Patents by Inventor Ken Watanuki

Ken Watanuki 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: 7471355
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display has a light guide plate having a light-emitting plane on its one end surface, a light source arranged on a side surface of the light guide plate, and a liquid crystal panel arranged opposite the light-emitting plane of the light guide plate. Deflection patterns are formed on a surface opposite the light-emitting plane of the light guide plate, and the deflection patterns are arranged so that two independent components on the surface opposite the light-emitting plane of the light guide plate are random. In a certain region on the surface opposite the light-emitting plane, when an average value of the number of the deflection patterns included in each region opposite each pixel of the liquid crystal panel is designated by ?n and a standard deviation is designated by on, their ratio satisfies the relationship: 0<?n/?n?0.154.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Ken Watanuki, Gouo Kurata, Kenji Sakurai, Akihiro Funamoto, Shigeru Aoyama
  • Publication number: 20070035680
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display has a light guide plate having a light-emitting plane on its one end surface, a light source arranged on a side surface of the light guide plate, and a liquid crystal panel arranged opposite the light-emitting plane of the light guide plate. Deflection patterns are formed on a surface opposite the light-emitting plane of the light guide plate, and the deflection patterns are arranged so that two independent components on the surface opposite the light-emitting plane of the light guide plate are random. In a certain region on the surface opposite the light-emitting plane, when an average value of the number of the deflection patterns included in each region opposite each pixel of the liquid crystal panel is designated by ?n and a standard deviation is designated by ?n, their ratio satisfies the relationship: 0<?n/?n?0.154.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2006
    Publication date: February 15, 2007
    Applicant: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Ken Watanuki, Gouo Kurata, Kenji Sakurai, Akihiro Funamoto, Shigeru Aoyama
  • Patent number: 6653552
    Abstract: There is provided a photoelectric conversion device comprising a lower electrode, numerous crystalline semiconductor particles of one conductivity type deposited on the lower electrode, an insulator interposed among the crystalline semiconductor particles, and a semiconductor layer of the opposite conductivity type provided over the crystalline semiconductor particles, in which a pyramidal projection having a cross section in the shape of a trapezoid or triangle and a lateral face that faces one of the crystalline semiconductor particles is provided between the crystalline semiconductor particles. In this device, light incident on areas among the crystalline semiconductor particles is reflected or refracted by the pyramidal projection and directed into the crystalline semiconductor particles. Accordingly, this device can achieve high conversion efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Sugawara, Takeshi Kyoda, Nobuyuki Kitahara, Hisao Arimune, Toshifumi Kiyohara, Ken Watanuki
  • Publication number: 20020162585
    Abstract: There is provided a photoelectric conversion device comprising a lower electrode, numerous crystalline semiconductor particles of one conductivity type deposited on the lower electrode, an insulator interposed among the crystalline semiconductor particles, and a semiconductor layer of the opposite conductivity type provided over the crystalline semiconductor particles, in which a pyramidal projection having a cross section in the shape of a trapezoid or triangle and a lateral face that faces one of the crystalline semiconductor particles is provided between the crystalline semiconductor particles. In this device, light incident on areas among the crystalline semiconductor particles is reflected or refracted by the pyramidal projection and directed into the crystalline semiconductor particles. Accordingly, this device can achieve high conversion efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Publication date: November 7, 2002
    Inventors: Shin Sugawara, Takeshi Kyoda, Nobuyuki Kitahara, Hisao Arimune, Toshifumi Kiyohara, Ken Watanuki