Patents by Inventor Hitoshi Tsuchiya

Hitoshi Tsuchiya 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: 7440047
    Abstract: The invention provides a semi-transparent reflective liquid crystal display device in which bright display, high contrast, and less viewing-angle dependency are possible in a transmission mode. In the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, a polarizing plate can be disposed on the upper side of a liquid crystal cell in which a semi-transparent reflective layer is formed on a lower substrate and the thickness of a liquid crystal layer in a transmissive display region can be made to be different from the thickness of a liquid crystal layer in a reflective display region by a layer-thickness adjusting layer. A uniaxially stretched phase difference film can be interposed between the polarizing plate and the liquid crystal cell, and a liquid crystal film fixed in nematic hybrid alignment can be interposed between the phase difference film and the liquid crystal cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hitoshi Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20080166116
    Abstract: A focus-controlling apparatus adjusts a focus in an optical system. The apparatus includes a focus detecting unit, a storage unit, a focus area switching unit, and a drive control unit. The focus detecting unit detects de-focusing amounts of the optical system with respect to a plurality of objects that lie in a plurality of focus areas, respectively. The storage unit stores the de-focusing amounts detected for the respective focus areas. The focus area switching unit switches the focus areas, from one to another, in an order based on the de-focusing amounts stored in the storage unit. The drive control unit moves the optical system to a focus position corresponding to the de-focusing amount at any focus area switched by the focus area switching unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2008
    Publication date: July 10, 2008
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hitoshi TSUCHIYA
  • Publication number: 20080100738
    Abstract: A focus detection device having a pair of light receiving sections (a first and second light receiving sections) which receive subject images observed from different view fields having parallax to accumulate charges is disclosed. The accumulation of the charges in the pair of light receiving sections is ended selectably based on an accumulation level of the charges at one light receiving section and an accumulation levels of the charges at both light receiving sections. Moreover/alternatively, the light receiving section has a plurality of light receiving units, and signals to end the accumulation of the charges at the respective light receiving units are sent to the first and second light receiving sections. In this case, a combination of the light receiving unit of the first light receiving section and the light receiving unit of the second light receiving section to which the signals are to be sent can be switched.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Publication date: May 1, 2008
    Applicant: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Tsuchiya, Masato Osawa, Kosei Tamiya, Tatsuya Takei, Mitsutomo Kariya, Tetsuo Kikuchi, Koichi Nakata
  • Publication number: 20080079840
    Abstract: There is disclosed a focus detection device having a light receiving section in which charges are generated and accumulated based on quantities of received lights and a charge accumulating section in which the charges accumulated in the light receiving section are transferred and accumulated. The focus detection device starts the accumulation of the charge in the light receiving section, when the charge accumulating section retains a reset state, and the device cancels the reset state of the charge accumulating section at a predetermined timing before the charges accumulated in the light receiving section are transferred to the accumulating section Moreover/alternatively, a focus detection device using a plurality of photo sensors is disclosed. A phase of a reading signal of a part of the photo sensors is different from that of a reading signal of another part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2007
    Publication date: April 3, 2008
    Applicants: Olympus Imaging Corp., Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsutomo Kariya, Kosei Tamiya, Tatsuya Takei, Masato Osawa, Hitoshi Tsuchiya, Tetsuo Kikuchi, Koichi Nakata
  • Patent number: 7352304
    Abstract: An interpolation apparatus in an encoder includes an analog-to-digital converter for digitizing a sine wave signal and a cosine wave signal, respectively. An amplitude level detecting circuit detects each amplitude level of the digitized sine wave signal and cosine wave signal. A computing circuit multiplies the amplitude level of one of the signal by an interpolation position parameter according to a tangent value at an interpolation position. A comparing circuit compares an output from the computing circuit to an output from the amplitude level detecting circuit. The comparison is made at every the interpolation position. A region detecting circuit identifies a region sectionalized by the interpolation positions adjacent to each other based on an output from the comparing circuit corresponding to each the interpolation position. The phase angle of the sine wave signal and the cosine wave signal exists in the region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Tsuchiya, Hiromasa Fujita
  • Publication number: 20070242189
    Abstract: The invention provides a semi-transparent reflective liquid crystal display device in which bright display, high contrast, and less viewing-angle dependency are possible in a transmission mode. In the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, a polarizing plate can be disposed on the upper side of a liquid crystal cell in which a semi-transparent reflective layer is formed on a lower substrate and the thickness of a liquid crystal layer in a transmissive display region can be made to be different from the thickness of a liquid crystal layer in a reflective display region by a layer-thickness adjusting layer. A uniaxially stretched phase difference film can be interposed between the polarizing plate and the liquid crystal cell, and a liquid crystal film fixed in nematic hybrid alignment can be interposed between the phase difference film and the liquid crystal cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2007
    Publication date: October 18, 2007
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hitoshi Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20070182892
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device whose sub-pixel region has a reflective display region that displays an image in a reflective mode and a transmissive display region that displays an image in a transmissive mode includes a first substrate, a second substrate opposing the first substrate; and a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate. The liquid crystal layer has a smaller thickness in the reflective display region than in the transmissive display region. One of the first substrate and the second substrate includes a reflection layer in the reflective display region, and the other substrate includes on the liquid crystal layer side a functional resin layer having a first functional resin sub layer in the reflective display region and a second functional resin sub layer in the transmissive display region. The first functional resin sub layer and the second functional resin sub layer serve as retardation layers with different optical axes from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Applicant: SANYO EPSON IMAGING DEVICES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masakatsu Higa, Hitoshi Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 7248311
    Abstract: The invention provides a semi-transparent reflective liquid crystal display device in which bright display, high contrast, and less viewing-angle dependency are possible in a transmission mode. In the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, a polarizing plate can be disposed on the upper side of a liquid crystal cell in which a semi-transparent reflective layer is formed on a lower substrate and the thickness of a liquid crystal layer in a transmissive display region can be made to be different from the thickness of a liquid crystal layer in a reflective display region by a layer-thickness adjusting layer. A uniaxially stretched phase difference film can be interposed between the polarizing plate and the liquid crystal cell, and a liquid crystal film fixed in nematic hybrid alignment can be interposed between the phase difference film and the liquid crystal cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hitoshi Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 7239362
    Abstract: The invention provides a semi-transparent reflective liquid crystal display device in which bright display, high contrast, and less viewing-angle dependency are possible in a transmission mode. In the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, a polarizing plate can be disposed on the upper side of a liquid crystal cell in which a semi-transparent reflective layer is formed on a lower substrate and the thickness of a liquid crystal layer in a transmissive display region can be made to be different from the thickness of a liquid crystal layer in a reflective display region by a layer-thickness adjusting layer. A uniaxially stretched phase difference film can be interposed between the polarizing plate and the liquid crystal cell, and a liquid crystal film fixed in nematic hybrid alignment can be interposed between the phase difference film and the liquid crystal cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hitoshi Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20070146180
    Abstract: An interpolation apparatus in an encoder includes an analog-to-digital converter for digitizing a sine wave signal and a cosine wave signal, respectively. An amplitude level detecting circuit detects each amplitude level of the digitized sine wave signal and cosine wave signal. A computing circuit multiplies the amplitude level of one of the signal by an interpolation position parameter according to a tangent value at an interpolation position. A comparing circuit compares an output from the computing circuit to an output from the amplitude level detecting circuit. The comparison is made at every the interpolation position. A region detecting circuit identifies a region sectionalized by the interpolation positions adjacent to each other based on an output from the comparing circuit corresponding to each the interpolation position. The phase angle of the sine wave signal and the cosine wave signal exists in the region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2006
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi Tsuchiya, Hiromasa Fujita
  • Publication number: 20070132927
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device is provided in which a liquid crystal layer formed of a liquid crystal having a negative dielectric anisotropy is interposed between a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other, the liquid crystal device including: an alignment film controlling the liquid crystal, the alignment film being disposed between the liquid crystal layer and the first substrate and between the liquid crystal layer and the second substrate in a vertical direction; a first wave plate and a first polarizing plate provided on a surface of the first substrate opposite to the liquid crystal layer; and a second wave plate and a second polarizing plate provided on a surface of the second substrate opposite to the liquid crystal layer. Here, an alignment control portion controlling alignment of the liquid crystal of the liquid crystal layer is provided on at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Applicant: SANYO EPSON IMAGING DEVICES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hitoshi Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 7190427
    Abstract: The invention provides a thin reflective plate having cholesteric liquid crystal that can prevent or reduce a decrease of reflection efficiency. A reflective plate includes a cholesteric liquid crystal layer, and the cholesteric liquid crystal layer includes a plurality of regions in which the helical axes of the cholesteric liquid crystal are aligned in different directions in the plane of a substrate, and therefore, the regions can reflect color light components having different wavelengths. Consequently, the cholesteric liquid crystal layer can reflect light formed of light components of different colors (for example, white light) as a whole. When the reflective plate is applied to a reflective liquid crystal display device or the like, it is possible to appropriately reflect white light for display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Maeda, Kimitaka Kamijo, Kinya Ozawa, Hitoshi Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20070024785
    Abstract: To provide a liquid crystal display device and an electronic apparatus in which deterioration of contrast due to a protrusion or a slit used for division of alignment can be prevented in the liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal which has a negative dielectric anisotropy exhibiting vertical alignment as an initial alignment state. There is provided a liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal layer, which includes a liquid crystal having a negative dielectric anisotropy exhibiting vertical alignment as an initial alignment state, between a pair of substrates and disposed to be opposite to each other, in which alignment control means for controlling alignment of the liquid crystal layer is provided on at least one of electrodes provided on the pair of substrates, and in which a light-shielding film BM two-dimensionally overlapped with the alignment control means is provided on at least one substrate of the pair of substrates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Publication date: February 1, 2007
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi Tsuchiya, Joji Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20070013835
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate and a second substrate opposed to each other with a liquid crystal layer having liquid crystal molecules disposed therebetween, in which a first electrode and a second electrode are provided on a side of the first substrate opposed to the liquid crystal layer, the liquid crystal layer is driven by means of an electric field generated between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a reflective display area for reflective display and a transmissive display area for transmissive display are formed in a sub-pixel area. Alignment of the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer is different in the transmissive display area and the reflective display area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2006
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Applicant: SANYO EPSON IMAGING DEVICES CORP.
    Inventors: Toshiharu Matsushima, Hitoshi Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20070013773
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate and a second substrate opposed to each other with a liquid crystal layer therebetween, in which a first electrode and a second electrode are provided on a side of the first substrate opposed to the liquid crystal layer and the liquid crystal layer is driven by means of an electric field generated between the first electrode and the second electrode. A reflective display area for reflective display and a transmissive display area for transmissive display are formed in a sub pixel area. The thickness of the liquid crystal layer in the reflective display area is greater than the thickness of the liquid crystal layer in the transmissive display area. A retardation layer is selectively formed in an area corresponding to at least the reflective display area on a side of the second substrate opposed to the liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Applicant: SANYO EPSON IMAGING DEVICES CORP.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Tsuchiya, Toshiharu Matsushima
  • Publication number: 20060286947
    Abstract: Provided is a transmission output control apparatus including: a level control circuit operable to adjust a level of an inputted signal; a power amplifying circuit including a plurality of amplifying stages and being operable to amplify the signal whose level has been adjusted by the level control circuit; an antenna operable to transmit the signal amplified by the power amplifying circuit; a memory unit operable to prestore a plurality of control signals; a control signal generating unit operable to select and extract, from the memory unit, one of the control signals that is in accordance with a transmission level instructed by a base station, and supply the extracted control signal to the level control circuit; and a detection unit operable to detect a signal at a midway amplifying stage of the power amplifying circuit, where a transmission level of the level control circuit is monitored according to an output of the detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2006
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuyuki Taniguchi, Hitoshi Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20060285035
    Abstract: A structure of a multi-gap liquid crystal display is provided in which high-quality images can be displayed even when the orientation of the crystal molecules is disordered in the border regions between a transmissive display region and a reflective display region and between adjacent pixel regions that can be easily manufactured at low cost. The liquid crystal display has a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer. A light-reflecting layer for defining a reflective display region and a transmissive display region is formed in a pixel region. A thickness-adjusting layer having a recess corresponding to the transmissive display region inside an opening is formed above the light-reflecting layer. A color filter overlap is formed at the border region between the reflective display region and the transmissive display region. The color filter overlap is either in direct contact with or distant from the thickness-adjusting layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi TSUCHIYA, Nobutaka URANO
  • Publication number: 20060256266
    Abstract: To provide a transflective liquid crystal display device capable of obtaining a display with a high brightness, a high contrast, and a wide viewing angle, a vertical alignment mode using liquid crystal layer whose initial alignment state represents a vertical alignment is utilized, the reflective display region is provided to surround the periphery of the transmissive display region within a single dot region, and an insulating film for regulating the thickness of the liquid crystal layer is provided in a region corresponding to the reflective display region R in the periphery of the dot. In addition, in the substrate (counter substrate) opposite to the side where the insulating film is formed, an opening is provided in a common electrode at a position corresponding to the boundary between the reflective display region and the transmissive display region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2006
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi Tsuchiya, Toshiharu Matsushima
  • Patent number: 7119861
    Abstract: A structure of a multi-gap liquid crystal display is provided in which high-quality images can be displayed even when the orientation of the crystal molecules is disordered in the border regions between a transmissive display region and a reflective display region and between adjacent pixel regions that can be easily manufactured at low cost. The liquid crystal display has a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer. A light-reflecting layer for defining a reflective display region and a transmissive display region is formed in a pixel region. A thickness-adjusting layer having a recess corresponding to the transmissive display region inside an opening is formed above the light-reflecting layer. A color filter overlap is formed at the border region between the reflective display region and the transmissive display region. The color filter overlap is either in direct contact with or distant from the thickness-adjusting layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Tsuchiya, Nobutaka Urano
  • Patent number: 7102714
    Abstract: To provide a transflective liquid crystal display device capable of obtaining a display with a high brightness, a high contrast, and a wide viewing angle, a vertical alignment mode using liquid crystal layer whose initial alignment state represents a vertical alignment is utilized, the reflective display region is provided to surround the periphery of the transmissive display region within a single dot region, and an insulating film for regulating the thickness of the liquid crystal layer is provided in a region corresponding to the reflective display region R in the periphery of the dot. In addition, in the substrate (counter substrate) opposite to the side where the insulating film is formed, an opening is provided in a common electrode at a position corresponding to the boundary between the reflective display region and the transmissive display region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Tsuchiya, Toshiharu Matsushima