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: 8570477
    Abstract: A substrate for a liquid crystal display device, including a pixel electrode formed on the substrate, wherein the pixel electrode includes a micro-cutout pattern defined by a plurality of micro-cutouts extending in four different directions with respect to an extension direction of a rough structural pattern. The substrate also includes a first electrode extending in a first direction, a second electrode extending in a second direction that is approximately perpendicular to the first direction, and a contact hole that electrically connects the pixel electrode and the first electrode. A portion of the rough structural pattern and/or a portion of the micro-cutout pattern overlap the first electrode. Also disclosed is a liquid crystal display device including such a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    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
  • Publication number: 20130279177
    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: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Moriwaki, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Yozo Narutaki, Hisashi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8558959
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including a pair of substrates, defined as a first substrate and a second substrate and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the pair of substrates. The device also includes a pixel electrode and an additional electrode formed on the first substrate, and a contact hole that is configured and arranged to connect the pixel electrode and the additional electrode. In certain embodiments, the contact hole is formed at a liquid crystal domain boundary. In other embodiments, an additional contact hole is also provided between the pixel electrode and a second additional electrode, and in such embodiments the contact hole and the additional contact hole are formed within different liquid crystal domains. Further, in certain embodiments, the pixel electrode includes a plurality of pixel electrode slits arranged in a pattern to form a plurality of liquid crystal domains within each pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Inoue, Kenichi Nagaoka, Yuji Nakahata, Yoji Taniguchi, Tetsuya Fujikawa, Yohei Nakanishi, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Yuichi Inoue, Masakazu Shibasaki
  • Publication number: 20130235293
    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: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: 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
  • Patent number: 8531634
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display including a pair of substrates arranged opposite to each other to form a gap; spaced vertical alignment films formed on the substrate in the gap; a cured material formed on at least one of the alignment films in the gap; and a liquid crystal layer of liquid crystal molecules. The display also includes a pixel electrode formed on one of the substrates in a pixel region and having either a plurality of elongated members arranged with spaces therebetween and connected by a connecting member or a plurality of elongated openings arranged in patterns. Finally, the cured material is at least formed on the vertical alignment films so that an alignment direction of at least the liquid crystal molecules adjacent the alignment films is regulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    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: 8525956
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a liquid crystal display device having a liquid crystal layer between a pair of substrates. The method includes disposing between the pair of substrates a liquid crystal composition including liquid crystal molecules and a polymerizable compound that is polymerizable by active energy rays or a combination of active energy rays and heat, and polymerizing the polymerizable compound by active energy ray irradiation, or by both active energy ray irradiation and heat with and/or without applying voltages to the liquid crystal layer, so that a polymer formed by the polymerizing process decides an alignment of the liquid crystal molecules when no voltage is applied. The amount of active energy ray irradiation is decided so that at least some of the polymerizable compound remains in the liquid crystal layer after the polymerization process. Further the amount of the polymerizable compound that remains is not more than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Nakanishi, Yuichi Inoue, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Hidefumi Yoshida, Yasutoshi Tasaka, Kunihiro Tashiro
  • Patent number: 8514358
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including a pair of substrates, a liquid crystal layer including liquid crystal molecules disposed between the substrates, an alignment layer disposed above at least one of the substrates, and a polymer disposed on the alignment layer. The device also includes scanning lines and signal lines, a TFT connected to one of the scanning lines and one of the signal lines, and a pixel electrode connected to the TFT and applying driving voltages to the liquid crystal molecules in an area defined by the pixel electrode. The polymer is formed through polymerization of monomers, different from monomers constituting the alignment layer, by active energy ray irradiation, or by both active energy ray irradiation and heat, and is arranged to align the liquid crystal molecules without rubbing so that the liquid crystal molecules in the area form multiple domains when driving voltages are applied from the TFT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Nakanishi, Yuichi Inoue, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Hidefumi Yoshida, Yasutoshi Tasaka, Kunihiro Tashiro
  • Publication number: 20130162921
    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 13, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    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: 8471994
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including first and second substrates, with a liquid crystal layer sealed therebetween; and first and second electrodes formed, respectively, on the first and second substrates. A first molecule orientation film is formed on the first substrate so as to cover the first electrode and a second molecule orientation film formed on the second substrate so as to cover the second electrode. A polarizer with a light absorption axis P is provided outside of the first substrate, and an analyzer with a light absorption axis A is provided outside of the second substrate. The light absorption axis A crosses the light absorption axis P. A plurality of micro structures are associated with at least one of the first and second electrodes, wherein the micro structures are obliquely arranged with respect to the light absorption axis P and the light absorption axis A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    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: 8432518
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including first and second substrates; liquid crystal contained between the substrates; a polymer which determines directions in which liquid crystal molecules tilt; a plurality of gate and data bus lines; and a plurality of picture elements. At least one of the picture elements includes a switching element, and first and second sub picture element electrodes. The first sub picture element electrode connects to the switching element and the second sub picture element electrode connects, via capacitive coupling, to the switching element. The first substrate further includes a control electrode that is connected to the switching element and the first sub picture element electrode. The control electrode is capacitively coupled to the second sub picture element electrode through an insulating film. The area of the second sub picture element electrode is larger than the area of the first sub picture element electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    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: 8421742
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a panel having pixel electrodes arranged at intersections of a plurality of signal lines via switching elements for transmitting display data and a plurality of scanning lines for transmitting control signals, and a control circuit for controlling the panel. The liquid crystal panel is divided into first pixel regions and second pixel regions adjacent to the first pixel regions. The control circuit carries out impulse driving in which the control signals transmitted to each of the scanning lines are activated two times in one frame period for displaying an image. The control circuit writes the display data in either one of the pixel regions and writes reset data in the other pixel regions when the control signals are activated once of the two times. By writing the reset data in the pixel regions, the display data written in an immediately preceding frame are reset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidefumi Yoshida, Seiji Tanuma, Takatoshi Mayama, Yuichi Inoue, Toshiaki Suzuki, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Takeshi Gotoh, Tetsuya Kobayashi, Makoto Ohashi, Hisashi Yamaguchi, Katsunori Tanaka, Koichi Katagawa
  • Patent number: 8405802
    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: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 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
  • Patent number: 8361570
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes an alignment sustaining layer formed of a photopolymerized material on each of surfaces of a pair of alignment films which are closer to a liquid crystal layer. The alignment sustaining layer is configured to regulate a pretilt azimuth of a liquid crystal molecule of the liquid crystal layer during absence of an applied voltage. A nematic liquid crystal material of the liquid crystal layer comprise a liquid crystal compound having a terphenyl ring system as an indispensable component, and the liquid crystal layer further comprises part of a photopolymerizable compound. A content of the photopolymerizable compound relative to the nematic liquid crystal material is less than 0.015 mol %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Kentaro Usui, Seiji Tanuma, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Kimiaki Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20130003001
    Abstract: When radiating light onto a liquid crystal composition containing a photosensitive material, the alignment of liquid crystal molecules is adjusted by applying a voltage to the liquid crystal composition layer, to achieve substantially orderly alignment of the liquid crystal molecules, or the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules is made uniform by adjusting the structure of the liquid crystal display device, or any display defect is driven out of the display area. When radiating light to the liquid crystal composition containing the photosensitive material, the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules can be adjusted so as to achieve substantially orderly alignment of the liquid crystal molecules, and the liquid crystal display device can thus be driven stably.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Inoue, Kenichi Nagaoka, Yuji Nakahata, Yoji Taniguchi, Tetsuya Fujikawa, Yohei Nakanishi, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Yuichi Inoue, Masakazu Shibasaki
  • Patent number: 8325306
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including first and second substrate, with liquid crystal contained therebetween; a plurality of gate bus lines; a plurality of drain bus lines; and first and second sub picture element electrodes. The first sub picture element electrode is not in contact with the second sub picture element electrode. The first sub picture element electrode includes a first body portion and a plurality of first branches extending from the first body portion, with the first branches being separated from each other by a plurality of first slits. The second sub picture element electrode includes a second body portion and a plurality of second branches extending from the second body portion, with the second branches being separated from each other by a plurality of second slits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    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: 20120261846
    Abstract: A polymerizable compound in a liquid crystal composition is polymerized in a state that liquid crystal molecules present in a gap between a pixel electrode and at least either one of signal electrodes and scanning electrodes are tilted in a direction from the at least either one of the signal electrodes and the scanning electrodes toward the pixel electrode. Preferably, the amount of the polymerizable compound remaining in the liquid crystal phase after the polymerization is not more than 0.05 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the liquid crystal. In a seal section surrounding the liquid crystal layer, a second seal wall is preferably provided at a position opposite to the liquid crystal injection inlet in the non-display section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yohei Nakanishi, Yuichi Inoue, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Hidefumi Yoshida, Yasutoshi Tasaka, Kunihiro Tashiro
  • Publication number: 20120262657
    Abstract: A polymerizable compound in a liquid crystal composition is polymerized in a state that liquid crystal molecules present in a gap between a pixel electrode and at least either one of signal electrodes and scanning electrodes are tilted in a direction from the at least either one of the signal electrodes and the scanning electrodes toward the pixel electrode. Preferably, the amount of the polymerizable compound remaining in the liquid crystal phase after the polymerization is not more than 0.05 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the liquid crystal. In a seal section surrounding the liquid crystal layer, a second seal wall is preferably provided at a position opposite to the liquid crystal injection inlet in the non-display section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Nakanishi, Yuichi Inoue, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Hidefumi Yoshida, Yasutoshi Tasaka, Kunihiro Tashiro
  • Patent number: 8284362
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal layer sealed between a pair of substrates; an alignment layer formed on at least one of the substrates; a polymer formed of a photopolymerized material on the alignment layer; and a pixel electrode, including an electrode portion and a plurality of slits, formed on one of the substrates. The device also includes a source electrode and a Cs intermediate electrode, having the same potential as the pixel electrode, formed between the pixel electrode and one of the substrates; and a Cs bus line located between the Cs intermediate electrode and one of the substrates. The source electrode is formed along a first liquid crystal domain boundary, between the pixel electrode and one of the substrates. The liquid crystal layer contains part of a photopolymerizable monomer, which is a source material of the photopolymerized material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Inoue, Kenichi Nagaoka, Yuji Nakahata, Yoji Taniguchi, Tetsuya Fujikawa, Yohei Nakanishi, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Yuichi Inoue, Masakazu Shibasaki
  • Patent number: 8279165
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a panel having pixel electrodes arranged at intersections of a plurality of signal lines via switching elements for transmitting display data and a plurality of scanning lines for transmitting control signals, and a control circuit for controlling the panel. The liquid crystal panel is divided into first pixel regions and second pixel regions adjacent to the first pixel regions. The control circuit carries out impulse driving in which the control signals transmitted to each of the scanning lines are activated two times in one frame period for displaying an image. The control circuit writes the display data in either one of the pixel regions and writes reset data in the other pixel regions when the control signals are activated once of the two times. By writing the reset data in the pixel regions, the display data written in an immediately preceding frame are reset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidefumi Yoshida, Seiji Tanuma, Takatoshi Mayama, Yuichi Inoue, Toshiaki Suzuki, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Takeshi Gotoh, Tetsuya Kobayashi, Makoto Ohashi, Hisashi Yamaguchi, Katsunori Tanaka, Koichi Katagawa
  • Publication number: 20120220181
    Abstract: A liquid crystal apparatus is provided wherein the liquid crystal layer comprises a section formed by polymerizing a polymerizable compound in the presence of a liquid crystal by selectively irradiating active energy rays onto the substrate surface when no voltage is applied, or alignment control layers and bumps are formed by polymerizing a polymerizable compound which is added to said liquid crystal, or first electrodes with a vertical alignment control film and a second electrode with a horizontal alignment control film face each other and alignment control of the liquid crystal is performed by irradiating light from a direction tilted from the normal line direction on said liquid crystal display apparatus. A liquid crystal display apparatus which can implement high transmittance, high-speed response and a wide viewing angle can be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Sasabayashi, Arihiro Takeda, Yoshio Koike, Takahiro Sasaki, Hidefumi Yoshida, Kazutaka Hanaoka