Patents by Inventor Kentarou Imamura
Kentarou Imamura 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).
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Patent number: 9645403Abstract: A reflective imaging element that may be manufactured in a convenient method and obtain a high quality aerial picture is provided. A reflective imaging element of an embodiment includes a first reflective element and a second reflective element including a light receiving surface to receive light from a projected material and an emitting surface, parallel to the light receiving surface, to emit the light from the projected material. When a ratio of light contributing to imaging out of the light from the projected material is defined as a ratio of amount of light and an incident angle of the light from the projected material when the ratio of amount of light is highest to the light receiving surface is defined as a maximum incident angle, the maximum incident angle of the first reflective element and the maximum incident angle of the second reflective element are different from each other.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2013Date of Patent: May 9, 2017Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kentarou Imamura, Takahumi Shimatani
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Patent number: 9075301Abstract: An optical element according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a reflective imaging element for reflecting light from an object an even number of times to cause an image of the object to be formed; a first polarizer disposed on a light-outgoing side of the reflective imaging element; and a first phase difference plate disposed between the reflective imaging element and the first polarizer.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2011Date of Patent: July 7, 2015Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kentarou Imamura, Shigeto Yoshida, Takafumi Shimatani, Hisashi Watanabe
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Patent number: 9041620Abstract: An interface (303) between adjacent ones of light guide sections (310) is inclined with respect to an incident surface (301) and an emission surface (302) of the light guide element (300A) so that an incident surface (311) of at least a part of the light guide sections (310) overlaps a part of a display region (202) in a liquid crystal panel (200A) and an emission surface (312) of said at least a part of the light guide sections (310) overlaps at least a part of a frame region (203) above which an image on the display region (202) is to be displayed. Furthermore, a relation 5°<?<85° is met, where ? indicates an angle between a direction of a borderline between adjacent light guide sections (310) on a plan view and a direction in which pixels (201) adjacent to the frame region (203) are aligned.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2011Date of Patent: May 26, 2015Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hisashi Watanabe, Shigeto Yoshida, Kentarou Imamura
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Patent number: 9010943Abstract: A display device includes: a display portion having a screen that can display an image; and an image forming substrate formed into a plate, wherein the image forming substrate are configured to be switchable between a first state where the screen is arranged to be inclined with respect to the first main surface such that light from the screen enters the image forming substrate from the first main surface side and forms the image on the second main surface side and a second state where the display portion and the image forming substrate are aligned in the thickness direction and are arranged along each other.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2011Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takafumi Shimatani, Kentarou Imamura, Shigeto Yoshida
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Patent number: 8953124Abstract: An optical system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a reflective imaging element having a first principal face which is struck by light emitted from a display panel, a second principal face parallel to the first principal face, and two mutually-orthogonal specular elements being perpendicular to the first principal face, and causes an image displayed on a display surface of the display panel to form an image at a position of planar symmetry with respect to the reflective imaging element as a plane of symmetry. A transparent substrate which is disposed on at least either the first principal face side or the second principal face side of the reflective imaging element is further included, and first light striking the transparent substrate is linearly polarized light, with a large proportion of p-polarized light.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2011Date of Patent: February 10, 2015Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kentarou Imamura, Shigeto Yoshida, Takafumi Shimatani, Hisashi Watanabe
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Publication number: 20150029585Abstract: A reflective imaging element that may be manufactured in a convenient method and obtain a high quality aerial picture is provided. A reflective imaging element of an embodiment includes a first reflective element and a second reflective element including a light receiving surface to receive light from a projected material and an emitting surface, parallel to the light receiving surface, to emit the light from the projected material. When a ratio of light contributing to imaging out of the light from the projected material is defined as a ratio of amount of light and an incident angle of the light from the projected material when the ratio of amount of light is highest to the light receiving surface is defined as a maximum incident angle, the maximum incident angle of the first reflective element and the maximum incident angle of the second reflective element are different from each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2013Publication date: January 29, 2015Inventors: Kentarou Imamura, Takahumi Shimatani
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Patent number: 8941800Abstract: A reflective imaging element includes: a plurality of holes penetrating through the plate-like substrate along a thickness direction thereof; two orthogonally-disposed specular elements on inner walls of the plurality of holes; a first principal face on which light from an object is received; a second principal face parallel to the first principal face; and two taper elements opposing the two specular elements. The two taper elements each have a first side parallel to the first principal face, a second side orthogonal to the first principal face and to the first side, and a hypotenuse meeting the first and second sides and constituting an angle ? with the second side. An angle constituted by a normal direction of the first principal face and an incident direction of light striking the first principal face defines an incident angle ?, such that, in a range of 0°<?<90°, the angle ? satisfies (90°??)/4??.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2011Date of Patent: January 27, 2015Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kentarou Imamura, Shigeto Yoshida, Takafumi Shimatani
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Patent number: 8905546Abstract: An optical system includes: a reflective imaging element; and a liquid crystal display panel disposed on a light-incident side of the reflective imaging element, the liquid crystal display panel having a display surface which is inclined with an angle of no less than 45° and no more than 75° relative to a plane defined by the reflective imaging element, a viewing angle dependence of a contrast ratio of the liquid crystal display panel taking a central value in a direction inclined by 10° or more in a direction of tilt of the display surface from a normal of the display surface, and causes an image displayed on the display surface of the liquid crystal display panel to form an image at a position of planar symmetry with respect to the reflective imaging element as a plane of symmetry.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2010Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takafumi Shimatani, Shigeto Yoshida, Kentarou Imamura
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Patent number: 8797305Abstract: Provided is a display device for carrying out seamless display so that a sense of strangeness is not given to a viewer or the sense of strangeness is reduced.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2010Date of Patent: August 5, 2014Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kentarou Imamura, Shigeto Yoshida
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Patent number: 8659504Abstract: Provided is a display device for carrying out seamless display so that a sense of strangeness is not given to a viewer or the sense of strangeness is reduced.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2010Date of Patent: February 25, 2014Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kentarou Imamura, Shigeto Yoshida
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Publication number: 20130100416Abstract: A display device includes: a display portion having a screen that can display an image; and an image forming substrate formed into a plate, wherein the image forming substrate are configured to be switchable between a first state where the screen is arranged to be inclined with respect to the first main surface such that light from the screen enters the image forming substrate from the first main surface side and forms the image on the second main surface side and a second state where the display portion and the image forming substrate are aligned in the thickness direction and are arranged along each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2011Publication date: April 25, 2013Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takafumi Shimatani, Kentarou Imamura, Shigeto Yoshida
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Publication number: 20130082901Abstract: An interface (303) between adjacent ones of light guide sections (310) is inclined with respect to an incident surface (301) and an emission surface (302) of the light guide element (300A) so that an incident surface (311) of at least a part of the light guide sections (310) overlaps a part of a display region (202) in a liquid crystal panel (200A) and an emission surface (312) of said at least a part of the light guide sections (310) overlaps at least a part of a frame region (203) above which an image on the display region (202) is to be displayed. Furthermore, a relation 5°<?<85° is met, where ? indicates an angle between a direction of a borderline between adjacent light guide sections (310) on a plan view and a direction in which pixels (201) adjacent to the frame region (203) are aligned.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 5, 2011Publication date: April 4, 2013Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hisashi Watanabe, Shigeto Yoshida, Kentarou Imamura
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Publication number: 20130038934Abstract: An optical element according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a reflective imaging element for reflecting light from an object an even number of times to cause an image of the object to be formed; a first polarizer disposed on a light-outgoing side of the reflective imaging element; and a first phase difference plate disposed between the reflective imaging element and the first polarizer.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2011Publication date: February 14, 2013Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kentarou Imamura, Shigeto Yoshida, Takafumi Shimatani, Hisashi Watanabe
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Publication number: 20130038826Abstract: An optical system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a reflective imaging element having a first principal face which is struck by light emitted from a display panel, a second principal face parallel to the first principal face, and two mutually-orthogonal specular elements being perpendicular to the first principal face, and causes an image displayed on a display surface of the display panel to form an image at a position of planar symmetry with respect to the reflective imaging element as a plane of symmetry. A transparent substrate which is disposed on at least either the first principal face side or the second principal face side of the reflective imaging element is further included, and first light striking the transparent substrate is linearly polarized light, with a large proportion of p-polarized light.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2010Publication date: February 14, 2013Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kentarou Imamura, Shigeto Yoshida, Takafumi Shimatani, Hisashi Watanabe
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Publication number: 20120320322Abstract: A reflective imaging element includes: a plurality of holes penetrating through the plate-like substrate along a thickness direction thereof; two orthogonally-disposed specular elements on inner walls of the plurality of holes; a first principal face on which light from an object is received; a second principal face parallel to the first principal face; and two taper elements opposing the two specular elements. The two taper elements each have a first side parallel to the first principal face, a second side orthogonal to the first principal face and to the first side, and a hypotenuse meeting the first and second sides and constituting an angle ? with the second side. An angle constituted by a normal direction of the first principal face and an incident direction of light striking the first principal face defines an incident angle ?, such that, in a range of 0°<?<90°, the angle ? satisfies (90°??)/4??.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2011Publication date: December 20, 2012Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kentarou Imamura, Shigeto Yoshida, Takafumi Shimatani
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Publication number: 20120268640Abstract: An optical system includes: a reflective imaging element; and a liquid crystal display panel disposed on a light-incident side of the reflective imaging element, the liquid crystal display panel having a display surface which is inclined with an angle of no less than 45° and no more than 75° relative to a plane defined by the reflective imaging element, a viewing angle dependence of a contrast ratio of the liquid crystal display panel taking a central value in a direction inclined by 10° or more in a direction of tilt of the display surface from a normal of the display surface, and causes an image displayed on the display surface of the liquid crystal display panel to form an image at a position of planar symmetry with respect to the reflective imaging element as a plane of symmetry.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2010Publication date: October 25, 2012Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takafumi Shimatani, Shigeto Yoshida, Kentarou Imamura
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Publication number: 20120249622Abstract: The present invention includes: a view angle data detecting section (28) for detecting a view angle, which is the angle of an observer's line of sight with respect to a display section (40) and preparing view angle data; an interpolation video image data preparing section (20) for preparing, on the basis of the view angle data, an interpolation video image data item, which is a video image data item having a gray scale level that is between respective gray scale levels of individual original video image data items for pixels adjacent to each other; and a control signal generating circuit section (16) for selecting, from original video image data items and the interpolation video image data arranged together, video image data items (i) in a number equal to the number of pixels and (ii) at a substantially equal interval.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 22, 2010Publication date: October 4, 2012Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shigeto Yoshida, Kentarou Imamura, Hisashi Watanabe
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Publication number: 20110279426Abstract: Provided is a display device for carrying out seamless display so that a sense of strangeness is not given to a viewer or the sense of strangeness is reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2010Publication date: November 17, 2011Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kentarou Imamura, Shigeto Yoshida
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Publication number: 20110279487Abstract: Provided is a display device for carrying out seamless display so that a sense of strangeness is not given to a viewer or the sense of strangeness is reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2010Publication date: November 17, 2011Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kentarou Imamura, Shigeto Yoshida
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Publication number: 20110249021Abstract: A display device of at least one embodiment of the present invention includes: an interpolation image data creating section; and a control section, the interpolation image data creating section creating at least one piece of interpolation image data for adjacent pixels which are adjacent to each other in a direction from a curve beginning point toward a curve ending point of a curved surface of a lens, said at least one piece of interpolation image data having a gray scale level(s) between gray scale levels of corresponding pieces of original image data corresponding to the respective adjacent pixels, and the control section selecting pieces of image data the number of which is same as the number of corresponding pixels such that the pieces of image data thus selected are at substantially even intervals in a case where the pieces of original image data and said at least one piece of interpolation image data are arranged in order.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2009Publication date: October 13, 2011Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shigeto Yoshida, Kentarou Imamura