures. The capacitor structures may overlap the semiconducting oxide thin-film transistors. Organic light-emitting diode display pixels may have combinations of oxide and silicon transistors. In a liquid crystal display, display driver circuitry may include silicon thin-film transistor circuitry and display pixels may be based on oxide thin-film transistors. A single layer or two different layers of gate metal may be used in forming silicon transistor gates and oxide transistor gates. A silicon transistor may have a gate that overlaps a floating gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Shih Chang Chang, Ming-Chin Hung, Cheng-Ho Yu, Ting-Kuo Chang, Kyung-Wook Kim, Chun-Yao Huang, Szu-Hsien Lee, Yu-Cheng Chen, Hiroshi Osawa
  • Publication number: 20160209691
    Abstract: A display may have upper and lower display layers. A layer of liquid crystal material may be interposed between the upper and lower display layers. The display layers may have substrates. The display layers may include a color filter layer having an array of color filter elements on a glass substrate and a thin-film transistor layer having a layer of thin-film transistor circuitry on a glass substrate. Dielectric layers within the display layers such as dielectric layers within the thin-film transistor layer may have differing indices of refraction. Reflections and color shifts due to index of refraction discontinuities may be minimized by interposing graded index dielectric layers between adjacent layers with different indices. The graded index layers may be formed from structures with a continuously varying index of refraction or structures with a step-wise varying index of refraction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Inventors: Byung Duk Yang, Chia Hsuan Tai, Hiroshi Osawa, Kyung Wook Kim, Ming-Chin Hung, Shang-Chih Lin, Shih Chang Chang, Yu Cheng Chen, Yuan Chen
  • Publication number: 20160170129
    Abstract: A display may have an array of pixels. The pixels may have color filter elements such as red, green, and blue color filter elements. A layer of opaque material may be used to form a black matrix. The black matrix may have openings that receive the color filter elements. A backlight unit may produce backlight illumination for the display. A reflector layer may be interposed between the black matrix and the backlight unit. The reflector layer may have openings aligned with the openings in the black matrix and the color filter elements and may overlap the black matrix. Some of the backlight from the backlight unit may pass through the color filter elements. Other backlight may by be recycled by being reflected off of the reflector layer, thereby enhancing backlight efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: Ming Xu, Cheng Chen, Hiroshi Osawa, Yu Cheng Chen
  • Patent number: 9229528
    Abstract: A block tool, which can be assembled by a user, is configured with multiple types of blocks and is shot by a camera for capturing a still image or a moving image. The position coordinates of a marker of the square-pillar block in a three-dimensional space are obtained by image recognition. Also, a connecting position and the type of each block, a gradient vector of the square-pillar block, an angle between two blocks constituting the square-pillar block, and the respective blocks' lengths are obtained so as to derive the shape, posture, and position of the block tool, and corresponding information processing is then performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Naoki Numaguchi, Hiroshi Osawa, Takeshi Yamagishi, Keiji Togawa