Patents by Inventor Masaaki Nishio

Masaaki Nishio 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: 20240138228
    Abstract: Regarding a display device (a display device including display elements driven by currents) equipped with a touch panel, degradation in display quality caused by touch is suppressed. A display device equipped with a touch panel is provided with a determination circuit (303) that determines whether or not a characteristic detection process is influenced by touch, based on a touch position and a monitoring target row which is a row to be subjected to the characteristic detection process. When the determination circuit (303) determines that the characteristic detection process is influenced by touch, a display control circuit (301) controls operation of a gate driver (12) and a source driver (20) such that a normal characteristic detection process is stopped until the determination circuit (303) determines that the characteristic detection process is not influenced by touch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Yuta TANAKA, Masaaki NISHIO, Kazuki TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 11942014
    Abstract: A display device according to an aspect of the disclosure includes a pixel circuits, a scanning signal line, a data signal line, a first power supply voltage line, a second power supply voltage line, a scanning signal line drive circuit, a data signal line drive circuit, and a display control unit. The display control unit compares data values written in pixels in an n-th row corresponding to the selected scanning signal line with data values written in pixels in an (n?1)-th row which is one row prior to the n-th row of the selected scanning signal line, and corrects the data voltage corresponding to the pixels in the n-th row in a case where a difference between the data values is equal to or greater than a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaaki Nishio, Hongbing Weng, Kazuo Nakamura, Noriyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11935473
    Abstract: In a display device that changes the number of light emissions per frame period, a display control circuit outputs a control signal specifying an emission period included in a frame period to an emission control line driver circuit. The emission control line driver circuit adds sequential delays to the control signal and thereby generates signals to be applied to the emission control lines. When leading and trailing frame periods have the same proportion of emission periods but include different numbers of emission periods, the leading and trailing frame periods are intervened by a transition frame period having a different proportion of emission periods from the leading frame period. This configuration prevents flickering caused by the changing of the number of light emissions per frame period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yousuke Nakamura, Masaaki Nishio, Noriyuki Tanaka, Hongbing Weng
  • Publication number: 20240078975
    Abstract: A display device is provided with: a display portion including a plurality of scanning lines, a plurality of data lines, and a plurality of pixel circuits; a scanning line drive circuit; and a data line drive circuit. The level of a data voltage applied to the data line decreases when a frame frequency is switched higher, and increases when the frame frequency is switched lower. This can prevent a display flicker when the frame frequency is switched. The level of the data voltage may change when the frame frequency is switched, and may return to its initial level over a plurality of frame periods. The timing of the control signal used to drive the display portion may change in accordance with the frame frequency to cause the length of the charging period of the pixel circuit to change in accordance with the frame frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Kazuo NAKAMURA, Noriyuki TANAKA, Masaaki NISHIO, Yousuke NAKAMURA, Tatsuhiko SUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20230351960
    Abstract: In a display device that changes the number of light emissions per frame period, a display control circuit outputs a control signal specifying an emission period included in a frame period to an emission control line driver circuit. The emission control line driver circuit adds sequential delays to the control signal and thereby generates signals to be applied to the emission control lines. When leading and trailing frame periods have the same proportion of emission periods but include different numbers of emission periods, the leading and trailing frame periods are intervened by a transition frame period having a different proportion of emission periods from the leading frame period. This configuration prevents flickering caused by the changing of the number of light emissions per frame period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Yousuke NAKAMURA, Masaaki NISHIO, Noriyuki TANAKA, Hongbing WENG
  • Publication number: 20230274681
    Abstract: A display device according to an aspect of the disclosure includes a pixel circuits, a scanning signal line, a data signal line, a first power supply voltage line, a second power supply voltage line, a scanning signal line drive circuit, a data signal line drive circuit, and a display control unit. The display control unit compares data values written in pixels in an n-th row corresponding to the selected scanning signal line with data values written in pixels in an (n-1)-th row which is one row prior to the n-th row of the selected scanning signal line, and corrects the data voltage corresponding to the pixels in the n-th row in a case where a difference between the data values is equal to or greater than a threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: Masaaki NISHIO, Hongbing WENG, KAZUO NAKAMURA, Noriyuki TANAKA
  • Patent number: 11574571
    Abstract: A display panel includes a second display region and a first display region arranged side by side in a direction in which data signal lines extend, and a source driver provided in a picture-frame region close to the second display region. The display panel further includes a switching signal line disposed between the second display region and the first display region, and a plurality of switches provided at intersecting portions of the data signal lines and the switching signal line. Each of the plurality of switches is connected at a control terminal thereof to the switching signal line, connected at a first conductive terminal thereof to a data signal line disposed in the first display region, and connected at a second conductive terminal thereof to a data signal line disposed in the second display region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaaki Nishio, Noriyuki Tanaka, Kazuo Nakamura, Hongbing Weng
  • Patent number: 11532277
    Abstract: A display panel includes a second display region and a first display region which are arranged side by side in a direction in which data signal lines extend, and a source driver is provided at one edge of the second display region. Switches are provided between data signal lines in the first display region and data signal lines in the second display region, and the switches are turned off when an on-level scanning signal is applied to a scanning signal line in the second display region. A period during which the on-level scanning signal is applied to each scanning signal line in the second display region is shorter than a period during which the on-level scanning signal is applied to each scanning signal line in the first display region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaaki Nishio, Yousuke Nakamura, Hongbing Weng
  • Publication number: 20220189409
    Abstract: A display panel includes a second display region and a first display region which are arranged side by side in a direction in which data signal lines extend, and a source driver is provided at one edge of the second display region. Switches are provided between data signal lines in the first display region and data signal lines in the second display region, and the switches are turned off when an on-level scanning signal is applied to a scanning signal line in the second display region. A period during which the on-level scanning signal is applied to each scanning signal line in the second display region is shorter than a period during which the on-level scanning signal is applied to each scanning signal line in the first display region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Masaaki NISHIO, YOUSUKE NAKAMURA, Hongbing WENG
  • Publication number: 20220180782
    Abstract: A display panel includes a second display region (220) and a first display region (210) which are arranged side by side in a direction in which data signal lines extend, and a source driver (500) is provided in a picture-frame region close to the second display region (220). The display panel further includes a switching signal line (SWL) disposed between the second display region (220) and the first display region (210); and a plurality of switches (252) provided at intersecting portions of the plurality of data signal lines and the switching signal line (SWL). Each of the switches (252) is connected at its control terminal to the switching signal line (SWL), connected at its first conductive terminal to a data signal line disposed in the first display region (210), and connected at its second conductive terminal to a data signal line disposed in the second display region (220).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Inventors: Masaaki NISHIO, Noriyuki TANAKA, KAZUO NAKAMURA, Hongbing WENG
  • Patent number: 11119604
    Abstract: A display controller controls changing timing of a waveform of each of gate clock signals (GCK1, GCK2) so that a display driving operation is performed after the lapse of a relatively short time from a starting point of time of a horizontal scanning period in odd-numbered horizontal scanning periods (Ho), and that a display driving operation is performed after the lapse of a relatively long time from a starting point of time of a horizontal scanning period in even-numbered horizontal scanning periods (Ho). A touch panel controller outputs a pulse of a touch drive signal (STD) so that a position detection operation on a touch panel is started in a stable period after an end of the display driving operation in each of the odd-numbered horizontal scanning periods (Ho).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaaki Nishio, Daiji Kitagawa
  • Patent number: 10803825
    Abstract: There is provided a display device that can suppress occurrence of abnormal display caused by “differences in the settling time of data voltages” between the positions of source bus lines. An output circuit in a source driver is configured to selectively output data voltages and predetermined voltages (e.g., positive-polarity and negative-polarity gradation voltages corresponding to a gradation value at an intermediate level) other than the data voltages. A display control circuit is provided with a register that holds information identifying source bus lines whose charging rates are to be adjusted; and a charge sharing control unit that outputs charge sharing control signals based on the information held in the register. Based on the charge sharing control signals, the output circuit applies the predetermined voltages, for a certain period, to source bus lines whose charging rates are to be adjusted and then applies data voltages to the source bus lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuo Nakamura, Masaaki Nishio
  • Patent number: 10564421
    Abstract: A display apparatus includes a source driver and a gate driver which drive a display section such that pixel signals are selectively supplied to a plurality of pixels provided in the display section. The display section includes a non-image visual recognition area, in which it is not possible for a visual recognizer to visually recognize an image to be displayed, and an image visual recognition area in which it is possible for the visual recognizer to visually recognize the image to be displayed. The source driver and the gate driver lower a driving rate which drives the non-image visual recognition area further than a driving rate which drives the image visual recognition area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hongbing Weng, Masaaki Nishio, Tatsuhiko Suyama, Noriyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10485785
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing a fine powder. Two or more kinds of original materials are suspended and liquefied inert gas to form two or more kinds of slurries wherein each slurry contains at least one or more different kinds of original materials. Granular dry ice grinding medium is put into the slurries. The slurries are individually stirred and the original materials are pulverized into submicron-sized or nano-sized particles in the liquefied inert gas. The slurries are thereafter mixed. The liquefied inert gas is vaporized and the granular dry ice is sublimated. A mixture of the particles of the two or more kinds of original materials is recovered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Moriroku Chemicals Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Niwa, Shohei Sugimoto, Kazumi Danjo, Masaaki Nishio, Yasuo Nakanishi, Sakiko Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20190318704
    Abstract: There is provided a display device that can suppress occurrence of abnormal display caused by “differences in the settling time of data voltages” between the positions of source bus lines. An output circuit in a source driver is configured to selectively output data voltages and predetermined voltages (e.g., positive-polarity and negative-polarity gradation voltages corresponding to a gradation value at an intermediate level) other than the data voltages. A display control circuit is provided with a register that holds information identifying source bus lines whose charging rates are to be adjusted; and a charge sharing control unit that outputs charge sharing control signals based on the information held in the register. Based on the charge sharing control signals, the output circuit applies the predetermined voltages, for a certain period, to source bus lines whose charging rates are to be adjusted and then applies data voltages to the source bus lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Inventors: Kazuo NAKAMURA, Masaaki NISHIO
  • Publication number: 20190265858
    Abstract: A display controller controls changing timing of a waveform of each of gate clock signals (GCK1, GCK2) so that a display driving operation is performed after the lapse of a relatively short time from a starting point of time of a horizontal scanning period in odd-numbered horizontal scanning periods (Ho), and that a display driving operation is performed after the lapse of a relatively long time from a starting point of time of a horizontal scanning period in even-numbered horizontal scanning periods (Ho). A touch panel controller outputs a pulse of a touch drive signal (STD) so that a position detection operation on a touch panel is started in a stable period after an end of the display driving operation in each of the odd-numbered horizontal scanning periods (Ho).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Masaaki NISHIO, Daiji KITAGAWA
  • Publication number: 20190146620
    Abstract: Provided is a technique of making it possible to draw an image according to a locus of a finger or the like, irrespective of a frame rate. A display device intermittently performs image display and touch position detection, and controls a frame frequency so that the frame frequency is variable. The display device includes: a display panel that includes a plurality of gate lines, and a touch detection element for the touch position detection; a gate line driving unit for scanning the gate lines; a touch detection driving unit that detects a touch position on the display panel; and a control unit that controls a scanning frequency for the gate lines. The touch detection driving unit performs the touch position detection at a constant frequency. The control unit adjusts the scanning frequency for the gate lines in one vertical scanning period, based on the frame frequency and the frequency for the touch position detection. The gate line driving unit scans the gate lines in accordance with the scanning frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: Tatsuhiko SUYAMA, Noriyuki TANAKA, Daiji KITAGAWA, Masaaki NISHIO, Hongbing WENG
  • Publication number: 20190101755
    Abstract: A display apparatus includes a source driver and a gate driver which drive a display section such that pixel signals are selectively supplied to a plurality of pixels provided in the display section. The display section includes a non-image visual recognition area, in which it is not possible for a visual recognizer to visually recognize an image to be displayed, and an image visual recognition area in which it is possible for the visual recognizer to visually recognize the image to be displayed. The source driver and the gate driver lower a driving rate which drives the non-image visual recognition area further than a driving rate which drives the image visual recognition area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2018
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Inventors: Hongbing WENG, Masaaki NISHIO, TATSUHIKO SUYAMA, NORIYUKI TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20180308443
    Abstract: A source driver is provided that can suppress the occurrence of abnormal display caused by “the difference in the settling time of a data voltage (to be applied to a source bus line)” depending on location of source bus lines. The source driver includes a data voltage generating unit (31) that generates data voltages corresponding to display gradations; output amplifiers (32) that output the data voltages to the source bus lines; a register (33) that stores control values (C) for adjusting the settling time of outputs of the data voltages from the output amplifiers (32); and a bias current control unit (34) that controls the magnitudes of bias currents of the output amplifiers (32) based on the control values (C) stored in the register (33).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventors: Maremu YAMAGISHI, Masaaki NISHIO, Kazuo NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20180261142
    Abstract: A frame memory 23 includes a first storage unit 231 for storing normal image data and a second storage unit 232 for storing reduced color image data. A reduced color image generation unit 122 generates the reduced color image data by performing a dithering process on the normal image data. A drive circuit of a liquid crystal panel 11 drives the liquid crystal panel 11 based on the normal image data stored in the first storage unit 231 in a normal mode, and drives the liquid crystal panel 11 based on the reduced color image data stored in the second storage unit 232 in a reduced color mode. In the reduced color mode, supplying a power supply voltage to the first storage unit 231 is stopped. When switching to the normal mode, supplying the power supply voltage to the first storage unit 231 is started, and the drive circuit drives the liquid crystal panel 11 based on the reduced color image data stored in the second storage unit 232 until the normal image data is written to the first storage unit 231.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Inventors: Hongbing WENG, Masaaki NISHIO, Noriyuki TANAKA