Patents by Inventor Kouji Kumada

Kouji Kumada 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: 10013939
    Abstract: A display device (1) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: an LCD driving section (20) and an LCD controller (30) for causing an image based on an image signal to be displayed on an LCD (10); and a CPU (40) for supplying an image signal to the LCD controller (30), the LCD controller (30) being configured to supply, to the CPU (40), a control signal that instructs the CPU (40) to supply an image signal, and the CPU (40) being configured to supply an image signal in a case where the CPU (40) receives a control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuki Takahashi, Akizumi Fujioka, Taketoshi Nakano, Toshihiro Yanagi, Kouji Kumada, Noriyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9865206
    Abstract: Provided are a liquid crystal display device and a driving method therefor that do not cause problems such as occurrence of flicker even when performing pause driving. When an off signal Soff instructing to turn off power is inputted, a polarity bias value W at the power-off is stored in a balance storage circuit. When the power is turned on again, the polarity bias value W is read from the balance storage circuit and provided to a balance control circuit. The balance control circuit starts insertion of a pause frame period to cancel out the polarity bias value W. By this, decrementing the polarity bias value W by “1” every insertion of a pause frame period is repeated. Then, at a point of time when the polarity bias value W becomes “0”, insertion of a pause frame period is ceased and normal pause driving is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jin Miyazawa, Kouji Kumada, Norio Ohmura, Noriyuki Tanaka, Tatsuhiko Suyama, Kentaroh Uemura
  • Patent number: 9812081
    Abstract: Based on a REF/NREF signal coming from a REF/NREF determination circuit, a polarity bias calculation circuit updates a polarity bias count value Nb indicating a degree of a polarity bias of an applied voltage to a liquid crystal layer, and based on this polarity bias count value Nb, a bias movement determination circuit determines a moving direction of the polarity bias. Upon receiving an OFF signal Soff instructing OFF of the power supply, a balance control circuit controls a drive unit based on a result of the determination of the polarity bias moving direction and on the polarity bias count value Nb at a point of time when the OFF signal Soff is inputted so that the polarity bias can be resolved before a power supply is turned off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jin Miyazawa, Kouji Kumada, Noriyuki Tanaka, Tatsuhiko Suyama, Takuya Sone
  • Patent number: 9626920
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device for performing pause driving, occurrence of flicker is effectively suppressed while an increase in power consumption is suppressed. When a frame in which an image signal (DAT) is inputted from an external portion without output of a request signal (RO) for requesting the external portion to input the image signal (DAT) is defined as a first input frame, a reversal driving control portion (10) sets the reversal driving technique in the first input frame to the column-reversal driving while setting the first input frame to a refresh frame defined as a first refresh frame, sets three frames subsequent to the first refresh frame to pause frames, sets a frame subsequent to the final pause frame to a refresh frame defined as a second refresh frame, and sets the reversal driving technique in the second refresh frame to the dot-reversal driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuhiko Suyama, Kouji Kumada, Norio Ohmura, Noriyuki Tanaka, Takuya Sone
  • Patent number: 9615083
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a display device in which the occurrence of the crosstalk can be suppressed. A display unit includes a display panel (12), a storage unit (54), a confirmation unit (56), and a correction unit (52). The display panel displays a synthetic image. The storage unit stores respective crosstalk levels set with respect to a plurality of areas (13a, 13b, 13c) that the display panel has. The confirmation unit that confirms in which one of the plurality of areas a pixel exists that displays an image that a viewer is supposed to see, among the plurality of images contained in the synthetic image. The correction unit reads the crosstalk level corresponding to the area, among the plurality of areas, in which the confirmation unit confirms the pixel displaying the image that a viewer is supposed to see exist, from the storage unit, and corrects the gray scale level data of the pixel displaying the image that a viewer is supposed to see, by using the crosstalk level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Tanaka, Takuya Sone, Kouji Kumada
  • Patent number: 9613585
    Abstract: Provided is a display device capable of switching a refresh rate while suppressing deterioration in display quality and degradation in liquid crystal. In the case of switching the refresh rate from 60 Hz to 7.5 Hz, a transition period for gradually changing the refresh rate from 60 Hz to 7.5 Hz is provided between a 60-Hz period and a 7.5-Hz period. This transition period is configured by sequentially arraying a 30-Hz period, a 20-Hz period, a 15-Hz period, a 12-Hz period and a 10-Hz period from a start point of the transition period. Hence the refresh rate gradually changes from 60 Hz to 7.5 Hz sequentially through 30 Hz, 20 Hz, 15 Hz, 12 Hz and 10 Hz. The number of positive-polarity frames and the number of negative-polarity frames are respectively 20 in the whole of the transition period, and are equal to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Tanaka, Kouji Kumada
  • Patent number: 9607541
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display device capable of reliably reducing power consumption during pause drive by controlling the timing of performing refresh. When there is an image change in externally inputted RGB data, or when the number of consecutive pause frames reaches a predetermined value, if the number of immediately preceding pause frames is less than a threshold BCTH, image signal refresh is performed once, or if the number of pause frames is greater than or equal to the threshold BCTH, boost charge refresh is performed first, and then, the image signal refresh is performed. As a result, it is rendered possible to reduce flicker due to luminance reduction, and it is also rendered possible to eliminate the need to perform refresh consecutively even if the frequency of RGB data is high (e.g., 30 Hz) during pause drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Tanaka, Tatsuhiko Suyama, Takuya Sone, Norio Ohmura, Kentaroh Uemura, Kouji Kumada
  • Patent number: 9589517
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device for performing pause driving, occurrence of flicker is effectively suppressed while an increase in power consumption is suppressed. When an image change determination portion (11) detects an image change in a period from the previous refresh frame until generation of a predetermined number of times of pause frames, a reversal driving control portion (13) sets the next frame after a frame where an image change has been detected to a refresh frame where a reversal driving technique is a column-reversal driving. When the image change determination portion (11) does not detect an image change in the period from the previous refresh frame until generation of the predetermined number of times of pause frames, the reversal driving control portion (13) sets the next frame after the final pause frame to a refresh frame where a reversal driving technique is a dot-reversal driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuhiko Suyama, Kouji Kumada, Norio Ohmura, Noriyuki Tanaka, Takuya Sone
  • Publication number: 20160307530
    Abstract: A display device (1) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: an LCD driving section (20) and an LCD controller (30) for causing an image based on an image signal to be displayed on an LCD (10); and a CPU (40) for supplying an image signal to the LCD controller (30), the LCD controller (30) being configured to supply, to the CPU (40), a control signal that instructs the CPU (40) to supply an image signal, and the CPU (40) being configured to supply an image signal in a case where the CPU (40) receives a control signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Publication date: October 20, 2016
    Inventors: Kazuki TAKAHASHI, Akizumi FUJIOKA, Taketoshi NAKANO, Toshihiro YANAGI, Kouji KUMADA, Noriyuki TANAKA
  • Patent number: 9443484
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device for performing pause driving, occurrence of flicker is effectively suppressed while an increase in power consumption is suppressed. A frame in which an image signal is inputted without requesting an external portion to input the image signal is set as a refresh frame by a reversal driving technique deciding portion. A pause frame counting portion counts the number of times of pause frames since the previous refresh frame as a count value. The comparison portion compares the count value with a previously set threshold. As a result, when the count value is not smaller than the threshold, the reversal driving technique deciding portion sets a reversal driving technique in the first input frame to dot-reversal driving. When the count value is smaller than the threshold, the reversal driving technique deciding portion sets a reversal driving technique in the first input frame to column-reversal driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuhiko Suyama, Kouji Kumada, Norio Ohmura, Noriyuki Tanaka, Takuya Sone
  • Patent number: 9418608
    Abstract: A display device (1) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: an LCD driving section (20) and an LCD controller (30) for causing an image based on an image signal to be displayed on an LCD (10); and a CPU (40) for supplying an image signal to the LCD controller (30), the LCD controller (30) being configured to supply, to the CPU (40), a control signal that instructs the CPU (40) to supply an image signal, and the CPU (40) being configured to supply an image signal in a case where the CPU (40) receives a control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuki Takahashi, Akizumi Fujioka, Taketoshi Nakano, Toshihiro Yanagi, Kouji Kumada, Noriyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9412317
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a display device and a method of driving it, capable of displaying images properly even upon asynchronous input of image data while taking advantages of decreased power consumption implemented by intermission driving. When there is an external input of new image data (image F) in a non-refreshing period in an intermission driving display device which performs intermittent refreshing based on the latest image data that is inputted in and read out from a frame memory, a coercive refreshing is started immediately based on the new image data (image F) (see the sixth frame period). Also, when there is an external input of image data (image G) during a refreshing period for the image F, the ongoing frame period including the refreshing of the image F is completed and immediately thereafter, a coercive refreshing based on the image data (image G) is started (see the ninth frame period).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Tanaka, Kouji Kumada
  • Publication number: 20160196789
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal display device which is capable of reducing power consumption while preventing liquid crystal deterioration. The liquid crystal display device performs an intermission driving. The liquid crystal display device includes a polarity indication section, which controls a driving section included in the liquid crystal display device so that the data voltages to be written to the pixel formation portions in a first refreshing frame included in the drive period have a same polarity as of the data voltages written to the pixel formation portions in the refreshing frame immediately preceding the first refreshing frame and that the data voltage polarity is inverted for each refreshing frame during the drive period, if the drive period includes an even number of the refreshing frames.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuhiko SUYAMA, Noriyuki TANAKA, Takuya SONE, Norio OHMURA, Kentaroh UEMURA, Kouji KUMADA
  • Publication number: 20160196781
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display device capable of reliably reducing power consumption during pause drive by controlling the timing of performing refresh. When there is an image change in externally inputted RGB data, or when the number of consecutive pause frames reaches a predetermined value, if the number of immediately preceding pause frames is less than a threshold BCTH, image signal refresh is performed once, or if the number of pause frames is greater than or equal to the threshold BCTH, boost charge refresh is performed first, and then, the image signal refresh is performed. As a result, it is rendered possible to reduce flicker due to luminance reduction, and it is also rendered possible to eliminate the need to perform refresh consecutively even if the frequency of RGB data is high (e.g., 30 Hz) during pause drive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki TANAKA, Tatsuhiko SUYAMA, Takuya SONE, Norio OHMURA, Kentaroh UEMURA, Kouji KUMADA
  • Patent number: 9349335
    Abstract: Provided is a display device capable of displaying a smooth video even when pause drive is performed. In a liquid crystal display device with an animation function, 12-Hz pause drive is performed with vertical display periods, each having a duration of five frames. In a video display period, an animation video changes every duration of a secondary video display period, i.e., every one frame, in the order: images A to X, then A and B. Once the video display period starts, 12-Hz pause drive switches to 60-Hz normal drive. In this case, for the animation video that changes every duration of the secondary video display period, i.e., every one frame, in the order: images A to X, then A and B, refresh is performed every duration of the vertical display period, i.e., every one frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Tanaka, Kouji Kumada
  • Patent number: 9330439
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a display device in which the occurrence of crosstalk can be suppressed. A display device (10) includes a display unit and a separation unit (34). The display unit displays a synthetic image formed by dividing each of a plurality of images that are different from one another and arraying the divisional images thus obtained in a predetermined order. The separation unit (34) separates the plurality of images contained in the synthetic image. The display unit includes a storage unit (54) and a correction unit (52). The storage unit (54) stores crosstalk levels set with respect to respective combinations of gray scale level data including gray scale level data of a pixel displaying an image that a viewer is supposed to see, among the plurality of images contained in the synthetic image, and gray scale level data of a pixel serving as a factor that causes crosstalk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Tanaka, Takuya Sone, Kouji Kumada
  • Patent number: 9299292
    Abstract: Provided is a display device capable of suppressing reduction in display quality even when pause drive is performed, while allowing the intensity of a light source to be changed in accordance with images to be displayed. In a liquid crystal display device with the CABC function, 7.5-Hz pause drive is performed. A transition period is provided in which images to be displayed are changed gradually from bright image X to dark image Y. In the transition period, the duration of a sub-transition period is five frames. Once the transition period starts, the duration of a vertical display period changes from eight frames to one frame. That is, 7.5-Hz pause drive switches to 60-Hz normal drive. In this manner, the duration of the vertical display period is set to be less than or equal to the duration of the sub-transition period, so that screen refresh is always performed in each sub-transition period of the transition period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Tanaka, Kouji Kumada
  • Publication number: 20160012789
    Abstract: Provided are a liquid crystal display device and a driving method therefor that do not cause problems such as occurrence of flicker even when performing pause driving. When an off signal Soff instructing to turn off power is inputted, a polarity bias value W at the power-off is stored in a balance storage circuit. When the power is turned on again, the polarity bias value W is read from the balance storage circuit and provided to a balance control circuit. The balance control circuit starts insertion of a pause frame period to cancel out the polarity bias value W. By this, decrementing the polarity bias value W by “1” every insertion of a pause frame period is repeated. Then, at a point of time when the polarity bias value W becomes “0”, insertion of a pause frame period is ceased and normal pause driving is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jin MIYAZAWA, Kouji KUMADA, Norio OHMURA, Noriyuki TANAKA, Tatsuhiko SUYAMA, Kentaroh UEMURA
  • Publication number: 20150332651
    Abstract: Based on a REF/NREF signal coming from a REF/NREF determination circuit, a polarity bias calculation circuit updates a polarity bias count value Nb indicating a degree of a polarity bias of an applied voltage to a liquid crystal layer, and based on this polarity bias count value Nb, a bias movement determination circuit determines a moving direction of the polarity bias. Upon receiving an OFF signal Soff instructing OFF of the power supply, a balance control circuit controls a drive unit based on a result of the determination of the polarity bias moving direction and on the polarity bias count value Nb at a point of time when the OFF signal Soff is inputted so that the polarity bias can be resolved before a power supply is turned off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jin MIYAZAWA, Kouji KUMADA, Noriyuki TANAKA, Tatsuhiko SUYAMA, Takuya SONE
  • Publication number: 20150302809
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device for performing pause driving, occurrence of flicker is effectively suppressed while an increase in power consumption is suppressed. When a frame in which an image signal (DAT) is inputted from an external portion without output of a request signal (RO) for requesting the external portion to input the image signal (DAT) is defined as a first input frame, a reversal driving control portion (10) sets the reversal driving technique in the first input frame to the column-reversal driving while setting the first input frame to a refresh frame defined as a first refresh frame, sets three frames subsequent to the first refresh frame to pause frames, sets a frame subsequent to the final pause frame to a refresh frame defined as a second refresh frame, and sets the reversal driving technique in the second refresh frame to the dot-reversal driving.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Inventors: Tatsuhiko SUYAMA, Kouji KUMADA, Norio OHMURA, Noriyuki TANAKA, Takuya SONE