Patents by Inventor Masaharu Terauchi

Masaharu Terauchi 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: 20090167176
    Abstract: A PDP can be driven at low voltage while having a charge retention property in a protection layer, and has favorable image display properties. Additionally, the PDP prevents the occurrence of discharge delay and realizes high-quality image display by performing favorable high-speed driving in a high definition PDP. To achieve this, a surface layer (8) is formed to a film thickness of 1 ?m in an oxygen atmosphere having an oxygen partial pressure of 0.025 Pa or more, the surface layer (8) is provided on a face of a dielectric layer (7) on a discharge space side. Furthermore, MgO particles (16) are dispersed on a surface of the surface layer (8). The surface layer (8) has the effects of protecting the dielectric layer (7) from ion bombardment during discharge, reducing the firing voltage, and preventing excessive electron loss. Also, the MgO particles (16) have a high initial electron emission property.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Inventors: Yusuke Fukui, Takuji Tsujita, Jun Hashimoto, Hikaru Nishitani, Masaharu Terauchi, Mikihiko Nishitani
  • Publication number: 20090146566
    Abstract: “Discharge delay” and “dependence of discharge delay on temperatures” are solved by improving a protective layer, thus a PDP can be driven at a low voltage. Furthermore, the PDP can display excellent images by suppressing “dependence of discharge delay on space charges.” Liquid-phase magnesium alkoxide (Mg(OR)2) or acetylacetone magnesium ate whose purity is 99.95% or more is prepared, and is hydrolyzed by adding a small amount of acids to the solution. Thus, a gel of magnesium hydroxide that is a magnesium oxide precursor is formed. Burning the gel in atmosphere at 700° C. or more produces powder containing MgO particles 16a-16d having the NaCl crystal structure with (100) and (111) crystal faces or with (100), (110) and (111) crystal faces. By pasting the powder on a dielectric layer 7 or a surface layer 8, the MgO powder 16 is formed so as to serve as the protective layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Inventors: Yusuke Fukui, Masaharu Terauchi, Takuji Tsujita
  • Publication number: 20090140652
    Abstract: “Discharge delay” and “dependence of discharge delay on temperatures” are solved by improving a protective layer, thus a PDP can be driven at a low voltage. Furthermore, the PDP can display excellent images by suppressing “dependence of discharge delay on space charges.” Liquid-phase magnesium alkoxide (Mg (OR)2) or acetylacetone magnesium ate whose purity is 99.95% or more is prepared, and is hydrolyzed by adding a small amount of acids to the solution. Thus, a gel of magnesium hydroxide that is a magnesium oxide precursor is formed. Burning the gel in atmosphere at 700° C. or more produces powder containing MgO particles 16a-16d having the NaCl crystal structure with (100) and (111) crystal faces or with (100), (110) and (111) crystal faces. By pasting the powder on a dielectric layer 7 or a surface layer 8, the MgO powder 16 is formed so as to serve as the protective layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Inventors: Yusuke Fukui, Masaharu Terauchi, Takuji Tsujita
  • Publication number: 20090096375
    Abstract: A PDP, which has a plurality of display electrodes formed therein, and is provided with a front plate in which the display electrodes are covered with a first dielectric layer and a protective film and a back plate having a plurality of address electrodes that are formed in a direction orthogonal to the display electrode, and covered with a second dielectric layer (backing dielectric layer, is designed so that the protective film has a structure in which grain-state crystals are aggregated and a grain size of the crystals is large, with a void between adjacent crystals being formed with a small size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Inventors: Hideki Yamashita, Takafumi Okuma, Hiroshi Hayata, Yoshimasa Takii, Hirokazu Nakaue, Tadashi Kimura, Masaharu Terauchi
  • Patent number: 7504126
    Abstract: A plasma display panel is composed of a first substrate and a second substrate facing each other via a discharge space and sealed together. A protective layer on the first substrate is composed principally of magnesium oxide, includes a substance or structure that creates a first energy level in an area of a forbidden band, the area being in a vicinity of a conduction band, and includes a substance or structure that creates a second energy level in another area in the forbidden band, the other area being in a vicinity of a valence band. During driving the second energy level is occupied by electrons, and few electrons exist in the first energy level, or electrons can easily occupy the first energy level due to a minus charge state, and MgO insultaive resistance is not lowered. This maintains wall charge retention and reduces discharge irregularities and firing voltage Vf.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Mikihiko Nishitani, Yukihiro Morita, Masatoshi Kitagawa, Masaharu Terauchi
  • Patent number: 7501763
    Abstract: Provided is a gas discharge display panel that exhibits a favorable display performance by maintaining a wall charge retaining power, controlling discharge delay within a range adequate for optimal image display, and reducing the discharge starting voltage at comparatively low cost. Also provided is a PDP that exhibits more reliability with enhanced display quality by further improving the secondary electron emission factor ? compared to conventional cases and lowering the discharge starting voltage to widen the driving margin. In addition, provided is a manufacturing method of a gas discharge display panel, by which the manufacturing cost lowers by reduction of the exhaustion time in the sealing exhaustion process, and by which the driving circuit cost is reduced. In the present invention, the protective layer contains, with respect to a MgO content of the protective layer, Si in a range of 20 mass ppm to 5000 mass ppm inclusive and H in a range of 300 mass ppm to 10000 mass ppm inclusive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Hashimoto, Masatoshi Kitagawa, Mikihiko Nishitani, Masaharu Terauchi, Shinichi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7468145
    Abstract: The present invention aims at realizing a PDP and a mercury-free fluorescent lamp feasible to maintain excellent luminescent characteristics over long periods by suppressing time-lapse changes in luminescent characteristics of a phosphor that is excited by vacuum ultraviolet light to thereby emit light. To accomplish this object, the oxide phosphor of the invention comprises individual particles, each of which has a region at and near the surface thereof modified, and the elemental composition of the surface region is in a more oxidized state than that of the internal region of the particles. Alternatively, the surface region has more halogen or chalcogen in the elemental composition. In the phosphor treatment method of the invention, the surface region of individual phosphor particles is selectively modified by (i) forming a highly reactive gas atmosphere by exciting gas which contains reactive gas, and (ii) exposing the phosphor to the gas atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiro Zukawa, Masatoshi Kitagawa, Masaharu Terauchi, Junko Asayama
  • Publication number: 20080278074
    Abstract: Provided is a gas discharge display panel that exhibits a favorable display performance by maintaining a wall charge retaining power, controlling discharge delay within a range adequate for optimal image display, and reducing the discharge starting voltage at comparatively low cost. Also provided is a PDP that exhibits more reliability with enhanced display quality by further improving the secondary electron emission factor ? compared to conventional cases and lowering the discharge starting voltage to widen the driving margin. Further provided is a manufacturing method of a gas discharge display panel, by which the manufacturing cost lowers by reduction of the exhaustion time in the sealing exhaustion process, and by which the driving circuit cost is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2005
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventors: Shinichi Yamamoto, Mikihiko Nishitani, Masaharu Terauchi, Jun Hashimoto, Masatoshi Kitagawa
  • Publication number: 20080157673
    Abstract: “Discharge delay” and “dependence of discharge delay on temperatures” are solved by improving a protective layer, thus a PDP can be driven at a low voltage. Furthermore, the PDP can display excellent images by suppressing “dependence of discharge delay on space charges.” Liquid-phase magnesium alkoxide(Mg(OR)2) or acetylacetone magnesium ate whose purity is 99.95% and over is prepared, and is hydrolyzed by adding a small amount of acids to the solution. Thus, a gel of magnesium hydroxide that is a magnesium oxide precursor is formed. Burning the gel in atmosphere at 700° C. and over produces powder containing MgO particles 16a-16d having the NaCl crystal structure with (100) and (111) crystal faces or with (100), (110) and (111) crystal faces. By pasting the powder on a dielectric layer 7 or a surface layer 8, the MgO powder 16 is formed so as to serve as the protective layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventors: Yusuke Fukui, Masaharu Terauchi, Takuji Tsujita
  • Publication number: 20080157672
    Abstract: Disclosed is a PDP and a manufacturing method therefor having improved display performance even if the PDP is of a fine-cell structure. A protective layer of the PDP is composed of an MgO film layer and an MgO particle layer that is made of MgO particles. The MgO particles are formed by burning an MgO precursor and satisfy that a/b?1, where a denotes a spectrum integral value in a wavelength region of a CL spectrum from 200 nm to 300 nm, exclusive of 300 nm, and b denotes a spectrum integral value in a wavelength region of the CL spectrum from 300 nm to 550 nm, exclusive of 550 nm. With provision of the MgO particle layer, the discharge characteristics of the protective layer improve (shorter discharge delay and less temperature dependence of the discharge delay). Consequently, the PDP is ensured to exhibit excellent display performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventors: Takuji Tsujita, Yusuke Fukui, Masaharu Terauchi, Mikihiko Nishitani, Michiko Okafuji, Shinichiro Ishino, Kaname Mizokami
  • Publication number: 20080160346
    Abstract: Disclosed is a PDP and a manufacturing method therefor having improved display performance even if the PDP is of a fine-cell structure. The PDP has a protective layer that is composed of an MgO film layer and an MgO particle layer made of MgO particles. The MgO particles are formed by burning an MgO precursor and satisfy that a/b?1.2, where a denotes a spectrum integral value in a wavelength region of a CL spectrum from 650 nm to 900 nm, exclusive of 900 nm, and b denotes a spectrum integral value of a wavelength region of the CL spectrum from 300 nm to 550 nm, exclusive of 550 nm. The MgO particles have many high energy levels in the energy band and thus emission of initial electrons is caused more easily, which leads to suppress discharge delay and also to suppress temperature dependence of the discharge delay.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventors: Masaharu Terauchi, Yusuke Fukui, Takuji Tsujita, Michiko Okafuji, Mikihiko Nishitani
  • Patent number: 7329989
    Abstract: A fluorine-containing precoating is formed to cover a phosphor particle by, for example, a physical vapor deposition of a fluoride. Then, a fluorine-containing coating covering the phosphor particle is formed by supplying fluorine into the precoating. This obtained phosphor particle with the coating is applied in the form of a paste to a substrate on each electrode between two adjacent ribs to form a phosphor layer including phosphor particles between the ribs on the substrate. The substrate is positioned with respect to another substrate having electrodes thereon to form discharge spaces between the substrates. The discharge spaces are filled with a discharge gas to produce a plasma display panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Okumura, Mitsuo Saitoh, Masashi Morita, Takafumi Okuma, Masaharu Terauchi, Junko Asayama
  • Publication number: 20070241691
    Abstract: A method for restoring the function of a plasma display panel according to the present invention restores a function of a plasma display panel by raising the temperature of the plasma display panel to 400° C. to 800° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Publication date: October 18, 2007
    Inventors: Tomohiro Okumura, Mitsuo Saitoh, Masashi Morita, Masaharu Terauchi, Asayama Junko
  • Publication number: 20070232181
    Abstract: A fluorine-containing precoating is formed to cover a phosphor particle by, for example, a physical vapor deposition of a fluoride. Then, a fluorine-containing coating covering the phosphor particle is formed by supplying fluorine into the precoating. This obtained phosphor particle with the coating is applied in the form of a paste to a substrate on each electrode between two adjacent ribs to form a phosphor layer including phosphor particles between the ribs on the substrate. The substrate is positioned with respect to another substrate having electrodes thereon to form discharge spaces between the substrates. The discharge spaces are filled with a discharge gas to produce a plasma display panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Inventors: Tomohiro Okumura, Mitsuo Saitoh, Masashi Morita, Takafumi Okuma, Masaharu Terauchi, Junko Asayama
  • Publication number: 20070216302
    Abstract: Provided is a gas discharge display panel that exhibits a favorable display performance by maintaining a wall charge retaining power, controlling discharge delay within a range adequate for optimal image display, and reducing the discharge starting voltage at comparatively low cost. Also provided is a PDP that exhibits more reliability with enhanced display quality by further improving the secondary electron emission factor ? compared to conventional cases and lowering the discharge starting voltage to widen the driving margin. In addition, provided is a manufacturing method of a gas discharge display panel, by which the manufacturing cost lowers by reduction of the exhaustion time in the sealing exhaustion process, and by which the driving circuit cost is reduced. In the present invention, the protective layer contains, with respect to a MgO content of the protective layer, Si in a range of 20 mass ppm to 5000 mass ppm inclusive and H in a range of 300 mass ppm to 10000 mass ppm inclusive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2005
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Inventors: Jun Hashimoto, Masatoshi Kitagawa, Mikihiko Nishitani, Masaharu Terauchi, Shinichi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20070001601
    Abstract: In the plasma display panel of the present invention, a protective layer covers a dielectric layer covering electrodes in discharge cells and faces a discharge space filled with a discharge gas. Here, the discharge gas includes at least one selected from the group consisting of Xe and Kr. In the protective layer, an electron band including at least electrons having energy level of 4 eV or less below a vacuum level is formed within a forbidden band in energy bands.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Publication date: January 4, 2007
    Inventors: Mikihiko Nishitani, Masaharu Terauchi, Yakuhiro Morita, Shinichi Yamamoto, Masatoshi Kitagawa
  • Patent number: 7153451
    Abstract: Phosphors having high luminescence characteristics are provided while achieving manufacturing cost reductions by minimizing the usage amount of Eu, the luminescence center. Also provided are a display device (PDP, etc) and a fluorescent lamp having excellent display and/or luminescence characteristics as a result of using the phosphors, while achieving manufacturing cost reductions by minimizing the Eu usage amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiro Zukawa, Masatoshi Kitagawa, Masaharu Terauchi, Junko Asayama, Masahiro Sakai
  • Publication number: 20060251799
    Abstract: A plasma display panel is composed of a first substrate and a second substrate facing each other via a discharge space and sealed together. A protective layer on the first substrate is composed principally of magnesium oxide, includes a substance or structure that creates a first energy level in an area of a forbidden band, the area being in a vicinity of a conduction band, and includes a substance or structure that creates a second energy level in another area in the forbidden band, the other area being in a vicinity of a valence band. During driving the second energy level is occupied by electrons, and few electrons exist in the first energy level, or electrons can easily occupy the first energy level due to a minus charge state, and MgO insultaive resistance is not lowered. This maintains wall charge retention and reduces discharge irregularities and firing voltage Vf.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Publication date: November 9, 2006
    Inventors: Mikihiko Nishitani, Yukihiro Morita, Masatoshi Kitagawa, Masaharu Terauchi
  • Patent number: 7102287
    Abstract: A plasma display panel is composed of a first substrate and a second substrate facing each other via a discharge space and sealed together. A protective layer on the first substrate is composed principally of magnesium oxide, includes a substance or structure that creates a first energy level in an area of a forbidden band, the area being in a vicinity of a conduction band, and includes a substance or structure that creates a second energy level in another area in the forbidden band, the other area being in a vicinity of a valence band. During driving the second energy level is occupied by electrons, and few electrons exist in the first energy level, or electrons can easily occupy the first energy level due to a minus charge state, and MgO insultaive resistance is not lowered. This maintains wall charge retention and reduces discharge irregularities and firing voltage Vf.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mikihiko Nishitani, Yukihiro Morita, Masatoshi Kitagawa, Masaharu Terauchi
  • Publication number: 20050277570
    Abstract: The present invention aims at realizing a PDP and a mercury-free fluorescent lamp feasible to maintain excellent luminescent characteristics over long periods by suppressing time-lapse changes in luminescent characteristics of a phosphor that is excited by vacuum ultraviolet light to thereby emit light. To accomplish this object, the oxide phosphor of the invention comprises individual particles, each of which has a region at and near the surface thereof modified, and the elemental composition of the surface region is in a more oxidized state than that of the internal region of the particles. Alternatively, the surface region has more halogen or chalcogen in the elemental composition. In the phosphor treatment method of the invention, the surface region of individual phosphor particles is selectively modified by (i) forming a highly reactive gas atmosphere by exciting gas which contains reactive gas, and (ii) exposing the phosphor to the gas atmosphere.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2003
    Publication date: December 15, 2005
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiro Zukawa, Masatoshi Kitagawa, Masaharu Terauchi, Junko Asayama