Patents by Inventor Kazutaka Hanaoka

Kazutaka Hanaoka 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: 9285533
    Abstract: A display apparatus capable of reliably supporting a display panel and making a juncture between displays inconspicuous is provided. A display includes a liquid crystal panel having a front surface and a back surface, a module containing a backlight unit for driving the liquid crystal panel, a rear surface side housing for protecting and holding the backlight unit, and a convex lens arranged to cover a frame region of the liquid crystal panel, for guiding light from the front surface of the liquid crystal panel to a front surface side of the frame region and supporting the liquid crystal panel from the front surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Moriwaki, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Yozo Narutaki, Hisashi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20150346564
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display having the advantage of higher resolution and lower power consumption while having high transmittance. The present invention is a liquid crystal display provided with a first substrate, a second substrate and a horizontal orientation-type liquid crystal layer. The first substrate includes a plurality of source bus lines, a plurality of gate bus lines, a pixel electrode, a first common electrode, a first interlayer insulation film on the plurality of source bus lines, a first conductive layer on the first interlayer insulation film, a second interlayer insulation film on the first conductive layer and a second conductive layer on the second interlayer insulation film. The first common electrode includes a plurality of first linear portions having a linear shape. The pixel electrode includes one or more second linear portions. The plurality of first linear portions and one or more second linear portions are alternately disposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroyuki MORIWAKI, Toshio NINOMIYA, Kazutaka HANAOKA
  • Patent number: 9201275
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including first and second substrates, a liquid crystal layer, a pixel electrode, a counter electrode, a first molecule orientation film formed on the first substrate so as to cover the pixel electrode, and a second molecule orientation film formed on the second substrate so as to cover the counter electrode. The pixel electrode includes first micro-electrode patterns extending in a first direction, second micro-electrode patterns extending in a second direction, third micro-electrode patterns extending in a third direction and fourth micro-electrode patterns extending in a fourth direction, wherein the first, second, third and fourth directions are different from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shingo Kataoka, Arihiro Takeda, Takahiro Sasaki, Tsutomu Seino, Yoshio Koike, Hidefumi Yoshida, Yuichi Inoue, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Seiji Tanuma, Takatoshi Mayama, Kimiaki Nakamura, Hideo Chida, Seiji Doi, Tetsuya Fujikawa, Takashi Takagi, Hiroyasu Inoue
  • Patent number: 9091886
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus including first and second substrates which are disposed facing each other, with liquid crystal sealed between said first and second substrates, a first electrode formed on the first substrate and a second electrode formed on the second substrate. There are alignment control layers covering the first and second electrodes, wherein the alignment control layers control the alignment direction of liquid crystal molecules, when no voltage is applied, to be roughly vertical to faces of the first and second substrates. Bumps are formed on at least one surface of the first and second substrates, wherein the bumps determine tilting directions of the liquid crystal molecules when voltage is applied. Both of the alignment control layers and the bumps are made of a polymerizable compound included in and mixed with said liquid crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Arihiro Takeda, Yoshio Koike, Takahiro Sasaki, Hidefumi Yoshida, Kazutaka Hanaoka
  • Patent number: 9081239
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including first and second substrates, and a liquid crystal layer sealed therebetween. The device also includes a first electrode formed on the first substrate and a second electrode formed on the second substrate; a first molecule orientation film formed on the first substrate so as to cover the first electrode; a second molecule orientation film formed on the second substrate so as to cover the second electrode; a plurality of micro structures associated with at least one of the first and second electrodes; and a plurality of rough structural patterns associated with at least one of the first and second electrodes. At least some of the micro structures extend generally parallel to each other, and the rough structural patterns extend in directions different from directions in which the micro structures extend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shingo Kataoka, Arihiro Takeda, Takahiro Sasaki, Tsutomu Seino, Yoshio Koike, Hidefumi Yoshida, Yuichi Inoue, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Seiji Tanuma, Takatoshi Mayama, Kimiaki Nakamura, Hideo Chida, Seiji Doi, Tetsuya Fujikawa, Takashi Takagi, Hiroyasu Inoue
  • Patent number: 9007553
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device including a first substrate including a plurality of picture elements; a second substrate including a common electrode; and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched therebetween. The first substrate and the second substrate are arranged to be opposite to each other, and each of the plurality of picture elements has a plurality of elongated electrodes configured to apply voltages to the liquid crystal layer in cooperation with the common electrode. The elongated electrodes within one of the plurality of picture elements extend in eight directions, and each of the plurality of picture elements is divided into eight regions based upon the eight directions. In each of the eight regions of one of the plurality of picture elements, two or more of the plurality of elongated electrodes extend along a corresponding one of the eight directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Nakanishi, Kunihiro Tashiro, Katsufumi Ohmuro, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Jin Hirosawa, Norio Sugiura, Kengo Kanii, Shota Makimoto, Naoto Kondo, Isao Tsushima, Tomonori Tanose, Takashi Takagi, Tetsuya Fujikawa
  • Publication number: 20150002770
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device, liquid crystal molecules are oriented in a vertical direction to the first substrate and the second substrate by the first molecule orientation film and the second molecule orientation film, respectively, in a non-driving state. A structural pattern is formed so as to extend in a first direction parallel a surface of the liquid crystal layer and so as to form, in a driving state, an electric field periodically changing in a second direction that is parallel to the liquid crystal layer and vertical to the first direction. The liquid crystal molecules substantially tilt in the first direction in the driving state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Shingo Kataoka, Arihiro Takeda, Takahiro Sasaki, Tsutomu Seino, Yoshio Koike, Hidefumi Yoshida, Yuichi Inoue, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Seiji Tanuma, Takatoshi Mayama, Kimiaki Nakamura, Hideo Chida, Seiji Doi, Tetsuya Fujikawa, Takashi Takagi, Hiroyasu Inoue
  • Patent number: 8896803
    Abstract: In accordance with a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device including, in a picture element, a first sub-picture-element region where a threshold voltage of the transmittance-applied voltage characteristic is Vth1 and a second sub-picture-element region where a threshold voltage of the transmittance-applied voltage characteristic is Vth2, liquid crystal, which polymerizable components are added to, is filled into the space between a first and a second substrates; thereafter, a voltage V1 slightly higher than the threshold voltage Vth1 is applied to a liquid crystal layer, and is held for a certain length of time; subsequently, a voltage V2 slightly higher than the threshold voltage Vth2 is applied to the liquid crystal layer, and is held for a certain length of time; additionally, a voltage V3 higher than a white-displaying voltage which is applied while the liquid crystal display device is in actual use is applied to the liquid crystal layer, and is held for a certain length of time; then, t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazutaka Hanaoka, Yohei Nakanishi, Katsufumi Ohmuro, Kunihiro Tashiro, Norio Sugiura, Kengo Kanii
  • Publication number: 20140313449
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention is constituted of a TFT substrate and an opposing substrate which are arranged so as to be opposite to each other with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. In addition, in the liquid crystal layer, formed is a polymer into which a polymer component added to liquid crystal is polymerized, and which determines directions in which liquid crystal molecules tilt when voltage is applied. In the TFT substrate, formed are a sub picture element electrode directly connected to a TFT and a sub picture element electrode connected to the TFT through capacitive coupling. In each of these sub picture element electrodes, formed are slits extending in directions respectively at angles of 45 degrees, 135 degrees, 225 degrees and 315 degrees to the X axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Inventors: Yohei Nakanishi, Kunihiro Tashiro, Katsufumi Ohmuro, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Jin Hirosawa, Norio Sugiura, Kengo Kanii, Shota Makimoto, Naoto Kondo, Isao Tsushima, Tomonori Tanose, Takashi Takagi, Tetsuya Fujikawa
  • Publication number: 20140233261
    Abstract: A display device (100) includes: a display panel (110) having a display area where an image is displayed; a light guide member (150) that has an inner side face (150a) set at an 80 to 110° angle ? to the surface of the display panel (110) and that guides light from the periphery of the display panel (110) to outside of the display area; and a mirror (160) that covers the inner side face (150a) of the light guide member (150).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Moriwaki, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Kazuki Kobayashi, Kenya Ito, Tsuyoshi Inoue
  • Patent number: 8804079
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including a first and second substrates and a liquid crystal layer. The first substrate includes a plurality of picture elements, and at least one of the plurality of picture elements includes: a switching element; a plurality of gate bus lines extending in a first direction and electrically connected to the switching element; a plurality of data bus lines extending in a second direction and electrically connected to the switching element; a first sub picture element electrode and a second sub picture element electrode disposed adjacent to the first sub picture element electrode with a gap therebetween, and a control electrode overlapping both the first and second sub picture element electrodes. The control electrode extends in the second direction. Each of the first and second sub picture element electrodes includes a cross-shaped connecting electrode part and microelectrode parts extending from the connecting electrode part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Nakanishi, Kunihiro Tashiro, Katsufumi Ohmuro, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Jin Hirosawa, Norio Sugiura, Kengo Kanii, Shota Makimoto, Naoto Kondo, Isao Tsushima, Tomonori Tanose, Takashi Takagi, Tetsuya Fujikawa
  • Patent number: 8797490
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including first and second substrates, with a liquid crystal layer sealed therebetween. The device also includes a first electrode formed on the first substrate, a second electrode formed on the second substrate, a first molecule orientation film formed on the first substrate so as to cover the first electrode, a second molecule orientation film formed on the second substrate so as to cover the second electrode, and a plurality of micro structures associated with at least one of the first and second electrodes, wherein at least some of the micro structures extend generally parallel to each other. When a driving voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes, liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are oriented such that no dark line occurs in a vicinity of the plurality of micro structures and no dark line occurs between adjacent micro structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shingo Kataoka, Arihiro Takeda, Takahiro Sasaki, Tsutomu Seino, Yoshio Koike, Hidefumi Yoshida, Yuichi Inoue, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Seiji Tanuma, Takatoshi Mayama, Kimiaki Nakamura, Hideo Chida, Seiji Doi, Tetsuya Fujikawa, Hiroyasu Inoue, Takashi Takagi
  • Patent number: 8797485
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display including first and second substrates arranged opposite to each other to form a gap, with first and second alignment films provided on the first and second substrates, respectively. A cured material is provided on at least one of the first and second alignment films, and a liquid crystal layer of liquid crystal molecules is provided in the gap. The display includes a pixel electrode with a plurality of elongated members arranged with spaces therebetween, wherein the plurality of elongated members are electrically connected to each other, and a common electrode configured to apply a voltage to the liquid crystal layer in cooperation with the pixel electrode. The plurality of elongated members include first, second, third and fourth elongated members extending, respectively, in first, second, third and fourth directions in plan view. The cured material regulates alignment directions of the liquid crystal molecules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazutaka Hanaoka, Seiji Tanuma, Yohei Nakanishi, Kazuya Ueda, Shingo Kataoka, Takahiro Sasaki, Arihiro Takeda, Hideaki Tsuda, Takatoshi Mayama, Yuichi Inoue, Norio Sugiura
  • Patent number: 8786808
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display including a pair of substrates; a plurality of electrodes formed in a matrix on one of the pair of substrates, wherein each of the plurality of electrodes includes a plurality of stripe-like portions that define a plurality of spaces therebetween; polymer material and liquid crystal between the pair of substrates; and polymer alignment films which are formed on each of the substrates and are affected by light irradiation and cause alignment of the liquid crystal in predetermined directions. The plurality of stripe-like portions extend in at least two different directions which are not parallel to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahiro Sasaki, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Tsutomu Seino, Yohei Nakanishi, Seiji Tanuma, Kimiaki Nakamura, Yuichi Inoue, Masakazu Shibasaki, Hideaki Tsuda, Yoshio Koike, Yasutoshi Tasaka, Hidefumi Yoshida, Kunihiro Tashiro
  • Publication number: 20140198274
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device, liquid crystal molecules are oriented in a vertical direction to the first substrate and the second substrate by the first molecule orientation film and the second molecule orientation film, respectively, in a non-driving state. A structural pattern is formed so as to extend in a first direction parallel to a surface of the liquid crystal layer and so as to form, in a driving state, an electric field periodically changing in a second direction that is parallel to the liquid crystal layer and vertical to the first direction. The liquid crystal molecules substantially tilt in the first direction in the driving state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shingo Kataoka, Arihiro Takeda, Takahiro Sasaki, Tsutomu Seino, Yoshio Koike, Hidefumi Yoshida, Yuichi Inoue, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Seiji Tanuma, Takatoshi Mayama, Kimiaki Nakamura, Hideo Chida, Seiji Doi, Tetsuya Fujikawa, Takashi Takagi, Hiroyasu Inoue
  • Patent number: 8755009
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device, including a pair of substrates, a liquid crystal layer sealed between the pair of substrates, color filters of different colors formed on one of the substrates, and a polymer layer for aligning liquid crystal molecules and formed between the pair of substrates. The pre-tilt angles of the liquid crystal molecules are different among respective pixels where the color filters of different colors are formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Kishida, Yohei Nakanishi, Hideaki Tsuda, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Yuichi Inoue, Masakazu Shibasaki
  • Patent number: 8717517
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display including two substrates arranged opposite to each other; a liquid crystal sealed between the substrates; and a polymer layer for regulating a pretilt angle of liquid crystal molecules and/or tilt directions at a time of driving. One of the substrates has a color filter layer formed on a side of the one substrate, and a plurality of stripe-like electrode patterns are provided on the color filter layer. The patterns are periodically arranged so that when polymerizable components mixed in the liquid crystal layer are polymerized to form the polymer layer while a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer between the electrode patterns and a second electrode on the other substrate, liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer are aligned in the extending directions of stripe-like electrode patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahiro Sasaki, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Tsutomu Seino, Yohei Nakanishi, Seiji Tanuma, Kimiaki Nakamura, Yuichi Inoue, Masakazu Shibasaki, Hideaki Tsuda, Yoshio Koike, Yasutoshi Tasaka, Hidefumi Yoshida, Kunihiro Tashiro
  • Publication number: 20140028935
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display including first and second substrates arranged opposite to each other to form a gap, with first and second alignment films provided on the first and second substrates, respectively. A cured material is provided on at least one of the first and second alignment films, and a liquid crystal layer of liquid crystal molecules is provided in the gap. The display includes a pixel electrode with a plurality of elongated members arranged with spaces therebetween, wherein the plurality of elongated members are electrically connected to each other, and a common electrode configured to apply a voltage to the liquid crystal layer in cooperation with the pixel electrode. The plurality of elongated members include first, second, third and fourth elongated members extending, respectively, in first, second, third and fourth directions in plan view. The cured material regulates alignment directions of the liquid crystal molecules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazutaka Hanaoka, Seiji Tanuma, Yohei Nakanishi, Kazuya Ueda, Shingo Kataoka, Takahiro Sasaki, Arihiro Takeda, Hideaki Tsuda, Takatoshi Mayama, Yuichi Inoue, Norio Sugiura
  • Publication number: 20140016066
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device, liquid crystal molecules are oriented in a vertical direction to the first substrate and the second substrate by the first molecule orientation film and the second molecule orientation film, respectively, in a non-driving state. A structural pattern is formed so as to extend in a first direction parallel to a surface of the liquid crystal layer and so as to form, in a driving state, an electric field periodically changing in a second direction that is parallel to the liquid crystal layer and vertical to the first direction. The liquid crystal molecules substantially tilt in the first direction in the driving state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shingo Kataoka, Arihiro Takeda, Takahiro Sasaki, Tsutomu Seino, Yoshio Koike, Hidefumi Yoshida, Yuichi Inoue, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Seji Tanuma, Takatoshi Mayama, Kimiaki Nakamura, Hideo Ochida, Seiji Doi, Tetsuya Fujikawa, Takashi Takagi, Hiroyasu Inoue
  • Patent number: 8593594
    Abstract: The technology presented herein has a feature of providing a liquid crystal display device of an excellent viewing angle characteristic and high brightness, including: liquid crystals containing polymerizable monomers between a first substrate with a pixel electrode having micro slits and a second substrate facing the first substrate; wherein the monomers are polymerizable with voltage applied to the liquid crystals; and an alignment orientation of the liquid crystals is controllable to a direction of extending the micro slit, wherein the pixel electrode includes: a direct coupling part electrically connected to a switching element; a capacitive coupling part electrically insulated from the switching element, and a space between the direct and capacitive coupling parts, wherein directions in which the micro slits are extended along the direct and capacitive coupling parts are orthogonal to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazutaka Hanaoka, Katsufumi Ohmuro, Kunihiro Tashiro, Jin Hirosawa, Norio Sugiura, Kengo Kanii, Shota Makimoto, Yasuhiro Ohno, Isao Tsushima, Tomonori Tanose, Takashi Takagi, Tetsuya Fujikawa, Takahiro Sasaki