Patents by Inventor Ikuko Imajo

Ikuko Imajo 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: 8243232
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a backlight for a liquid crystal display device which is easy to repair and prevents the brightness from lowering on the screen, and thus can provide high-quality images, where the region where point light source elements are aligned is divided into a number of smaller regions, and backlight units are provided so as to correspond to the respective smaller regions, as well as a liquid crystal display device using the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignees: Hitachi Displays, Ltd., Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sachiko Yamazaki, Ryutaro Oke, Ikuko Imajo
  • Patent number: 8237883
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display device including a frame for accommodating light emitting diode substrates, the frame including: a first surface opposed to the light emitting diode substrates; a second surface that erects from the first surface around the light emitting diode substrates; and a third surface on an opposite side to the first surface; a connector attached to each of the light emitting diode substrates; a circuit board disposed on the third surface of the frame; and at least one cable for electrically connecting the connector with the circuit board. The at least one cable extends from the connector in a direction approaching the circuit board on the first surface so as to detour around the light emitting diode substrates, passes through the frame from the first surface to the third surface, and is electrically connected to the circuit board on the third surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignees: Hitachi Displays, Ltd., Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Baba, Ikuko Imajo
  • Publication number: 20120188489
    Abstract: In order to fix lenses of light emitting diodes stably without impairing heat dissipation performance in a liquid crystal display device, the liquid crystal display device includes: a liquid crystal panel; and a light emitting diode substrate (7), which is disposed on a rear surface side of the liquid crystal panel and includes: a plurality of light emitting diode elements (22) disposed along a longitudinal direction; lenses (20) each including a plurality of legs (21), the lenses being disposed on the liquid crystal panel side of the light emitting diode elements (22); and electrodes (23) which are formed on a surface of the light emitting diode substrate (7) and are electrically connected to the light emitting diode elements (22), and all the legs (21) for fixing the lenses (20) to the light emitting diode substrate (7) are disposed directly above the electrodes (23).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi BABA, Ikuko IMAJO
  • Patent number: 8208092
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight. The backlight includes: a light emitting diode substrate on which light emitting diodes are mounted; a reflection sheet that is provided on the light emitting diode substrate and has holes formed therein, each of the light emitting diodes being provided inside each of the holes; and lenses provided on the light emitting diodes, for diffusing light from the light emitting diodes. Each of the lenses is larger than the each of the holes, and entirely covers the each of the holes and also covers a part of the reflection sheet including an entire periphery of the each of the holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignees: Hitachi Displays, Ltd., Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sachiko Yamazaki, Ryutaro Oke, Ikuko Imajo, Masashi Baba
  • Publication number: 20120154263
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display device capable of improving image quality of a display screen while reducing the number of light sources. A light source mounting substrate (42) formed on a backlight unit (4) has an elongated shape having a longitudinal direction aligned in a vertical scanning direction of the image, and has LED modules serving as light sources disposed at a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction. A lens (45) is disposed above each of the light sources, for expanding light of the light source toward a region elongated in a horizontal scanning direction. A control device for controlling brightness of the plurality of light sources controls a light emission operation of the light sources in synchronization with selection of a scanning line in an operation of writing an image signal into the liquid crystal panel (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ikuko IMAJO, Kikuo ONO
  • Publication number: 20120113355
    Abstract: A light source section provided in a backlight unit has a smaller width in a direction perpendicular to a length direction of the light source section than a width in the same direction of the liquid crystal panel. A plurality of LED modules are arranged along the length direction of the light source section. The LED modules are respectively assigned to areas of the liquid crystal panel, which are extended in the width direction of the light source section. Lenses are respectively disposed over the LED modules and expand light toward the areas. A control device controls each of the plurality of light sources separately or each of groups into which the plurality of light sources are divided, separately. Accordingly, it is possible to improve a contrast of a display screen, while reducing the number of light sources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kikuo ONO, Ikuko IMAJO, Yoshinori OHSHIMA
  • Publication number: 20120092592
    Abstract: A backlight unit has a light source area. The width of the light source area in a first direction is shorter than the width of a liquid crystal panel in the first direction. A plurality of LED modules (31) are arranged along the second direction perpendicular to the first direction. End lenses (41A, 41B) and a middle lens (42) for enlarging a light divergence angle are disposed on the plurality of LED modules (31). The direction in which the end lens (41A, 41B) enlarges the light divergence angle differs from that in which the middle lens (42) enlarges the divergence angle. This structure can reduce difference in brightness of the liquid crystal panel, while reducing the number of light sources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ikuko IMAJO, Sachiko YAMAZAKI, Kikuo ONO
  • Publication number: 20120002118
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display device, including: a liquid crystal panel having a display region; and a backlight unit disposed below the liquid crystal panel, in which: the backlight unit includes: at least one mounting substrate on which light emitting diodes are mounted; a radiator plate; and a reflection member; the reflection member has a reflection surface which is formed to have a recess surface shape; the light emitting diodes on the at least one mounting substrate are disposed on a bottom portion of the reflection surface; the at least one mounting substrate is disposed at a position under the bottom portion; the radiator plate is disposed under the at least one mounting substrate; and the radiator plate has, in plan view, a larger area than the at least one mounting substrate and a smaller area than the display region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Inventors: Ikuko IMAJO, Masashi Baba, Sachiko Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20110316010
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display device, including: a liquid crystal display panel; and a backlight unit, in which: the backlight unit includes: a plurality of light emitting diodes each having an anode and a cathode; a first substrate; and a second substrate, the plurality of light emitting diodes being mounted on the first substrate and the second substrate; the first substrate and the second substrate are disposed adjacent to each other; light emitting diodes which are adjacent across a boundary between the first substrate and the second substrate are disposed so that the respective anodes are opposed to each other and so as to have a pitch equal to or smaller than a pitch of other adjacent light emitting diodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Inventors: Masashi Baba, Ikuko Imajo, Isao Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20110310078
    Abstract: A backlight includes light emitting diodes; a substrate on which light emitting diodes are mounted; and a reflection sheet. The surface on which the light emitting diodes are mounted of the substrate is opposed to a rear surface of the liquid crystal display panel. The liquid crystal display panel and the substrate each have a shape in which a common width in a first direction is longer than a width in a second direction, which is orthogonal to the first direction. The width of the substrate in the second direction is shorter than the width of the liquid crystal display panel in the second direction. The substrate is opposed to, while avoiding being opposed to both end portions of the liquid crystal display panel in the second direction, a central portion between the both end portions of the liquid crystal display panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Inventors: Sachiko YAMAZAKI, Ikuko Imajo, Masashi Baba, Kikuo Ono
  • Publication number: 20100309108
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes: a drive circuit; and a plurality of divided display sections which are arranged parallel to each other in a predetermined direction. Each divided display section includes: a plurality of scanning lines which are arranged parallel to each other in the predetermined direction; a plurality of data signal lines, and a plurality of pixel circuits which are provided correspondingly to intersections of the scanning lines and the data signal lines . The drive circuit supplies a signal potential to the data signal line based on a data signal before selecting the scanning line which is included in one or more of the divided display sections, is arranged adjacent to the scanning line included in another divided display section, and is firstly selected and within a blanking period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Inventors: Yoshihisa OOISHI, Ikuko Imajo
  • Publication number: 20100245708
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display device including a frame for accommodating light emitting diode substrates, the frame including: a first surface opposed to the light emitting diode substrates; a second surface that erects from the first surface around the light emitting diode substrates; and a third surface on an opposite side to the first surface; a connector attached to each of the light emitting diode substrates; a circuit board disposed on the third surface of the frame; and at least one cable for electrically connecting the connector with the circuit board. The at least one cable extends from the connector in a direction approaching the circuit board on the first surface so as to detour around the light emitting diode substrates, passes through the frame from the first surface to the third surface, and is electrically connected to the circuit board on the third surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Inventors: Masashi BABA, Ikuko Imajo
  • Publication number: 20100208171
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight. The backlight includes: a light emitting diode substrate on which light emitting diodes are mounted; a reflection sheet that is provided on the light emitting diode substrate and has holes formed therein, each of the light emitting diodes being provided inside each of the holes; and lenses provided on the light emitting diodes, for diffusing light from the light emitting diodes. Each of the lenses is larger than the each of the holes, and entirely covers the each of the holes and also covers a part of the reflection sheet including an entire periphery of the each of the holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Inventors: Sachiko YAMAZAKI, Ryutaro OKE, Ikuko IMAJO, Masashi BABA
  • Publication number: 20100188600
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal display panel, and a backlight disposed on the rear surface of the liquid crystal display panel, the backlight is provided with a plurality of white light-emitting diodes arranged in a plane opposing the liquid crystal display panel. Based on a chromaticity coordinate value representing a color of emission identified for each of the white light-emitting diodes, the white light-emitting diodes are selectively combined for arrangement in proximity in such a manner that the color of emission as a result of averaging over the white light-emitting diodes (1a, 1b) to be arranged in proximity takes a predetermined value of chromaticity coordinates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Inventors: Ikuko IMAJO, Ryutaro Oke, Sachiko Yamazaki, Masashi Baba
  • Publication number: 20100053505
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a backlight for a liquid crystal display device which is easy to repair and prevents the brightness from lowering on the screen, and thus can provide high-quality images, where the region where point light source elements are aligned is divided into a number of smaller regions, and backlight units are provided so as to correspond to the respective smaller regions, as well as a liquid crystal display device using the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventors: Sachiko YAMAZAKI, Ryutaro Oke, Ikuko Imajo
  • Publication number: 20090122087
    Abstract: There is provided a display device capable of delivering adequate video display performance even when a lighting period of a backlight is varied in accordance with the content or the like of image data. The device has circuits (8050, 8060) for varying a lighting period of a backlight (8090) for illuminating a display panel (8010) in accordance with image data (8002), setting information (8003), and the like from an external device; and circuits (8070, 8080) for adjusting the timing of start (and turning off) of lighting of the backlight in accordance with the length of the lighting period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Inventors: Junichi MARUYAMA, Yoshihisa Ooishi, Yuki Okada, Takashi Shoji, Kikuo Ono, Ikuko Imajo, Masashi Baba
  • Patent number: D661833
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ikuko Imajo, Masashi Baba, Sachiko Yamazaki, Katsunori Kanno