Patents by Inventor Junko Asayama

Junko Asayama 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: 7880395
    Abstract: A method for restoring the function of a plasma display panel according to the present invention restores a function of a plasma display panel by raising the temperature of the plasma display panel to 400° C. to 800° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Okumura, Mitsuo Saitoh, Masashi Morita, Masaharu Terauchi, Junko Asayama
  • Patent number: 7690961
    Abstract: A fluorine-containing precoating is formed to cover a phosphor particle by, for example, a physical vapor deposition of a fluoride. Then, a fluorine-containing coating covering the phosphor particle is formed by supplying fluorine into the precoating. This obtained phosphor particle with the coating is applied in the form of a paste to a substrate on each electrode between two adjacent ribs to form a phosphor layer including phosphor particles between the ribs on the substrate. The substrate is positioned with respect to another substrate having electrodes thereon to form discharge spaces between the substrates. The discharge spaces are filled with a discharge gas to produce a plasma display panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Okumura, Mitsuo Saitoh, Masashi Morita, Takafumi Okuma, Masaharu Terauchi, Junko Asayama
  • Patent number: 7525531
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to provide, for example, a lighting device and an image display, with which higher luminance and others can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akifumi Ogiwara, Kazunori Komori, Junko Asayama, Yasunori Kuratomi
  • Patent number: 7501762
    Abstract: There are provided a PDP having a higher luminous efficiency and a process for producing the same. In a plasma display panel filled with a discharge gas between a front plate and a rear plate opposed to each other, the front plate 100 comprises a glass substrate 1, electrodes 2 (transparent electrodes 2a and bus electrodes 2b) on the glass substrate 1, the first dielectric layer 4 covering the electrodes 2 and the glass substrate 1 and containing a fluorine atom, the second dielectric layer 5 covering the first dielectric layer 4 and containing a fluorine atom at a less amount than that in the first dielectric layer 4, and a protective layer 6 covering the second dielectric layer 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Okumura, Hiroyuki Yamakita, Noriyasu Echigo, Mitsuo Saitoh, Junko Asayama, Keisuke Okada
  • Patent number: 7468145
    Abstract: The present invention aims at realizing a PDP and a mercury-free fluorescent lamp feasible to maintain excellent luminescent characteristics over long periods by suppressing time-lapse changes in luminescent characteristics of a phosphor that is excited by vacuum ultraviolet light to thereby emit light. To accomplish this object, the oxide phosphor of the invention comprises individual particles, each of which has a region at and near the surface thereof modified, and the elemental composition of the surface region is in a more oxidized state than that of the internal region of the particles. Alternatively, the surface region has more halogen or chalcogen in the elemental composition. In the phosphor treatment method of the invention, the surface region of individual phosphor particles is selectively modified by (i) forming a highly reactive gas atmosphere by exciting gas which contains reactive gas, and (ii) exposing the phosphor to the gas atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiro Zukawa, Masatoshi Kitagawa, Masaharu Terauchi, Junko Asayama
  • Patent number: 7329989
    Abstract: A fluorine-containing precoating is formed to cover a phosphor particle by, for example, a physical vapor deposition of a fluoride. Then, a fluorine-containing coating covering the phosphor particle is formed by supplying fluorine into the precoating. This obtained phosphor particle with the coating is applied in the form of a paste to a substrate on each electrode between two adjacent ribs to form a phosphor layer including phosphor particles between the ribs on the substrate. The substrate is positioned with respect to another substrate having electrodes thereon to form discharge spaces between the substrates. The discharge spaces are filled with a discharge gas to produce a plasma display panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Okumura, Mitsuo Saitoh, Masashi Morita, Takafumi Okuma, Masaharu Terauchi, Junko Asayama
  • Publication number: 20070232181
    Abstract: A fluorine-containing precoating is formed to cover a phosphor particle by, for example, a physical vapor deposition of a fluoride. Then, a fluorine-containing coating covering the phosphor particle is formed by supplying fluorine into the precoating. This obtained phosphor particle with the coating is applied in the form of a paste to a substrate on each electrode between two adjacent ribs to form a phosphor layer including phosphor particles between the ribs on the substrate. The substrate is positioned with respect to another substrate having electrodes thereon to form discharge spaces between the substrates. The discharge spaces are filled with a discharge gas to produce a plasma display panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Inventors: Tomohiro Okumura, Mitsuo Saitoh, Masashi Morita, Takafumi Okuma, Masaharu Terauchi, Junko Asayama
  • Publication number: 20070013312
    Abstract: There are provided a PDP having a higher luminous efficiency and a process for producing the same. In a plasma display panel filled with a discharge gas between a front plate and a rear plate opposed to each other, the front plate 100 comprises a glass substrate 1, electrodes 2 (transparent electrodes 2a and bus electrodes 2b) on the glass substrate 1, the first dielectric layer 4 covering the electrodes 2 and the glass substrate 1 and containing a fluorine atom, the second dielectric layer 5 covering the first dielectric layer 4 and containing a fluorine atom at a less amount than that in the first dielectric layer 4, and a protective layer 6 covering the second dielectric layer 5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2006
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Inventors: Tomohiro Okumura, Hiroyuki Yamakita, Noriyasu Echigo, Mitsuo Saitoh, Junko Asayama, Keisuke Okada
  • Patent number: 7153451
    Abstract: Phosphors having high luminescence characteristics are provided while achieving manufacturing cost reductions by minimizing the usage amount of Eu, the luminescence center. Also provided are a display device (PDP, etc) and a fluorescent lamp having excellent display and/or luminescence characteristics as a result of using the phosphors, while achieving manufacturing cost reductions by minimizing the Eu usage amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiro Zukawa, Masatoshi Kitagawa, Masaharu Terauchi, Junko Asayama, Masahiro Sakai
  • Patent number: 7133019
    Abstract: The invention provides an image display apparatus (1) comprising a lighting system (100); a LCD element (304); and an actuating means for varying the transmittance of the LCD element (304) according to image signals, wherein the LCD element (304) is designed such that when the angle of view with respect to a specified direction of a screen varies provided that the entire LCD element (304) is in a white display mode, transmittance varies such that it has peak values at viewing angles other than viewing angles in the vicinity of 0 degree, and wherein the lighting system (100) is designed such that the intensities of light beams emitted in the directions of the viewing angles in the vicinity of 0 degree are higher than the intensities of light beams emitted in the directions of the viewing angles at which the transmittance has a peak value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akifumi Ogiwara, Yasunori Kuratomi, Junko Asayama, Kazunori Komori
  • Publication number: 20050277570
    Abstract: The present invention aims at realizing a PDP and a mercury-free fluorescent lamp feasible to maintain excellent luminescent characteristics over long periods by suppressing time-lapse changes in luminescent characteristics of a phosphor that is excited by vacuum ultraviolet light to thereby emit light. To accomplish this object, the oxide phosphor of the invention comprises individual particles, each of which has a region at and near the surface thereof modified, and the elemental composition of the surface region is in a more oxidized state than that of the internal region of the particles. Alternatively, the surface region has more halogen or chalcogen in the elemental composition. In the phosphor treatment method of the invention, the surface region of individual phosphor particles is selectively modified by (i) forming a highly reactive gas atmosphere by exciting gas which contains reactive gas, and (ii) exposing the phosphor to the gas atmosphere.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2003
    Publication date: December 15, 2005
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiro Zukawa, Masatoshi Kitagawa, Masaharu Terauchi, Junko Asayama
  • Publication number: 20050104532
    Abstract: A method for restoring the function of a plasma display panel according to the present invention restores a function of a plasma display panel by raising the temperature of the plasma display panel to 400° C. to 800° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2004
    Publication date: May 19, 2005
    Inventors: Tomohiro Okumura, Mitsuo Saitoh, Masashi Morita, Masaharu Terauchi, Junko Asayama
  • Publication number: 20050040765
    Abstract: A fluorine-containing precoating (not shown) is formed to cover a phosphor particle (7) by, for example, a physical vapor deposition of a fluoride. Then, a fluorine-containing coating (8) covering the phosphor particle (7) is formed by supplying fluorine into the precoating. Thus obtained phosphor particle (7) with the coating (8) is applied in the form of a paste to a substrate (1) on each electrode (2) is between adjacent two ribs (4) to form a phosphor layer (6) including the phosphor particles (7) between the ribs (4) on the substrate (1). The substrate (1) is positioned with respect to another substrate (not shown) having electrodes thereon to form discharge spaces between the substrates. The discharge spade is filled with a discharge gas to produce a plasma display panel (PDP).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2004
    Publication date: February 24, 2005
    Inventors: Tomohiro Okumura, Mitsuo Saitoh, Masashi Morita, Takafumi Okuma, Masaharu Terauchi, Junko Asayama
  • Publication number: 20050017218
    Abstract: Phosphors having high luminescence characteristics are provided while achieving manufacturing cost reductions by minimizing the usage amount of Eu, the luminescence center. Also provided are a display device (PDP, etc) and a fluorescent lamp having excellent display and/or luminescence characteristics as a result of using the phosphors, while achieving manufacturing cost reductions by minimizing the Eu usage amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Publication date: January 27, 2005
    Inventors: Takehiro Zukawa, Masatoshi Kitagawa, Masaharu Terauchi, Junko Asayama, Masahiro Sakai
  • Patent number: 6801293
    Abstract: The curing, by UV-light irradiation, of a sealing resin after injecting liquid crystal is made reliable. The display characteristics and the like of an in-plane electric field mode liquid crystal element are improved. To resolve these problems, the viscosity of the sealing resin is lowered, while bubbles mixed in the sealing resin are eliminated by ultrasonic waves, for example. Also, a means for eliminating ions and charges in the liquid crystal layer is devised.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Nishiyama, Junko Asayama, Kazunori Komori, Yukio Tanaka, Akio Takimoto, Kazuo Inoue, Katsuhiko Kumagawa, Ichiro Sato, Hirofumi Wakemoto, Noriyuki Kizu, Masanori Kimura, Keisuke Tsuda
  • Patent number: 6791566
    Abstract: In a display device according to a first aspect of the invention, luminance is not made substantially uniform over the entire display screen but rather imparted a luminance gradient such that luminance substantially monotonously decreases from the center of the screen towards the peripheral portion using a luminance gradient forming means, whereby power consumption is reduced compared to cases in which the entire screen shows substantially uniform luminance. In a second aspect of the invention, by optimizing gray level characteristics and thereby improving a viewer's impression of brightness, luminance gradient is made even less perceivable without increasing power consumption. These configurations provide large screen, low power consumption display devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasunori Kuratomi, Junko Asayama, Akifumi Ogiwara, Tsuyoshi Uemura, Kazunori Komori
  • Publication number: 20040145314
    Abstract: A light emitting device that emits visible light caused by ultraviolet rays from a discharge generated in a discharge medium including a rare gas, wherein a phosphorous material is disposed in a vessel that is hermetically sealed and contains the discharge medium, and a photocatalyst is disposed at one or more positions inside the vessel, the positions being reachable for one or both of the ultraviolet rays and light emitted from the phosphorous material, so that the photocatalyst is in contact with the discharge medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2003
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Inventors: Takehiro Zukawa, Masatoshi Kitagawa, Masaharu Terauchi, Junko Asayama
  • Publication number: 20030210222
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to provide, for example, a lighting device and an image display, with which higher luminance and others can be achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2003
    Publication date: November 13, 2003
    Inventors: Akifumi Ogiwara, Kazunori Komorl, Junko Asayama, Yasunori Kuratomi
  • Publication number: 20030184690
    Abstract: The invention provides an image display apparatus (1) comprising a lighting system (100); a LCD element (304); and an actuating means for varying the transmittance of the LCD element (304) according to image signals, wherein the LCD element (304) is designed such that when the angle of view with respect to a specified direction of a screen varies provided that the entire LCD element (304) is in a white display mode, transmittance varies such that it has peak values at viewing angles other than viewing angles in the vicinity of 0 degree, and wherein the lighting system (100) is designed such that the intensities of light beams emitted in the directions of the viewing angles in the vicinity of 0 degree are higher than the intensities of light beams emitted in the directions of the viewing angles at which the transmittance has a peak valu
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2003
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Inventors: Akifumi Ogiwara, Yasunori Kuratomi, Junko Asayama, Kazunori Komori
  • Patent number: 6388649
    Abstract: The disclosed spatial light modulator includes a pair of facing transparent electrodes, and a light-modulating layer and a photoconductive layer provided between the transparent electrodes In the spatial light modulator, the light-modulating layer has different optical states depending on an applied charge amount. Specifically, the light-modulating layer has: a first optical state when the applied charge amount is a first threshold charge amount or more; a second optical state when the applied charge amount is a second threshold charge amount or less; and a spatially uniform intermediate state between the first optical state and the second optical state depending on the applied charge amount. Also, a driving method for such a spatial light modulator is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio Tanaka, Akio Takimoto, Koji Akiyama, Yasunori Kuratomi, Junko Asayama, Hisahito Ogawa