Patents by Inventor Kunihiro Tashiro

Kunihiro Tashiro 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: 8502762
    Abstract: This invention relates to an image processing method for improving the quality of an image to be displayed on a display device and to a liquid-crystal display device using the same, and aims at providing an image processing method for providing wide viewing angle and excellent tonal-intensity viewing angle characteristic and a liquid-crystal display device using the same. Combined together are a higher-luminance pixel to be driven higher in luminance than the luminance data of an image to be displayed and a lower-luminance pixel to be driven lower in luminance than the luminance data, to determine a luminance on the higher-luminance pixel and luminance on the lower-luminance pixel as well as an area ratio of the higher-luminance and lower-luminance pixels in a manner obtaining a luminance nearly equal to a desired luminance based on the luminance data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Kamada, Hidefumi Yoshida, Yoshio Koike, Toshiaki Suzuki, Tetsuya Kobayashi, Yasutoshi Tasaka, Masakazu Shibasaki, Kunihiro Tashiro, Kazuya Ueda, Katsuyoshi Hiraki
  • Patent number: 8432518
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including first and second substrates; liquid crystal contained between the substrates; a polymer which determines directions in which liquid crystal molecules tilt; a plurality of gate and data bus lines; and a plurality of picture elements. At least one of the picture elements includes a switching element, and first and second sub picture element electrodes. The first sub picture element electrode connects to the switching element and the second sub picture element electrode connects, via capacitive coupling, to the switching element. The first substrate further includes a control electrode that is connected to the switching element and the first sub picture element electrode. The control electrode is capacitively coupled to the second sub picture element electrode through an insulating film. The area of the second sub picture element electrode is larger than the area of the first sub picture element electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Nakanishi, Kunihiro Tashiro, Katsufumi Ohmuro, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Jin Hirosawa, Norio Sugiura, Kengo Kanii, Shota Makimoto, Naoto Kondo, Isao Tsushima, Tomonori Tanose, Takashi Takagi, Tetsuya Fujikawa
  • Patent number: 8416229
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes: first and second substrates positioned so as to face each other; and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates, and containing a polymerizable component that is polymerized by light or heat. The polymerizable component of the liquid crystal layer is polymerized with a predetermined voltage being applied to a region corresponding to those pixels whose transmittance-drive voltage characteristics are shifted toward higher voltages in a normal drive operation, where the predetermined voltage is applied so that the transmittance-drive voltage characteristics are shifted toward lower voltages by an amount equal to or larger than an amount of the shift toward higher voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahiro Sasaki, Kunihiro Tashiro
  • Patent number: 8405802
    Abstract: The technology presented herein has a feature of providing a liquid crystal display device of an excellent viewing angle characteristic and high brightness, including: liquid crystals containing polymerizable monomers between a first substrate with a pixel electrode having micro slits and a second substrate facing the first substrate; wherein the monomers are polymerizable with voltage applied to the liquid crystals; and an alignment orientation of the liquid crystals is controllable to a direction of extending the micro slit, wherein the pixel electrode includes: a direct coupling part electrically connected to a switching element; a capacitive coupling part electrically insulated from the switching element, and a space between the direct and capacitive coupling parts, wherein directions in which the micro slits are extended along the direct and capacitive coupling parts are orthogonal to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazutaka Hanaoka, Katsufumi Ohmuro, Kunihiro Tashiro, Jin Hirosawa, Norio Sugiura, Kengo Kanii, Shota Makimoto, Yasuhiro Ohno, Isao Tsushima, Tomonori Tanose, Takashi Takagi, Tetsuya Fujikawa, Takahiro Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20130063686
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device (100) of the present invention has a plurality of pixels (P) which are in a matrix arrangement and includes: a first substrate (1) which includes a pixel electrode (12) which is provided in each pixel; a second substrate (2) which opposes the first substrate; and a vertical alignment liquid crystal layer (3) which is provided between these substrates, wherein light that is incident on the liquid crystal layer is circularly-polarized light, and the liquid crystal layer modulates the circularly-polarized light, thereby realizing display. The pixel electrode includes at least one cruciform trunk portion (12a), a plurality of branch portions (12b) extending from the at least one cruciform trunk portion in a direction of about 45°, and a plurality of slits (12c) provided between the plurality of branch portions. The second substrate includes a plurality of counter electrodes (22) which are electrically independent of each other in each pixel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kunihiro Tashiro, Hideki Fujimoto, Yoshihito Hara
  • Patent number: 8325306
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including first and second substrate, with liquid crystal contained therebetween; a plurality of gate bus lines; a plurality of drain bus lines; and first and second sub picture element electrodes. The first sub picture element electrode is not in contact with the second sub picture element electrode. The first sub picture element electrode includes a first body portion and a plurality of first branches extending from the first body portion, with the first branches being separated from each other by a plurality of first slits. The second sub picture element electrode includes a second body portion and a plurality of second branches extending from the second body portion, with the second branches being separated from each other by a plurality of second slits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Nakanishi, Kunihiro Tashiro, Katsufumi Ohmuro, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Jin Hirosawa, Norio Sugiura, Kengo Kanii, Shota Makimoto, Naoto Kondo, Isao Tsushima, Tomonori Tanose, Takashi Takagi, Tetsuya Fujikawa
  • Publication number: 20120261846
    Abstract: A polymerizable compound in a liquid crystal composition is polymerized in a state that liquid crystal molecules present in a gap between a pixel electrode and at least either one of signal electrodes and scanning electrodes are tilted in a direction from the at least either one of the signal electrodes and the scanning electrodes toward the pixel electrode. Preferably, the amount of the polymerizable compound remaining in the liquid crystal phase after the polymerization is not more than 0.05 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the liquid crystal. In a seal section surrounding the liquid crystal layer, a second seal wall is preferably provided at a position opposite to the liquid crystal injection inlet in the non-display section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yohei Nakanishi, Yuichi Inoue, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Hidefumi Yoshida, Yasutoshi Tasaka, Kunihiro Tashiro
  • Publication number: 20120262657
    Abstract: A polymerizable compound in a liquid crystal composition is polymerized in a state that liquid crystal molecules present in a gap between a pixel electrode and at least either one of signal electrodes and scanning electrodes are tilted in a direction from the at least either one of the signal electrodes and the scanning electrodes toward the pixel electrode. Preferably, the amount of the polymerizable compound remaining in the liquid crystal phase after the polymerization is not more than 0.05 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the liquid crystal. In a seal section surrounding the liquid crystal layer, a second seal wall is preferably provided at a position opposite to the liquid crystal injection inlet in the non-display section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Nakanishi, Yuichi Inoue, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Hidefumi Yoshida, Yasutoshi Tasaka, Kunihiro Tashiro
  • Patent number: 8289481
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display, which can surely perform an instillation process used when liquid crystal is sealed between substrates in a cell process, and a fabrication method thereof. A liquid crystal display comprises a sealing material made of a photo-curing type material which seals liquid crystal sandwiched between substrates, and a shading film having a shading area which overlays a red-colored layer transmitting red light, a green-colored layer transmitting green light and a blue-colored layer transmitting blue light, wherein only the blue-colored layer is formed in an area of the shading film contacting with the sealing material and the photo-curing type material of the sealing material is structured to have a light reactive area for a wavelength of blue color band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kunihiro Tashiro, Takuya Yoshimi, Yoshio Koike
  • Publication number: 20120223931
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display device which has a high luminance and excellent display quality. In a liquid crystal display device of the present invention, a common electrode (45) includes a first common electrode (45a) and a second common electrode (45b), and a pixel electrode (60) includes a first trunk portion (61a), a second trunk portion (61b), a plurality of first branch portions (62a) extending in the first direction, a plurality of second branch portions (62b) extending in the second direction, a plurality of third branch portions (62c) extending in the third direction, and a plurality of fourth branch portions (62d) extending in the fourth direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Inventors: Kunihiro Tashiro, Shogo Nishiwaki, Hideki Fujimoto, Yoshihito Hara
  • Patent number: 8243241
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including first and second substrates with a liquid crystal layer therebetween. A first electrode is formed on the first substrate, and a second electrode is formed on the second substrate. The first electrode is divided into at least two regions such that at least two domains of different liquid crystal orientation directions are defined within a single pixel. A first of the at least two regions and a second of the at least two regions are located in a diagonal manner with respect to each other, and each include a slit pattern. A polymer, formed from a polymerizable compound that has been polymerized, is formed between the first and second substrates, wherein the amount of the polymerizable compound remaining in the liquid crystal layer after the polymerization is not more than 0.05 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Nakanishi, Yuichi Inoue, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Hidefumi Yoshida, Yasutoshi Tasaka, Kunihiro Tashiro
  • Patent number: 8212981
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including first and second substrates with liquid crystal contained therebetween, and a plurality of picture elements located on the first substrate. Each of the picture elements is defined between a pair of gate bus lines and a pair of data bus lines. At least one of the picture elements includes a switching element connected to one of the data bus lines, a first sub picture element electrode, and a second sub picture element electrode. At least one of the first and second sub picture element electrodes has a body portion and a plurality of branches that extend from the body portion. A neighboring two of the branches are parallel with each other. The first sub picture element electrode connects to the switching element, and the second sub picture element electrode connects, via capacitive coupling, to the switching element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Nakanishi, Kunihiro Tashiro, Katsufumi Ohmuro, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Jin Hirosawa, Norio Sugiura, Kengo Kanii, Shota Makimoto, Naoto Kondo, Isao Tsushima, Tomonori Tanose, Takashi Takagi, Tetsuya Fujikawa
  • Patent number: 8208106
    Abstract: A substrate for a liquid crystal display including a plurality of gate bus lines and a plurality of data bus lines that cross the gate bus lines, as well as a thin film transistor connected to one of the data bus lines. The display also includes a first electrode with a body portion and a plurality of branches extending from the body portion, wherein at least some of the branches include a first branch portion, which extends from the body portion and defines a first angle, and a second branch portion, which extends from the first branch portion, and which defines a second angle. The first angle is greater than said second angle, and both angles are between 0° and 90° Also included is a second electrode that overlaps at least a portion of the first electrode, and an insulation film between the first and second electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Nakanishi, Kunihiro Tashiro, Katsufumi Ohmuro, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Jin Hirosawa, Norio Sugiura, Kengo Kanii, Shota Makimoto, Naoto Kondo, Isao Tsushima, Tomonori Tanose, Takashi Takagi, Tetsuya Fujikawa
  • Publication number: 20120154703
    Abstract: The present invention has an object of providing a liquid crystal display device having a high transmittance or a high viewing angle characteristic. A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a pixel electrode (30) including a peripheral portion (36), an island portion (32) and a plurality of branch portions (34). The plurality of branch portions (34) are formed of a plurality of first through fourth branch portions (34A through 34D) respectively extending in first through fourth directions. By these branch portions, first through fourth regions (35A through 35D) in which liquid crystal molecules are aligned in different directions from each other at the time of voltage application are formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2010
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Inventors: Masahiro Yoshida, Kunihiro Tashiro
  • Publication number: 20120154701
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display has a pair of substrates with liquid crystal sealed between them. A polymer layer regulates directions in which the liquid crystal molecules tilt. A plurality of gate bus lines and a plurality of drain bus lines are provided on one of the substrates. Color filters and a pixel electrode are provided on the substrate. The pixel electrode includes a first sub-pixel electrode and a second sub-pixel electrode. A common electrode is provided on the other substrate. A first thin film transistor is connected to the first sub-pixel electrode, a second thin film transistor is connected to the second sub-pixel electrode, and a third thin film transistor is connected to the second sub-pixel electrode. The first and second thin film transistors are both connected to a first gate bus line, and the third thin film transistor is connected to a second bus line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Sasabayashi, Arihiro Takeda, Hiroyasu Inoue, Kazuya Ueda, Yoshio Koike, Hideaki Tsuda, Yasutoshi Tasaka, Hidefumi Yoshida, Kunihiro Tashiro, Tsuyoshi Kamada, Kimiaki Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20120140157
    Abstract: A method of producing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes: a step of providing a liquid crystal panel (110); a step of, through light irradiation while applying a voltage to a mixture via a check terminal (174) and a check line (172) on a rear substrate (130), forming from the mixture a liquid crystal layer (140) containing a liquid crystal compound and an alignment sustaining layer (150, 160) resulting through polymerization of a photopolymerizable compound; and a step of, after forming the liquid crystal layer (140) and the alignment sustaining layer (150, 160), applying a voltage across the liquid crystal layer (140) from the check terminal (172) to check the liquid crystal panel (110).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shogo Nishiwaki, Kunihiro Tashiro, Yukinobu Nakata, Takayuki Hayano
  • Publication number: 20120133864
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal sealed between two substrates, and a polymer layer for regulating a pretilt angle of liquid crystal molecules and/or tilt directions at a time of driving. One of the substrates has a color filter layer formed on a side of the one substrate. A plurality of stripe-like electrode patterns are provided on the color filter layer. The patterns are periodically arranged so that when polymerizable components mixed in the liquid crystal layer are polymerized to form the polymer layer while a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer between the electrode patterns and a second electrode on the other substrate, liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer are aligned in the extending directions of stripe-like electrode patterns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro Sasaki, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Tsutomu Seino, Yohei Nakanishi, Seiji Tanuma, Kimiaki Nakamura, Yuichi Inoue, Masakazu Shibasaki, Hideaki Tsuda, Yoshio Koike, Yasutoshi Tasaka, Hidefumi Yoshida, Kunihiro Tashiro
  • Publication number: 20120120338
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal layer including liquid crystal molecules provided between a first substrate and a second substrate; pixels forming a display area; electrodes for applying a voltage across the liquid crystal layer within each of the pixels; a plurality of domain regulating structures for dividing orientations of the liquid crystal molecules and forming multiple domains within each of the pixels, when a predetermined voltage is applied across the liquid crystal layer within each of the pixels; and a structure which is formed in an outer area located next to the display area and is substantially the same as at least one of the plurality of domain regulating structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Arihiro Takeda, Katsufumi Ohmuro, Yoshio Koike, Shingo Kataoka, Takahiro Sasaki, Takashi Sasabayashi, Hideaki Tsuda, Hideo Chida, Makoto Ohashi, Kenji Okamoto, Hisashi Yamaguchi, Minoru Otani, Makoto Morishige, Noriaki Furukawa, Tsuyoshi Kamada, Yoshinori Tanaka, Atuyuki Hoshino, Shougo Hayashi, Hideaki Takizawa, Takeshi Kinjou, Makoto Tachibanaki, Keiji Imoto, Tadashi Hasegawa, Hidefumi Yoshida, Hiroyasu Inoue, Yoji Taniguchi, Tetsuya Fujikawa, Satoshi Murata, Manabu Sawasaki, Tomonori Tanose, Siro Hirota, Masahiro Ikeda, Kunihiro Tashiro, Kouji Tsukao, Yasutoshi Tasaka, Takatoshi Mayama, Seiji Tanuma, Yohei Nakanishi
  • Publication number: 20120075567
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display in which a wide angle of view is obtained and a response time at a halftone can be shortened by regulating an alignment orientation of a liquid crystal by the use of a polymer fixation system in which a liquid crystal layer containing a polymerizable component is scaled between substrates. The polymerizable component is polymerized while a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer to fix a liquid crystal alignment. A plurality of stripe-like electrode patterns, in which a pattern width is formed to be wider than a width of a space, are arranged so that the liquid crystal molecules are aligned in a longitudinal direction of the pattern when the polymer is formed by solidifying a polymerizable component mixed in the liquid crystal layer while a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro Sasaki, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Tsutomu Seino, Yohei Nakanishi, Seiji Tanuma, Kimiaki Nakamura, Yuichi Inoue, Masakazu Shibasaki, Hideaki Tsuda, Yoshio Koike, Yasutoshi Tasaka, Hidefumi Yoshida, Kunihiro Tashiro
  • Patent number: 8134661
    Abstract: To suppress a decrease in the contrast caused by the reflection on the interface to the air layer without decreasing the quality of display. A reflection-type liquid crystal display device includes a light guide plate having a polarizing element stuck or adhered thereto on the side facing a reflection-type liquid crystal display panel and arranged maintaining a predetermined gap relative to the reflection-type liquid crystal display panel. The display device further includes a source of light arranged on an end surface side of the light guide plate, and a member having a light-diffusing function and interposed between the polarizing element and the light guide plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Hamada, Kunihiro Tashiro, Mari Sugawara, Toshihiro Suzuki, Hidefumi Yoshida