Patents by Inventor Katsuya Otoi

Katsuya Otoi 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: 11308916
    Abstract: A luminance determining method of determining a luminance of each pixel in a display device that includes a self emitting element includes dividing one image into a plurality of blocks that do no overlap each other; and correcting, in each of the plurality of blocks, a luminance of each pixel by reducing the luminance in the plurality of blocks through a correction method determined for each of the plurality of blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: SOCIONEXT INC.
    Inventor: Katsuya Otoi
  • Publication number: 20210104210
    Abstract: A luminance determining method of determining a luminance of each pixel in a display device that includes a self emitting element includes dividing one image into a plurality of blocks that do no overlap each other; and correcting, in each of the plurality of blocks, a luminance of each pixel by reducing the luminance in the plurality of blocks through a correction method determined for each of the plurality of blocks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Inventor: Katsuya OTOI
  • Patent number: 10621913
    Abstract: An organic EL display device includes: a pixel circuit drive unit configured to drive pixel circuits while performing a property measuring process in which a property of circuit elements is measured; a parameter table configured to store parameter values derived from monitoring data obtained in the property measuring process; a compensation computation unit configured to correct externally provided image data based on the parameter values stored in the parameter table, so as to generate a digital video signal to be fed to the pixel circuits; a temperature sensor configured to sense temperature; and a monitoring control section configured to control an execution frequency of the property measuring process in accordance with the sensed temperature. The monitoring control section increases the execution frequency of the property measuring process with an increase in the sensed temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Furukawa, Noritaka Kishi, Kazuyoshi Yoshiyama, Shigetsugu Yamanaka, Naoko Goto, Tamotsu Sakai, Katsuya Otoi
  • Patent number: 10522080
    Abstract: In a data line drive/current measurement circuit, m measurement units are disposed in a plurality of semiconductor chips such that the m measurement units are distributed among the plurality of semiconductor chips. A display apparatus includes transistors such that one transistor is provided for two adjacent semiconductor chips. Inter-chip correction data indicating a variation among the semiconductor chips in terms of characteristics of elements in the measurement units is determined based on a result of a current measurement performed for the same transistor using measurement units disposed in different semiconductor chips. The inter-chip correction data is stored in a storage unit and is used in correcting an image signal. The inter-chip correction data may be determined based on a result of measuring a current flowing through a common cathode of organic EL elements for each semiconductor chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noritaka Kishi, Hiroyuki Furukawa, Katsuya Otoi, Kazuyoshi Yoshiyama, Tamotsu Sakai, Naoko Goto, Noboru Noguchi
  • Patent number: 10510285
    Abstract: A measurement circuit includes a plurality of measurement units, performs, at a same timing, a main measurement for measuring a current or a voltage with respect to a pixel circuit with supplying a measurement voltage to a part of the measurement units and a dummy measurement for measuring a current or a voltage with supplying a dummy signal to remaining measurement units, and performs a calculation on a result of the main measurement and a result of the dummy measurement. As the dummy signal, a signal with which a value to be measured is approximately zero is used. The measurement result of the current or the voltage is used for correcting a video signal. With this, a display device which can remove noise in measurement when measuring the current or the voltage with respect to the pixel circuit is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noritaka Kishi, Hiroyuki Furukawa, Katsuya Otoi, Kazuyoshi Yoshiyama, Tamotsu Sakai, Naoko Gotoh
  • Publication number: 20190259343
    Abstract: An image display device allowing a user to view an image with a dynamic range wider than before can be realized regardless of performance limitations of a light emitting element or a power supply. The image display device includes a glare correction unit for correcting a pixel value of a pixel around a high luminance pixel so that a gradation area, in which a luminance value gradually decreases from the high luminance pixel to a low luminance pixel, is provided. The glare correction unit includes a high luminance pixel searching unit for detecting a high luminance pixel among pixels within a predetermined range centered on a target pixel and for outputting mixing ratio data and pixel data of the high luminance pixel, and a pixel value mixing unit for correcting pixel data of the target pixel by mixing pixel data of the target pixel and the pixel data of the high luminance pixel based on the mixing ratio data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: Masaaki MORIYA, Katsuya OTOI, Takayuki MURAI
  • Patent number: 10319305
    Abstract: A current measurement circuit measures a current flowing through a drive transistor when a plurality of measurement voltages are written to a pixel circuit in a switching manner, and a current flowing through an organic EL element when another plurality of measurement voltages are written to the pixel circuit in a switching manner. A correction unit obtains a threshold voltage and a gain of the drive transistor and the organic EL element with respect to each pixel circuit based on a measured current, determines in which operation region the drive transistor operates between a saturation region and a triode region with respect to each pixel circuit based on the video signal, and corrects the video signal in accordance with the operation region of the drive transistor. Since the drive transistor operates both in the saturation region and the triode region, it is possible to reduce a power supply voltage and reduce power consumption of a display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noritaka Kishi, Hiroyuki Furukawa, Katsuya Otoi, Kazuyoshi Yoshiyama, Tamotsu Sakai, Naoko Gotoh
  • Patent number: 10311801
    Abstract: It is possible to realize a liquid crystal display device 1 which is provided with a down-converter 7, a local dimming control circuit 8, and an upscaling control circuit 9 including a luminance ratio calculation circuit and a gradation conversion circuit, and thus, capable of processing an image having an image size that is not assumed, and further, reducing a storage area, a processing load and a circuit size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Katsuya Otoi
  • Patent number: 10269301
    Abstract: In a current measurement period of a pixel circuit (20), a measurement voltage is applied to a non-inverting input terminal of an operational amplifier (31), switches (35, 36) turn on, and a switch (37) turns off. Next, the switch (36) turns off, and a capacitor (32) is charged with charge of a current flowing through the pixel circuit (20). Next, the switch (35) turns off, the switch (37) turns on, a constant current flows through a current source (33), and a voltage of a second terminal (terminal connected to an output terminal of the operational amplifier (31)) of the capacitor (32) decreases. A voltage comparator (42) and a counter (43) measure the current flowing through the pixel circuit (20) by measuring time until a voltage of the second terminal of the capacitor reaches a voltage Vcomp. A video signal VS1 is corrected based on a current measurement result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noritaka Kishi, Hiroyuki Furukawa, Katsuya Otoi, Kazuyoshi Yoshiyama, Tamotsu Sakai, Naoko Gotoh
  • Patent number: 10264192
    Abstract: A video processing device detects, as a characteristic region, a region having a prescribed characteristic in each frame of a video and performs specific image processing on either the characteristic region in the frame or a region other than the characteristic region in the frame with a specified processing strength. The processing strength is specified so as to be altered stepwise in at least two steps that involve an intermediate value between a minimum value and a maximum value when there is a change in whether or not a characteristic region has been detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaaki Moriya, Katsuya Otoi, Takayuki Murai, Yoshimitsu Murahashi
  • Publication number: 20180366061
    Abstract: An organic EL display device includes: a pixel circuit drive unit configured to drive pixel circuits while performing a property measuring process in which a property of circuit elements is measured; a parameter table configured to store parameter values derived from monitoring data obtained in the property measuring process; a compensation computation unit configured to correct externally provided image data based on the parameter values stored in the parameter table, so as to generate a digital video signal to be fed to the pixel circuits; a temperature sensor configured to sense temperature; and a monitoring control section configured to control an execution frequency of the property measuring process in accordance with the sensed temperature. The monitoring control section increases the execution frequency of the property measuring process with an increase in the sensed temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2016
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventors: HIROYUKI FURUKAWA, NORITAKA KISHI, KAZUYOSHI YOSHIYAMA, SHIGETSUGU YAMANAKA, NAOKO GOTO, TAMOTSU SAKAI, KATSUYA OTOI
  • Publication number: 20180233081
    Abstract: In a data line drive/current measurement circuit, m measurement units are disposed in a plurality of semiconductor chips such that the m measurement units are distributed among the plurality of semiconductor chips. A display apparatus includes transistors such that one transistor is provided for two adjacent semiconductor chips. Inter-chip correction data indicating a variation among the semiconductor chips in terms of characteristics of elements in the measurement units is determined based on a result of a current measurement performed for the same transistor using measurement units disposed in different semiconductor chips. The inter-chip correction data is stored in a storage unit and is used in correcting an image signal. The inter-chip correction data may be determined based on a result of measuring a current flowing through a common cathode of organic EL elements for each semiconductor chip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Inventors: Noritaka KISHI, Hiroyuki FURUKAWA, Katsuya OTOI, Kazuyoshi YOSHIYAMA, Tamotsu SAKAI, Naoko GOTO, Noboru NOGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20180061328
    Abstract: In a current measurement period of a pixel circuit (20), a measurement voltage is applied to a non-inverting input terminal of an operational amplifier (31), switches (35, 36) turn on, and a switch (37) turns off. Next, the switch (36) turns off, and a capacitor (32) is charged with charge of a current flowing through the pixel circuit (20). Next, the switch (35) turns off, the switch (37) turns on, a constant current flows through a current source (33), and a voltage of a second terminal (terminal connected to an output terminal of the operational amplifier (31)) of the capacitor (32) decreases. A voltage comparator (42) and a counter (43) measure the current flowing through the pixel circuit (20) by measuring time until a voltage of the second terminal of the capacitor reaches a voltage Vcomp. A video signal VS1 is corrected based on a current measurement result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Noritaka KISHI, Hiroyuki FURUKAWA, Katsuya OTOI, Kazuyoshi YOSHIYAMA, Tamotsu SAKAI, Naoko GOTOH
  • Publication number: 20180033372
    Abstract: A current measurement circuit measures a current flowing through a drive transistor when a plurality of measurement voltages are written to a pixel circuit in a switching manner, and a current flowing through an organic EL element when another plurality of measurement voltages are written to the pixel circuit in a switching manner. A correction unit obtains a threshold voltage and a gain of the drive transistor and the organic EL element with respect to each pixel circuit based on a measured current, determines in which operation region the drive transistor operates between a saturation region and a triode region with respect to each pixel circuit based on the video signal, and corrects the video signal in accordance with the operation region of the drive transistor. Since the drive transistor operates both in the saturation region and the triode region, it is possible to reduce a power supply voltage and reduce power consumption of a display device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: NORITAKA KISHI, HIROYUKI FURUKAWA, KATSUYA OTOI, KAZUYOSHI YOSHIYAMA, TAMOTSU SAKAI, NAOKO GOTOH
  • Publication number: 20170365205
    Abstract: A measurement circuit includes a plurality of measurement units, performs, at a same timing, a main measurement for measuring a current or a voltage with respect to a pixel circuit with supplying a measurement voltage to a part of the measurement units and a dummy measurement for measuring a current or a voltage with supplying a dummy signal to remaining measurement units, and performs a calculation on a result of the main measurement and a result of the dummy measurement. As the dummy signal, a signal with which a value to be measured is approximately zero is used. The measurement result of the current or the voltage is used for correcting a video signal. With this, a display device which can remove noise in measurement when measuring the current or the voltage with respect to the pixel circuit is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventors: NORITAKA KISHI, HIROYUKI FURUKAWA, KATSUYA OTOI, KAZUYOSHI YOSHIYAMA, TAMOTSU SAKAI, NAOKO GOTOH
  • Publication number: 20170353671
    Abstract: A video processing device detects, as a characteristic region, a region having a prescribed characteristic in each frame of a video and performs specific image processing on either the characteristic region in the frame or a region other than the characteristic region in the frame with a specified processing strength. The processing strength is specified so as to be altered stepwise in at least two steps that involve an intermediate value between a minimum value and a maximum value when there is a change in whether or not a characteristic region has been detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Inventors: MASAAKI MORIYA, KATSUYA OTOI, TAKAYUKI MURAI, YOSHIMITSU MURAHASHI
  • Patent number: 9368072
    Abstract: Control sections of displays 11 each determine control information Pi used when area-active driving is performed individually and transmit the control information Pi to a multi-display control section 12. The multi-display control section 12 determines control information Ps for the entire device on the basis of the received pieces of control information Pi and transmits the control information Ps to the control sections of the displays 11. All the displays 11 perform area-active driving on the basis of the same control information Ps. In this way, occurrence of a luminance difference or chromaticity difference among display screens of the displays 11 is prevented and the quality of a displayed image is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuya Otoi, Katsuteru Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20150348469
    Abstract: It is possible to realize a liquid crystal display device 1 which is provided with a down-converter 7, a local dimming control circuit 8, and an upscaling control circuit 9 including a luminance ratio calculation circuit and a gradation conversion circuit, and thus, capable of processing an image having an image size that is not assumed, and further, reducing a storage area, a processing load and a circuit size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventor: Katsuya OTOI
  • Patent number: 8988338
    Abstract: In an image display device which performs area-active drive, backlight sources are emitted with appropriate luminances while inhibiting increase in power consumption and inhibiting reduction of image quality. An emission luminance calculation section divides an input image into a plurality of areas, and obtains luminances upon emission (first emission luminances) of LEDs in the areas. A plurality of correction modes are prepared as methods for correcting the first emission luminances, and a correction mode that is applied to an emission luminance correction process (selected correction mode) is stored to a correction mode storage section. For any LED units whose flag data stored in a correction-enabled map has the value of 1, an emission luminance correction section corrects their first emission luminances to obtain second emission luminances in accordance with the selected correction mode, with reference to correction value data stored in correction value tables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuya Otoi, Kohji Fujiwara, Katsuteru Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8681087
    Abstract: An image display device which performs area-active drive suppresses occurrence of flickering that is caused when displaying dynamic images due to the emission luminance of each area being determined on the basis of a maximum or mean value of pixel luminances within that area. An emission luminance calculation section (151) divides an input image (31) into a plurality of areas, and obtains luminances upon emission of LEDs (first emission luminances) (32) in the areas. A maximum luminance position eccentricity coefficient calculation section (152) obtains maximum luminance position eccentricity coefficients (33) indicating maximum luminance positions in the areas. An emission luminance correction section (153) corrects the first emission luminances (32) on the basis of the maximum luminance position eccentricity coefficients (33) and contribution ratios (34) stored in an LED filter (156).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuya Otoi, Kohji Fujiwara, Katsuteru Hashimoto