Patents by Inventor Joji Nishimura

Joji Nishimura 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: 20070109473
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device includes a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer held between the substrates and containing a liquid crystal having negative dielectric anisotropy. The liquid crystal layer includes subpixels, each including a plurality of transmissive display regions and a reflective display region that are arranged in a predetermined direction. The transmissive display regions are disposed at the ends of each subpixel in the direction in which the transmissive and reflective display regions are arranged. The liquid crystal device further includes a thickness-adjusting layer disposed between at least one of the substrates and the liquid crystal layer so that the liquid crystal layer is thinner in the reflective display region than in the transmissive display regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Applicant: SANYO EPSON IMAGING DEVICES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masakatsu Higa, Joji Nishimura
  • 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: 20060268206
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device includes first and second substrates which are arranged to face each other with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween, and first and second electrodes which are provided on the first substrate facing the liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal layer is driven by electric fields generated between the first and second electrodes. A reflective display region for reflective display and a transmissive display region for transmissive display are provided in each of a plurality of subpixel regions. A main direction of an electric field generated between the first and second electrodes in the transmissive display region is different from a main direction of an electric field between the first and second electrodes in the reflective display region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2006
    Publication date: November 30, 2006
    Applicant: SANYO EPSON IMAGING DEVICES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Joji Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20060267891
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device includes first and second substrates which are arranged so as to face each other with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween, and first and second electrodes which are provided on the first substrate facing the liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal layer is driven by electric fields generated between the first and second electrodes. A reflective display region for reflective display and a transmissive display region for transmissive display are provided in each of a plurality of subpixel regions. A liquid-crystal-layer-thickness-adjusting layer is provided in at least the reflective display region so as to vary the thickness of the liquid crystal layer in the subpixel region. A gap between the first and second electrodes in a main direction of an electric field in the transmissive display region is narrower than a gap between the first and second electrodes in a main direction of an electric field in the reflective display region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2006
    Publication date: November 30, 2006
    Applicant: SANYO EPSON IMAGING DEVICES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joji Nishimura, Masakatsu Higa
  • Patent number: 7126658
    Abstract: To provide a transflective liquid crystal display device capable of obtaining a display with high brightness, high contrast, and wide viewing angle, a liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a pair of substrates, the liquid crystal layer having liquid crystal having negative dielectric anisotropy whose initial alignment state exhibits a vertical alignment; and a plurality of dot regions arranged in an image display region, each of the dot regions being provided with a transmissive display region to perform transmissive display and a reflective display region to perform reflective display therein, the transmissive display regions or the reflective display regions of two adjacent dot regions P1, P2 provided at positions facing edges of the respective dot regions and the liquid crystal aligned obliquely in reverse directions to each other by a transverse electric field which is generated at each edge when a voltage is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Joji Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20050231674
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device with liquid crystal in a vertical alignment mode. A pixel electrode 31 has a plurality of island-shaped portions 31a, 31b, and 31c and connecting portions 39 for connecting the plurality of island-shaped portions in each dot region. At the centers of sub-dot regions S1, S2, and S3 respectively composed of the island-shaped portions, concave portions are formed in an interlayer insulating film on a lower substrate, and the pixel electrodes are provided along inner surfaces of the concave portions in the interlayer insulating film, thereby forming concave portions 73 for alignment control. One of the plurality of concave portions 73 also serves as a contact hole 72 in each dot region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2005
    Publication date: October 20, 2005
    Inventor: Joji Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20050128396
    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: November 22, 2004
    Publication date: June 16, 2005
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Tsuchiya, Joji Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20050088597
    Abstract: To provide a transflective liquid crystal display device in a vertical alignment mode that is capable of displaying bright and high-contrast images in a wide viewing angle range, a liquid crystal layer is interposed between a pair of substrates opposite to each other, and display is performed in a predetermined pixel unit. The liquid crystal layer is composed of liquid crystal having a vertical alignment in an initial state, specifically, having negative dielectric anisotropy. Signal lines through which signals are supplied to the pixels, are formed on the inner surface of either of the pair of substrates. Convex portions made of a dielectric material are formed around and/or on the signal lines on the inner surface of either of the pair of substrates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2004
    Publication date: April 28, 2005
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Maeda, Hayato Kurasawa, Joji Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20040218122
    Abstract: To provide a transflective liquid crystal display device capable of obtaining a display with high brightness, high contrast, and wide viewing angle, a liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a pair of substrates, the liquid crystal layer having liquid crystal having negative dielectric anisotropy whose initial alignment state exhibits a vertical alignment; and a plurality of dot regions arranged in an image display region, each of the dot regions being provided with a transmissive display region to perform transmissive display and a reflective display region to perform reflective display therein, the transmissive display regions or the reflective display regions of two adjacent dot regions P1, P2 provided at positions facing edges of the respective dot regions and the liquid crystal aligned obliquely in reverse directions to each other by a transverse electric field which is generated at each edge when a voltage is applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Joji Nishimura
  • Patent number: 6795145
    Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal display device including switching elements and a reflection layer having low heat resistance. The liquid crystal display device is capable of reducing or preventing a degradation in the characteristics of the reflection layer due to heating in the manufacturing process. A liquid crystal display device includes a pair of opposing substrates, and a liquid crystal interposed between the substrates. A reflection layer is formed on the substrate, and switching elements (TFDs) to drive the liquid crystal are formed on the liquid crystal side of the substrate. The reflection layer is formed of any one of a dielectric reflection film, a cholesteric reflection film, and a holographic reflection film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Joji Nishimura, Tsuyoshi Maeda, Osamu Okumura
  • Publication number: 20030076462
    Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal display device including switching elements and a reflection layer having low heat resistance. The liquid crystal display device is capable of reducing or preventing a degradation in the characteristics of the reflection layer due to heating in the manufacturing process. A liquid crystal display device includes a pair of opposing substrates, and a liquid crystal interposed between the substrates. A reflection layer is formed on the substrate, and switching elements (TFDs) to drive the liquid crystal are formed on the liquid crystal side of the substrate. The reflection layer is formed of any one of a dielectric reflection film, a cholesteric reflection film, and a holographic reflection film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2002
    Publication date: April 24, 2003
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Joji Nishimura, Tsuyoshi Maeda, Osamu Okumura
  • Publication number: 20030063242
    Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal display device that performs bright display in a wide range of viewing angles. A liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes a pair of substrates facing each other, with a liquid crystal layer therebetween. A reflective layer, including a holographic reflective layer or a cholesteric reflective layer, is formed on the opposing substrate. A light scattering layer, including a forward scattering film, is provided on the upper surface of the element substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2002
    Publication date: April 3, 2003
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joji Nishimura, Tsuyoshi Maeda, Osamu Okumura
  • Patent number: 4963447
    Abstract: An alkaline cell having a gelled zinc negative electrode solely or mainly using, as a gelling agent to hold a zinc powder in an alkaline electrolyte, a granular crosslinking type branched polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid or salts thereof.This gelling agent, holding an alkaline electrolyte, swells and properly maintains the thickness of the electrolyte, whereby the electrolyte can be sufficiently fed to a cell reaction portion and the alkaline cell is imparted with excellent drop resistance and shelf stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 16, 1990
    Assignees: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Nihon Junyaku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joji Nishimura, Yuji Mototani, Junichi Asaoka, Noriyuki Yanagawa, Hiroshi Touma