Patents by Inventor Kiyoshi Minoura

Kiyoshi Minoura 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).

  • Publication number: 20210132450
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device of a transverse electric field mode that may inhibit internal reflection and realize proper black display to which coloring does not occur. The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device including a first linear polarizer, a first ?/4 retardation layer, a first substrate, a second ?/4 retardation layer configured with a different material from the first ?/4 retardation layer, a liquid crystal layer that contains liquid crystals which are horizontally aligned in a case where no voltage is applied, plural electrode pairs that generate a transverse electric field in the liquid crystal layer by a voltage being applied, a second substrate, a second linear polarizer, and a backlight. In a case where a color of light emitted from the backlight is expressed by using chromaticity coordinates (x, y) of an XYZ color system, both of x and y are 0.32 or greater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Inventors: AKIRA SAKAI, YUICHI KAWAHIRA, KOJI MURATA, MASAHIRO HASEGAWA, TAKAKO KOIDE, KOZO NAKAMURA, KIYOSHI MINOURA
  • Patent number: 10998629
    Abstract: A liquid crystal panel of a scanning antenna includes a TFT substrate provided with a first dielectric substrate, a TFT supported by the first dielectric substrate, a gate bus line, a source bus line, and a patch electrode; a slot substrate provided with a second dielectric substrate, and a slot electrode that is formed on a first main surface of the second dielectric substrate and includes a slot arranged so as to correspond to the patch electrode; and a liquid crystal layer provided between the TFT substrate and the slot substrate. One of the TFT substrate and the slot substrate includes a projecting layer formed of resin and disposed on the liquid crystal layer side of the patch electrode or the slot electrode in a region surrounded by a sealing portion. The projecting layer is arranged so as not to overlap the patch electrode or the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tadashi Ohtake, Takatoshi Orui, Wataru Nakamura, Kiyoshi Minoura, Masanobu Mizusaki
  • Patent number: 10998529
    Abstract: A display device, to provide compensation for change in color level due to different viewing directions of a display surface and compensation for other optical characteristics of the display surface in a compatible manner, includes a light-emitting element layer including a light-emitting layer including a light-emitting element, a first electrode disposed below the light-emitting layer, and a second electrode disposed above the light-emitting layer, wherein an optical compensation layer is disposed above the light-emitting element layer, the optical compensation layer being configured to compensate for prevention of external light reflection on a display surface and compensate for change in color level of the display surface due to different viewing directions of the display surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidefumi Yoshida, Kiyoshi Minoura, Tokiyoshi Umeda, Kaoru Abe, Akira Sakai
  • Patent number: 10996532
    Abstract: The liquid crystal diffraction grating includes: paired substrates each including an electrode; a liquid crystal layer being held between the substrates; a sealant; and an alignment-controlling layer being disposed in a region surrounded by the sealant in a plan view and being in contact with the liquid crystal layer between the liquid crystal layer and each of the substrates, the alignment-controlling layer being configured to align liquid crystal molecules in a direction parallel to the substrates and containing a polymer of at least one monomer, the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules periodically rotating in at least one direction in a plan view of the liquid crystal layer in a state where the liquid crystal molecules are aligned in the direction parallel to the substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masanobu Mizusaki, Kiyoshi Minoura, Hiroshi Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 10989950
    Abstract: The present invention provides a highly reliable camera module optical shutter capable of preventing the occurrence of a streaky transparent portion in a polymer network liquid crystal layer in a scattering state, and a method for producing the camera module optical shutter. A camera module optical shutter includes a pair of substrates bonded together with a seal and a polymer network liquid crystal layer sealed between the substrates, wherein at least one of the substrates includes a transparent electrode made of an oxide conductive film and a silicon oxide layer covering the transparent electrode, and a silane coupling agent is bonded to a surface of the silicon oxide layer, the surface being in contact with the polymer network liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masanobu Mizusaki, Kiyoshi Minoura
  • Patent number: 10989957
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device which has a high luminance and consumes less power by increasing the utilization efficiency of light. The liquid crystal display device includes: a first absorptive polarizing plate; a liquid crystal panel including a first substrate, a liquid crystal layer, and a second substrate in order from the first absorptive polarizing plate side; a second polarizing plate; and a backlight unit including a reflector in the stated order. The second substrate includes a reflective layer facing the second polarizing plate. A transmittance of polarized light vibrating in a direction parallel to a transmission axis of the second polarizing plate is greater than a transmittance of polarized light vibrating in a direction parallel to a transmission axis of the first absorptive polarizing plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Hakoi, Akira Sakai, Kiyoshi Minoura
  • Patent number: 10989954
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes in the following order from a viewing surface side a first polarizer, a first positive A plate having an in-plane retardation of 120 nm or greater and 155 nm or smaller, a positive C plate having a thickness retardation of 80 nm or greater and 100 nm or smaller, a first substrate, a second positive A plate having an in-plane retardation of 120 nm or greater and 155 nm or smaller, a horizontally aligned liquid crystal layer, a second substrate, a viewing angle compensation layer, and a second polarizer. The device further includes between the first polarizer and the first positive A plate a positive C plate having a thickness retardation of 30 nm or greater and 80 nm or smaller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Hasegawa, Akira Sakai, Takako Koide, Yuichi Kawahira, Koji Murata, Kiyoshi Minoura
  • Patent number: 10984686
    Abstract: A display device according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided with a plurality of pixels which are arranged as a matrix on a substrate, and each of which is provided with a liquid crystal display element and an organic EL display element. The organic EL display element is provided with a positive electrode and a negative electrode, which are formed so as to be electrically separated from a pixel electrode and a counter electrode of the liquid crystal display element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignees: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SAKAI DISPLAY PRODUCTS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Mitani, Kohzoh Nakamura, Kiyoshi Minoura, Hiroshi Tsuchiya, Yozo Narutaki
  • Patent number: 10983396
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a liquid crystal panel. The method includes curing a first reactive mesogen layer with ultraviolet light at an illuminance within a range of 40 to 90 mW/cm2. The liquid crystal panel includes a first transparent base material, a TFT layer and a first alignment film stacked in order on the first transparent base material, a second transparent base material, a color filter layer, an in-cell retardation layer, and a second alignment film stacked in order on the second transparent base material, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first alignment film and the second alignment film, an out-cell retardation layer disposed on a side opposite to a color filter layer side of the second transparent base material, and a pair of linearly polarizing plates arranged so as to sandwich the first transparent base material and the out-cell retardation layer and having transmission axes orthogonal to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Murata, Akira Sakai, Yuichi Kawahira, Takako Koide, Masahiro Hasegawa, Kiyoshi Minoura
  • Patent number: 10980255
    Abstract: A food preserving method is a method for preserving food using a food film (34A), (34B). The food film (34A), (34B) has a surface which has a plurality of raised portions (34Ap), (34Bp). The two-dimensional size of the plurality of raised portions (34Ap), (34Bp) is in a range of more than 20 nm and less than 500 nm when viewed in a direction normal to the food film (34A), (34B). The method includes bringing the food into direct contact with the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Miho Yamada, Kiyoshi Minoura, Takahiro Nakahara, Kouji Kusumoto
  • Patent number: 10985469
    Abstract: The scanning antenna (1000) is a scanning antenna in which antenna units (U) are arranged, the scanning antenna comprising: a TFT substrate (101) including: a first dielectric substrate (1), TFTs, gate bus lines, source bus lines, and patch electrodes (15), a slot substrate (201) including: a second dielectric substrate (51), and a slot electrode (55); a liquid crystal layer (LC) provided between the TFT substrate and the slot substrate; a sealing portion that envelopes the liquid crystal layer; and a reflective conductive plate (65). The slot electrode includes slots (57) arranged in correspondence with the plurality of patch electrodes. The sealing portion includes a main sealing portion (73Fa) that defines an injection port (74Fa) and an end sealing portion (75Fa) that seals the injection port (74Fa). The end sealing portion (75Fa) is formed of a thermosetting sealant material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masanobu Mizusaki, Jumpei Takahashi, Hiroshi Tsuchiya, Kiyoshi Minoura
  • Publication number: 20210109269
    Abstract: The present invention provides: (I) a display device including a display panel, a retardation layer, and a polarizer which are stacked in the stated order from a back surface side to a viewing surface side and integrated without an adhesive layer; and (II) a method for producing a display device including: forming a first alignment film on a display panel, applying a solution containing first polymerizable liquid crystal to the first alignment film, and curing the first polymerizable liquid crystal to produce a retardation layer; and forming a second alignment film on the retardation layer, applying a solution containing second polymerizable liquid crystal and a dichroic material to the second alignment film, and curing the second polymerizable liquid crystal to produce a polarizer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: AKIRA SAKAI, MASAHIRO HASEGAWA, ATSUSHI BAN, KOJI MURATA, YUICHI KAWAHIRA, KIYOSHI MINOURA, TAKAKO KOIDE, KOZO NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20210103083
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a retardation film excellent in retardation controllability against heat and the retardation film. The method for producing a retardation film includes, in the following order: fixing an alignment of liquid crystal compounds to form a retardation giving layer, and heating the retardation giving layer. Preferably, the heating is first heating and the method further includes second heating for heating the retardation giving layer after the first heating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Inventors: KOJI MURATA, AKIRA SAKAI, YUICHI KAWAHIRA, MASAHIRO HASEGAWA, TAKAKO KOIDE, KOZO NAKAMURA, KIYOSHI MINOURA
  • Patent number: 10968292
    Abstract: A synthetic polymer film is a synthetic polymer film whose surface has a plurality of raised or recessed portions. The synthetic polymer film has a crosslink structure, and the crosslink structure does not contain any nitrogen element that is a constituent of a urethane bond. The synthetic polymer film contains an organic carboxylic acid, and an amount of water required for dissolving 1 g of the organic carboxylic acid is equal to or greater than 10 mL and less than 10000 mL. At the lapse of 5 minutes since placing a 200 ?L drop of water on the surface of the synthetic polymer film, a pH of an aqueous solution is not more than 5, and an area equivalent circle diameter of the aqueous solution is not less than 20 mm. A synthetic polymer film whose surface has a microbicidal activity can be produced using a photocurable resin composition which contains an organic carboxylic acid or a photoacid generator which generates the organic carboxylic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Shibai, Miho Yamada, Ken Atsumo, Kiyoshi Minoura
  • Publication number: 20210098875
    Abstract: A liquid crystal panel of a scanning antenna includes a TFT substrate provided with a first dielectric substrate, a TFT supported by the first dielectric substrate, a gate bus line, a source bus line, and a patch electrode; a slot substrate provided with a second dielectric substrate, and a slot electrode that is formed on a first main surface of the second dielectric substrate and includes a slot arranged so as to correspond to the patch electrode; and a liquid crystal layer provided between the TFT substrate and the slot substrate. One of the TFT substrate and the slot substrate includes a projecting layer formed of resin and disposed on the liquid crystal layer side of the patch electrode or the slot electrode in a region surrounded by a sealing portion. The projecting layer is arranged so as not to overlap the patch electrode or the slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: TADASHI OHTAKE, TAKATOSHI ORUI, WATARU NAKAMURA, KIYOSHI MINOURA, MASANOBU MIZUSAKI
  • Patent number: 10962839
    Abstract: The liquid crystal display panel includes in the following order from a viewing surface side to a back surface side: a first polarizer; a first ?/4 retardation layer; a first substrate; a second ?/4 retardation layer; a liquid crystal layer; a second substrate; and a second polarizer, the liquid crystal display panel being in a transverse electric field mode, the first substrate including a color filter layer in a display region, the second ?/4 retardation layer being a single layer covering the color filter layer and including a first retardation portion in an end region of the display region and a second retardation portion in a central region of the display region, the first retardation portion having a greater thickness than the second retardation portion, and the first retardation portion and the second retardation portion differing from each other in in-plane retardation by 10 nm or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichi Kawahira, Kiyoshi Minoura, Akira Sakai, Takako Koide, Masahiro Hasegawa, Koji Murata
  • Patent number: 10955709
    Abstract: A display device includes a first substrate including a light-emitting element that is an upward light emission type and a transistor in a lower layer than the light-emitting element, a second substrate facing the first substrate, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first substrate includes a sealing film formed in an island shape and covering the light-emitting element and a pixel electrode that is transparent. The pixel electrode includes a first portion not overlapping the sealing film and a second portion overlapping the sealing film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignees: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SAKAI DISPLAY PRODUCTS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tsuchiya, Kiyoshi Minoura, Shinji Shimada, Yuhki Kobayashi, Yozo Narutaki
  • Patent number: 10948778
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display panel of the present invention includes, sequentially from the viewer side: a first linearly polarizing plate; a first ?/4-wavelength layer; a first substrate including a color filter, a black matrix, and a second ?/4-wavelength layer; a liquid crystal layer; a second substrate; and a second linearly polarizing plate, the liquid crystal display panel further including a sealing material disposed so as to surround the liquid crystal layer in a plan view, wherein the second ?/4-wavelength layer is disposed closer to the liquid crystal layer than the color filter and the black matrix are and such that an outer edge of the second ?/4-wavelength layer lies inside an arrangement region of the sealing material, and the first ?/4-wavelength layer and the second ?/4-wavelength layer are disposed such that their slow axes are perpendicular to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Hasegawa, Koji Murata, Yuichi Kawahira, Takako Koide, Kozo Nakamura, Akira Sakai, Kiyoshi Minoura
  • Patent number: 10928670
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel and a circularly polarizing plate disposed on a viewing side of the liquid crystal panel. The circularly polarizing plate sequentially includes, from a viewing side, a linearly polarizing plate and an out-cell retarder. The liquid crystal panel includes a thin-film transistor substrate, a color filter substrate facing the thin-film transistor substrate and including black matrix, a horizontal alignment liquid crystal layer disposed between the thin-film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate, and an in-cell retarder disposed in one substrate disposed on the viewing side selected from the thin-film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate. The in-cell retarder is disposed outside a region between the black matrix and the horizontal alignment liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichi Kawahira, Takako Koide, Akira Sakai, Kiyoshi Minoura
  • Patent number: 10923678
    Abstract: A reflective liquid crystal display device (30) including a reflection electrode (31), a liquid crystal layer (32), and a counter electrode (33) is formed above an insulating layer (25) in a first region (R) of a TFT substrate (20). An organic EL display device (40) including a first electrode (41), an organic layer (43), and a second electrode (44) is formed on the insulating layer (25) of the TFT substrate (20) in a second region (T). A coating layer (45) is formed at least on a surface of the organic EL display device (40) so as to wrap the second electrode (44) and the organic layer (43) of the organic EL display device (40). A part of the coating layer (45) is in contact with the insulating layer (25). As a result, a complex display apparatus capable of preventing the organic layer from deteriorating and excellent in reliability can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignees: Sakai Display Products Corporation, Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yozo Narutaki, Katsuhiko Kishimoto, Shinji Shimada, Masahiro Mitani, Kohzoh Nakamura, Kiyoshi Minoura, Hiroshi Tsuchiya, Yuhki Kobayashi, Shinichi Kawato