Patents by Inventor Kazuhisa Yamamoto
Kazuhisa Yamamoto 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: 8446288Abstract: A light projection device, includes a movable projector section which illuminates or display information by projecting light while moving a projection position; a position detecting section which detects a position of a lost article instructed by a user; a view field detecting section which detects a view field of the user, and a controller section which controls said movable projection section based on the lost article detected by the position detecting section and the view field of the user detected by the view field detecting section, and either directly illuminates the lost article or projects guide information for guiding the user to the lost article within a view field of the user.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2009Date of Patent: May 21, 2013Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Tetsuro Mizushima, Kazuhisa Yamamoto, Akira Kurozuka, Kakuya Yamamoto, Keiji Sugiyama, Kenji Nakayama
-
Patent number: 8440951Abstract: A wavelength conversion laser light source includes: a fundamental light source for outputting fundamental light; a wavelength conversion element with a nonlinear optical effect for converting the fundamental light into harmonic light of a different wavelength; a first optical receiver for receiving light of a specific polarization direction contained in the fundamental light output from the fundamental light source and converting an amount of light thereof into an electrical signal; a second optical receiver for receiving the harmonic light output from the wavelength conversion element and converting an amount of light thereof into an electrical signal; a temperature holding unit for holding a temperature of the wavelength conversion element constant; a fundamental light control unit for performing first control of controlling an amount of light of the fundamental light output from the fundamental light source based on the electrical signal from the second optical receiver, and second control of controllingType: GrantFiled: July 8, 2009Date of Patent: May 14, 2013Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Furuya, Koichi Kusukame, Tetsuro Mizushima, Toshifumi Yokoyama, Kenji Nakayama, Kazuhisa Yamamoto, Shinichi Kadowaki, Tomoya Sugita, Nobuyuki Horikawa
-
Patent number: 8432353Abstract: An information display device (10) includes a light source (11), a light guide plate (13) to which light from the light source (11) enters from a side surface and from which the light exits from one principal surface, and a liquid crystal panel (16) disposed adjacently to the light guide plate (13). Outside light is injected into the light guide plate (13) from an opposing surface opposing the one principal surface. The light guide plate (13) includes a light control mirror (19) electrically switchable to transmit light and to reflect light. At least one of the light from the light source (11) and the outside light exits from the one principal surface of the light guide plate (13). The light passes through the liquid crystal panel (16) and a character or an image is displayed.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2009Date of Patent: April 30, 2013Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Takayuki Nagata, Tatsuo Itoh, Kazuhisa Yamamoto
-
Patent number: 8416363Abstract: It is aimed to provide an LCD backlight device and liquid crystal display that can suppress light quantity loss and ensure uniform brightness. An LCD backlight device 101 has a laser light source 1 that emits laser light, and a light guiding plate 3 that transforms the laser light from the laser light source 1 into linear laser light, and transforms the linear laser light into a planar laser light, and emits the planar laser light, and the light guiding plate 3 has a third side face 6 that transforms the linear laser light into the planar laser light by reflecting the linear laser light by a plurality of reflection surfaces that are formed along the entrance direction of the linear laser light.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2008Date of Patent: April 9, 2013Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Shinichi Shikii, Tetsuro Mizushima, Tatsuo Itoh, Akira Kurozuka, Takayuki Nagata, Kazuhisa Yamamoto
-
Patent number: 8411714Abstract: A wavelength conversion laser light source includes an element temperature switching section that switches a temperature of the wavelength conversion element according to a harmonic wave output value as set in an output setting device, and the element temperature switching section for switching a temperature of a wavelength conversion element according to a harmonic wave output level as set in the output setting device. The element temperature switch section includes an element temperature holding section that holds the wavelength conversion element at the temperature as switched by the element temperature switching section.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2011Date of Patent: April 2, 2013Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Furuya, Shinichi Shikii, Kazuhisa Yamamoto, Koichi Kusukame
-
Patent number: 8390765Abstract: A wavelength selection substrate 23 is configured with a wavelength selection section 23R which transmits only red laser light and reflects other light components, a wavelength selection section 23G which transmits only a green laser light and reflects other light components, and a wavelength selection section 23B which transmits only a blue laser light and reflects other light components. Of laser light 12 outputted from a light guide plate 14, a laser light component that corresponds to a color passing through one of the wavelength selection sections passes through the wavelength selection substrate 23 and enters a liquid crystal panel 22, whereas a laser light component that does not correspond to the color is reflected from the wavelength selection substrate 23 and returns the light guide plate 14. The laser light having returned the light guide plate 14 is reflected from the reflection plate 21 and again enters the wavelength selection substrate 23.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2009Date of Patent: March 5, 2013Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Shinichi Shikii, Takayuki Nagata, Tatsuo Itoh, Kazuhisa Yamamoto, Shinichi Kadowaki
-
Patent number: 8350789Abstract: A 2D image display apparatus using a laser light source. By controlling the timing of a scan by a beam scan portion in response to the characteristic of a laser light source and by setting a light emitting time of the laser light source to an integral multiple of a scan cycle of the beam scan portion, it is possible to illuminate a spatial light modulator homogeneously with a laser beam. It is thus possible to display an image at high accuracy without causing a bright line, irregularities in brightness, and contrast deterioration.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2007Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Furuya, Kiminori Mizuuchi, Toshifumi Yokoyama, Tatsuo Itoh, Akira Kurozuka, Kazuhisa Yamamoto
-
Patent number: 8339697Abstract: A wavelength conversion laser light source includes a fundamental wave laser light source (1) to generate a fundamental wave; a first mirror and a second mirror (4, 5), arranged so as to oppose each other; a wavelength conversion element (3) which is arranged between the first mirror and the second mirror and converts the wavelength of the fundamental wave; and a temperature control portion (8) to control the temperature of the wavelength conversion element.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2010Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Nobuyuki Horikawa, Hiroyuki Furuya, Tetsuro Mizushima, Koichi Kusukame, Tomoya Sugita, Kazuhisa Yamamoto
-
Patent number: 8325406Abstract: Provided is a planar lighting apparatus performing a display (i) without luminance nonuniformity, (ii) with a specified luminance distribution in a scanning direction and (iii) having a high luminance and a large area. Also provided is a liquid crystal display device using the planar lighting apparatus. In the plan lighting apparatus, a scanning light quantity of a scanning light 13 to a light guide section 15 is controlled by a controller 20, so at to emit an outgoing light 16 from a principal surface 17 with a specified luminance distribution in a scanning direction 21 of the scanning light 13.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2008Date of Patent: December 4, 2012Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Takayuki Nagata, Tatsuo Itoh, Kazuhisa Yamamoto
-
Method and device for converting an emission beam from a laser light source into 2-dimensional light
Patent number: 8317333Abstract: A 2-dimensional beam scan unit reflects emission beams from a red laser light source, a green laser light source and a blue laser light source and scans in a 2-dimensional direction. Diffusion plates diffuse the respective light beams scanned in the 2-dimensional direction to introduce them to corresponding spatial light modulation elements. The respective spatial light modulation elements modulate the respective lights in accordance with video signals of the respective colors. A dichroic prism multiplexes the lights of the three colors after the modulation and introduces the multiplexed lights to a projection lens so that a color image is displayed on a screen. Since the 2-dimensional light emitted from the beam scan unit is diffused to illuminate the spatial light modulation element, it is possible to change the optical axis of the beam emerging from the light diffusion member for irradiating the spatial light modulation element moment by moment, thereby effectively suppressing speckle noise.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2011Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Kenichi Kasazumi, Yasuo Kitaoka, Kiminori Mizuuchi, Kazuhisa Yamamoto -
Patent number: 8317386Abstract: A planar illumination device includes an optical element outputting a diffusing light from a laser light source into an incident edge surface of a light guide plate. The optical element provides an output substantially parallel to a thickness direction of the light guide plate. A light deflecting unit, including a plurality of deflectors, is provided on a principal surface of the light guide plate for deflecting incident laser light towards an output surface of the light guide. The light deflecting unit is arranged such that a degree of deflection of the light incident on the light guide plate differs according to positions in the light guide plate, to make an amount of light outputted from the output surface uniform across such output surface.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2007Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Takayuki Nagata, Shinichi Kadowaki, Kazuhisa Yamamoto, Tatsuo Itoh
-
Patent number: 8300291Abstract: An optical scanning device includes at least one laser light source for emitting a laser light; a deflection section for deflecting and scanning the laser light emitted from the at least one laser light source; and a light guide plate of which a side surface is irradiated with the laser light deflected and scanned by the deflection section. The at least one laser light source includes a multi-mode fiber light source, or a broad-stripe semiconductor laser light source arranged such that a vertical direction of a stripe structure is parallel to a scanning direction. An exit pupil in a thickness direction, which is perpendicular to the scanning direction, is formed at least in one area on the side surface of the light guide plate.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2008Date of Patent: October 30, 2012Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Shinichi Shikii, Tatsuo Itoh, Kazuhisa Yamamoto, Shinichi Kadowaki
-
Patent number: 8294979Abstract: A wavelength conversion device includes a laser light source that emits a fundamental wave; a wavelength conversion element that converts the fundamental wave into a second harmonic wave; and an optical system including a wavelength selective mirror that reflects the fundamental wave transmitted through the wavelength conversion element without being converted into the second harmonic wave, while transmitting therethrough the second harmonic wave generated by wavelength conversion, wherein the optical system makes the fundamental wave transmitted through the wavelength conversion element without being converted into the second harmonic wave enter the wavelength conversion element again to be subjected to wavelength conversion once or more than once, while being focused by the wavelength selective mirror, and the conversion efficiency in at least one of the second stage and stages subsequent to the second stage is higher than the conversion efficiency in the first stage, where the conversion efficiency in eachType: GrantFiled: November 19, 2008Date of Patent: October 23, 2012Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Shinichi Shikii, Kiminori Mizuuchi, Tetsuro Mizushima, Kazuhisa Yamamoto
-
Patent number: 8287131Abstract: A wavelength conversion laser is provided with a solid-state laser having a cavity, and a wavelength converting element arranged within the cavity. The solid-state laser includes two or more types of laser crystals and oscillates solid-state laser light of multiple wavelengths. The wavelength converting element converts the solid-state laser light of multiple wavelengths into light of second harmonic waves and sum-frequency wave of multiple wavelengths and simultaneously generates the second harmonic waves and sum-frequency wave of multiple wavelengths. The wavelength conversion laser outputs converted wavelength light having a broad spectral width and low coherency, thereby enabling it to carry out highly efficient and stable high-output oscillation.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2008Date of Patent: October 16, 2012Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Tetsuro Mizushima, Toshifumi Yokoyama, Tatsuo Itoh, Kenji Nakayama, Kiminori Mizuuchi, Kazuhisa Yamamoto
-
Publication number: 20120251731Abstract: A curtain coating method including: discharging at least one coating liquid from a slot type die; forming a coating liquid film of the coating liquid freely falling; and applying the coating liquid film to a support medium continuously running, with both right and left ends of the coating liquid film being held by a pair of edge guides, wherein, during non-coating, a direction in which the coating liquid is discharged from the slot type die is kept in a horizontal direction or tilted from the horizontal direction in a direction distancing from the support medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2012Publication date: October 4, 2012Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Kazuhisa YAMAMOTO, Hiroki Somada, Tetsuya Hara
-
Patent number: 8270440Abstract: A laser light source is provided with a pump light source (1) comprising a semiconductor laser, a solid laser medium (2) which is excited by the semiconductor laser, and multi-mode means for changing at least either a longitudinal mode or a transverse mode of laser oscillation of the solid laser. The oscillation light of the laser medium excited by the light outputted from the pump light source is changed by the multi-mode means into output light (5) having a plurality of oscillation spectra and is outputted, thereby a small, high power, and highly efficient low coherent light source can be realized, and a laser light source having reduced speckle noises can be provided.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2006Date of Patent: September 18, 2012Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Kiminori Mizuuchi, Kazuhisa Yamamoto
-
Patent number: 8269139Abstract: A fiber cutting mechanism prevents secondary utilization of a fiber laser light source that is incorporated in a device that uses a laser light. With a characteristic fiber cutting mechanism, when a laser device is separated from a laser light source application apparatus, at least a fiber is cut in an specific area from a point within a fiber grating to a connection point between the fiber grating and the fiber containing a laser activating substance.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2008Date of Patent: September 18, 2012Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Furuya, Kazuhisa Yamamoto, Shinichi Kadowaki
-
Patent number: 8264636Abstract: Provided are a laser backside irradiation device and a liquid crystal display device reducing a thickness of the respective device and improving a contrast while making a luminance distribution substantially uniform. The laser backside irradiation device includes a laser light source, a splitting optical system splitting laser light emitted from the laser light source into a plurality of laser beams, and a plurality of illumination optical systems illuminating a liquid crystal panel for two-dimensionally modulating a light intensity from a backside thereof, wherein the illumination optical systems expand the laser beams split by the splitting optical system to illuminate divided regions on the liquid crystal panel, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2008Date of Patent: September 11, 2012Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Shinichi Shikii, Kenji Nakayama, Tetsuro Mizushima, Kazuhisa Yamamoto
-
Patent number: 8251521Abstract: A multipurpose projector is provided with a fiber bundle including a plurality of cores fixedly arranged on an input plane and an output plane, laser beam sources for emitting laser beams having directivities, an optical guide unit for modulating the laser beams emitted from the laser beam sources and guiding the modulated laser beams to the input plane of the fiber bundle, a projection lens for enlarging and projecting the laser beams emerging from the output plane of the fiber bundle to a display space, and a projection angle adjusting mechanism disposed on the side of the output plane of the fiber bundle for adjusting projection angles of the laser beams projected from the projection lens. Thus, the projector can have its projection space freely operated and enlarged to extend its application not only to image display, but also to illumination and decoration with colored light.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2008Date of Patent: August 28, 2012Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Tetsuro Mizushima, Kazuhisa Yamamoto, Akira Kurozuka, Kakuya Yamamoto, Keiji Sugiyama
-
Patent number: 8254421Abstract: A wavelength conversion laser light source includes a fundamental wave laser light source; a wavelength conversion element for converting a fundamental wave emitted from the fundamental wave laser light source into a harmonic wave; and an element temperature holding section for holding the wavelength conversion element at a temperature as set, wherein the element temperature holding section includes a magnetic metal formed on at least a part of the surface of the wavelength conversion element via an insulating material, and a magnetic flux application section for heating the magnetic metal with an application of a magnetic flux to the magnetic metal.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2009Date of Patent: August 28, 2012Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Furuya, Tetsuro Mizushima, Koichi Kusukame, Kenji Nakayama, Kazuhisa Yamamoto