Patents by Inventor Koji Murata

Koji Murata 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: 11939183
    Abstract: A post-processing apparatus (1) includes a first conveyance path (41), a first processing part (55), a second conveyance path (95) and a merging conveyance path (97), and the first processing part (55) includes a conveying rollers pair (80) including a first roller (81) and a second roller (83) conveying the sheet along a first direction; a first folding rollers pair (84) including the first roller (81) and a third roller (85) forming a first nip, conveying the sheet along a second direction and performing a folding processing along a first fold line; a second folding rollers pair (86) including the third roller (85) and a fourth roller (87) forming a second nip, conveying the sheet along a third direction and performing a folding processing along a second fold line; a first folding guide (89) movable to the first nip; and a second folding guide (91) movable to the second nip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tadahisa Kishimoto, Yoshiaki Tashiro, Koji Murata, Masahiko Miyazaki
  • Publication number: 20240094577
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display device capable of switching between a transparent state and a scattering state, reducing or preventing a decrease in transmittance in the transparent state, and reducing or preventing a decrease in luminance in the panel central portion in the scattering state. The liquid crystal display device includes, sequentially from its viewing surface side toward its back surface side: a first liquid crystal panel; a light source; and a second liquid crystal panel, the first liquid crystal panel including a polymer dispersed liquid crystal containing a polymer network and liquid crystal components, the light source being configured to irradiate a back surface side main surface of the first liquid crystal panel with light from an oblique direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Koji MURATA, Yasuhiro HASEBA, Kazutaka HANAOKA, Kimiaki NAKAMURA, Mariko HONDA, Atsuko KANASHIMA, Tadashi HASEGAWA, Shinji SHIMADA
  • Patent number: 11926500
    Abstract: A sheet folding device includes a sheet conveyance path, a first folding conveyance path, a first folding roller pair, a first folding guide, and a conveyance roller. The first folding roller pair is composed of a first roller and a second roller forming a first folding nip by being brought into pressure contact with an upstream side of the first roller. The first folding guide is movable between a folding position at which it approaches the first folding nip, guiding a to-be-folded part of a sheet to the first folding nip, and a retracted position at which it is away from the first folding nip. The conveyance roller forms, together with the second roller, a first assist roller pair that conveys the sheet along the sheet conveyance path. The first folding guide has a pivot fulcrum on a downstream side relative to the first folding nip in the conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tadahisa Kishimoto, Koji Murata
  • Patent number: 11914236
    Abstract: The liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes an active matrix substrate including a first electrode, a first insulating layer, and second electrodes including a first linear electrode; a color filter substrate including a black matrix, a color filter layer, a third electrode including second linear electrodes, and a fourth electrode which is a floating electrode. The third electrode and the fourth electrode are disposed between the black matrix and the liquid crystal layer. The second linear electrodes extend in a second direction and each overlap a portion of the black matrix extending in the second direction. The fourth electrode is disposed between the second linear electrodes and overlaps the black matrix in a plan view. The control circuit switches between application of driving voltage and application of constant voltage to the third electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Sharp Display Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Murata, Hiroshi Tsuchiya, Shinpei Higashida, Takahiro Sasaki, Takashi Satoh, Shinji Shimada
  • Patent number: 11899305
    Abstract: Provided are a liquid crystal panel capable of achieving a small light-shielding angle in a narrow viewing angle mode and a display device including the liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal panel sequentially includes: a first polarizing plate with a first absorption axis; a first substrate including a first electrode; a liquid crystal layer containing liquid crystal molecules; and a second substrate including a second electrode, wherein in a plan view, a director of the liquid crystal molecules with no voltage applied and the first absorption axis form an angle ? of not smaller than 5° and not greater than 20° or not smaller than 65° and not greater than 80°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: SHARP DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Murata, Junichi Masuda, Shugo Yagi, Hiroshi Tsuchiya, Takashi Satoh, Shinji Shimada
  • Patent number: 11852911
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display device capable of switching between a transparent state and a scattering state, reducing or preventing a decrease in transmittance in the transparent state, and reducing or preventing a decrease in luminance in the panel central portion in the scattering state. The liquid crystal display device includes, sequentially from its viewing surface side toward its back surface side: a first liquid crystal panel; a light source; and a second liquid crystal panel, the first liquid crystal panel including a polymer dispersed liquid crystal containing a polymer network and liquid crystal components, the light source being configured to irradiate a back surface side main surface of the first liquid crystal panel with light from an oblique direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: SHARP DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Murata, Yasuhiro Haseba, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Kimiaki Nakamura, Mariko Honda, Atsuko Kanashima, Tadashi Hasegawa, Shinji Shimada
  • Patent number: 11829021
    Abstract: Provided is a polymer dispersed liquid crystal display device including: a pair of substrates including an electrode on at least one substrate; and a composite layer disposed between the pair of substrates. The composite layer includes a liquid crystal component and a polymer network constituted by a cured product of a photopolymerizable liquid crystal compound, and is in a transparent state when no voltage is applied and in a scattering state when a voltage is applied, and the polymer network has a helical structure with a number of turns of from one to less than eight in the composite layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Sharp Display Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Murata, Kimiaki Nakamura, Mariko Honda, Tadashi Hasegawa, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Yasuhiro Haseba, Shinji Shimada, Atsuko Kanashima
  • Publication number: 20230314877
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a first display panel including a first display surface, and a second display panel including a second display surface and configured to be disposed such that light emitted from the first display surface is incident on the second display surface. The first display panel is configured such that light emitted from the first display surface and incident on the second display surface includes a large amount of P-polarization components. The second display panel is a reflection-type display panel, and includes a polarizer disposed on the second display surface and configured to absorb S-polarization components of incident light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Naru USUKURA, Akiko ITOH, Koji MURATA, Keisuke YOSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20230317028
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes: an active matrix substrate including a first electrode and a second electrode configured to generate a transverse electrical field; a counter substrate including a plurality of third electrodes disposed at predetermined intervals and having a stripe pattern; a liquid crystal layer located between the active matrix substrate and the counter substrate; and a control circuit. The liquid crystal display device can display an image in a first viewing angle mode and a second viewing angle mode having a viewing angle narrower than the first viewing angle mode by the control circuit switching an amplitude and a waveform of a voltage applied to the third electrodes. The control circuit applies a common voltage having a different value to the first electrode or the second electrode in each of the first viewing angle mode and the second viewing angle mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Hiroshi TSUCHIYA, Koji MURATA, Takashi SATOH
  • Publication number: 20230296932
    Abstract: Provided is a display device including a backlight; a first liquid crystal panel; a display panel; and a second liquid crystal panel. The first liquid crystal panel includes a first substrate, a first liquid crystal layer containing first liquid crystal molecules, and a second substrate. The second liquid crystal panel includes a third substrate, a second liquid crystal layer containing second liquid crystal molecules, and a fourth substrate. The display device satisfies the following Formula (1): |?3??1|?50°??Formula (1) wherein ?1 represents an azimuthal angle of a director of the first liquid crystal molecules near the first substrate with no voltage applied to the first liquid crystal layer, and ?3 represents an azimuthal angle of a director of the second liquid crystal molecules near the third substrate with no voltage applied to the second liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2023
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Applicant: Sharp Display Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Koji MURATA, Hiroshi TSUCHIYA, Atsuko KANASHIMA, Takashi SATOH, Shinji SHIMADA
  • Publication number: 20230251522
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal panel sequentially including: a first polarizing plate with a first absorption axis; a first substrate including a first electrode; a liquid crystal layer containing liquid crystal molecules; and a second substrate including a second electrode. The liquid crystal panel satisfies the following Formula (1) as well as the following Formula (2-1) or Formula (2-2): 5°?|?1??2|?20°??(Formula 1) 5°?|?P1??2|?20°??(Formula 2-1) 65°?|?P1??2|?80°??(Formula 2-2) wherein ?1 represents an azimuthal angle of a director of liquid crystal molecules near the first substrate, ?2 represents an azimuthal angle of a director of liquid crystal molecules near the second substrate, and ?P1 represents an azimuthal angle of the first absorption axis of the first polarizing plate, each with no voltage applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Koji MURATA, Hiroshi TSUCHIYA, Takashi SATOH, Shinji SHIMADA
  • Patent number: 11719972
    Abstract: The display device includes a liquid crystal panel including a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) layer and a light source, the PDLC layer containing a polymer network and liquid crystal components dispersed in the polymer network, the light source being apart from the liquid crystal panel with an air layer, and configured to emit light toward the liquid crystal panel from an oblique direction, the end portion and the central portion of the PDLC layer each having, in the scattering state, an angle dependence which changes a transmittance of light to be emitted from a front surface based on an angle at which light is incident on a back surface of the PDLC layer, with the angle dependence of the end portion being different from the angle dependence of the central portion, the light source irradiating the end portion and the central portion with light at different angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Murata, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Kimiaki Nakamura, Atsuko Kanashima, Mariko Honda, Shinji Shimada
  • Patent number: 11712866
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus includes a first sheet conveyance passage, a second sheet conveyance passage, a sheet folding portion, and a merging portion. The second sheet conveyance passage branches off from a branch portion on the first sheet conveyance passage. The merging portion is located downstream of the branch portion on the first sheet conveyance passage, and there a folding conveyance passage of the sheet folding portion merges with the first sheet conveyance passage. When performing a folding process on a sheet, a controller guides the sheet conveyed from a sheet introduction port into the first sheet conveyance passage via the branch portion to the second sheet conveyance passage, then reverses the conveyance direction to guide the sheet to the sheet folding portion to perform the folding process, and passes the sheet through the folding conveyance passage, merges the sheet into the first sheet conveyance passage at the merging portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Tadahisa Kishimoto, Koji Murata, Yoshiaki Tashiro
  • Publication number: 20230236448
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display device that can switch between the privacy mode and the public mode and achieve a high contrast ratio even during display in the privacy mode. The liquid crystal display panel includes: a liquid crystal panel; and a control circuit. The active matrix substrate sequentially includes a first substrate, a first electrode, a first insulating layer, and second electrodes each including a first linear electrode. The color filter substrate includes a second substrate, a black matrix, a color filter layer, a third electrode, and a fourth electrode which is disposed between the black matrix and the third electrode and to which constant voltage is applied. The third electrode includes second linear electrodes and overlaps a portion of the black matrix in a plan view. The control circuit switches between application of driving voltage and application of constant voltage to the third electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Koji MURATA, Hiroshi TSUCHIYA, Shinpei HIGASHIDA, Takahiro SASAKI, Takashi SATOH, Shinji SHIMADA
  • Publication number: 20230227285
    Abstract: A sheet folding device includes a sheet conveyance path, first and second side plates, a first folding roller pair, a first folding guide, and a guide drive mechanism. The first folding guide is reciprocatable between a folding position and a retracted position, and includes a guide main body and first and second arms provided respectively at both ends of the guide main body. The guide drive mechanism includes a drive source provided on the first side plate, a first drive transmission portion that transmits a drive force of the drive source to the first arm, a second drive transmission portion that transmits the drive force to the second arm, and a drive coupling portion that couples the first drive transmission portion to the second drive transmission portion and transmits the drive force from the first drive transmission portion to the second drive transmission portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2023
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tadahisa KISHIMOTO, Koji MURATA
  • Patent number: 11698556
    Abstract: The liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel, the liquid crystal panel including sub-pixels and including an active matrix substrate and a counter substrate, the active matrix substrate including a gate line, a first electrode, and a second electrode, the counter substrate including a third electrode, each of the sub-pixels being provided with an optical opening, the third electrode including a linear electrode extending along the gate line, a distance between the linear electrode and the optical opening being less than D/4 and a width of the linear electrode being D/4 or less, wherein a distance between two optical openings adjacent in the direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the gate line is defined as D.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: SHARP DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Murata, Kosuke Nagata, Kazutoshi Kida, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Shinji Shimada, Yasuhiro Haseba
  • Publication number: 20230213798
    Abstract: The liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes an active matrix substrate including a first electrode, a first insulating layer, and second electrodes including a first linear electrode; a color filter substrate including a black matrix, a color filter layer, a third electrode including second linear electrodes, and a fourth electrode which is a floating electrode. The third electrode and the fourth electrode are disposed between the black matrix and the liquid crystal layer. The second linear electrodes extend in a second direction and each overlap a portion of the black matrix extending in the second direction. The fourth electrode is disposed between the second linear electrodes and overlaps the black matrix in a plan view. The control circuit switches between application of driving voltage and application of constant voltage to the third electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2023
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Inventors: Koji MURATA, Hiroshi TSUCHIYA, Shinpei HIGASHIDA, Takahiro SASAKI, Takashi SATOH, Shinji SHIMADA
  • Publication number: 20230202793
    Abstract: A post-processing apparatus (1) includes a first conveyance path (41), a first processing part (55), a second conveyance path (95) and a merging conveyance path (97), and the first processing part (55) includes a conveying rollers pair (80) including a first roller (81) and a second roller (83) conveying the sheet along a first direction; a first folding rollers pair (84) including the first roller (81) and a third roller (85) forming a first nip, conveying the sheet along a second direction and performing a folding processing along a first fold line; a second folding rollers pair (86) including the third roller (85) and a fourth roller (87) forming a second nip, conveying the sheet along a third direction and performing a folding processing along a second fold line; a first folding guide (89) movable to the first nip; and a second folding guide (91) movable to the second nip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tadahisa KISHIMOTO, Yoshiaki TASHIRO, Koji MURATA, Masahiko MIYAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20230205010
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display element capable of switching between a transparent state and a scattering state and of reducing or preventing a decrease in luminance in the scattering state. The liquid crystal display element includes a liquid crystal panel containing a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal containing a polymer network and a liquid crystal component, and a light source module including a light source adjacent to the liquid crystal panel and a mirror configured to reflect light emitted from the light source toward the liquid crystal panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2022
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Tomonori YOSHIDA, Yasuhiro HASEBA, Kimiaki NAKAMURA, Koji MURATA
  • Publication number: 20230192437
    Abstract: A sheet folding device includes a sheet conveyance path, a first folding conveyance path, a first folding roller pair, a first folding guide, and a conveyance roller. The first folding roller pair is composed of a first roller and a second roller forming a first folding nip by being brought into pressure contact with an upstream side of the first roller. The first folding guide is movable between a folding position at which it approaches the first folding nip, guiding a to-be-folded part of a sheet to the first folding nip, and a retracted position at which it is away from the first folding nip. The conveyance roller forms, together with the second roller, a first assist roller pair that conveys the sheet along the sheet conveyance path. The first folding guide has a pivot fulcrum on a downstream side relative to the first folding nip in the conveyance direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tadahisa KISHIMOTO, Koji MURATA